Simon Holt's Saturday Ascot betting preview and tips

Recommended bets: Simon Holt

2pts win Enable in 3.35 Ascot at best morning price

1pt e.w. Idaho in 3.35 Ascot at best morning price

1pt win Makzeem in 3.00 Ascot at best morning price

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Whatever the stats geeks say about the recent record of three-year-olds in the King George or the fact that, before Taghrooda three years ago, no filly had won since the seventies, ENABLE will surely take all the beating receiving lumps of weight all round in Saturday's Ascot showpiece.

With her age and sex allowances, John Gosden's dual Oaks winner receives a stone from the older colts and her jockey Frankie Dettori has been on a crash diet all week to be able to ride at 8st7lb.

In what appears to be just an average three-year-old generation, Enable stands out after her slamming five-length defeat of Rhododendron in the rain at Epsom before proving just as impressive in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh, which she won by a similar margin.

Perhaps the daughter of Nathaniel's chief asset is her stamina as, in both races, she was pulling away and out-staying the opposition in the final furlong and, with this year's King George set to be run under slightly more arduous conditions than usual and Godolphin fielding a pacemaker for Jack Hobbs, the ability to last it out will be important.

Unfortunately, Enable is unlikely to start at a working man's price and, as an each-way alternative, IDAHO is another runner guaranteed to see the race out well.

A full-brother to last year's winner Highland Reel, who has been notably weak in the market this week, last year's luckless St Leger favourite (he was brought down in the home straight) improved for a gentle reappearance in the Coronation Cup (behind Highland Reel) to win the Hardwicke Stakes over this course and distance last month.

That form is not good enough to win a King George but Idaho's placings in both the English Derby and Irish Derby last season, and the fact he would almost certainly have won the final Classic last September, suggests he is not a horse to be underestimated - especially when stamina is an important factor.

On form, Highland Reel is certainly better than his younger sibling and has looked as good as ever this season at Epsom and Royal Ascot (Prince Of Wales's Stakes) but the likely ground conditions do not look quite right for him this time whereas Idaho seems happy enough with some give underfoot.

Moreover, this looks a much deeper renewal than when Highland Reel beat Wings Of Desire 12 months ago, though he is a horse who has been consistently under-rated throughout what has become a sparkling career.

At Royal Ascot, and at the Breeders Cup in Santa Anita last November, Ulysses proved inferior to Highland Reel but Sir Michael Stoute's slow-bloomer recorded a career-best when narrowly edging out Barney Roy in a thrilling Coral-Eclipse earlier in the month (Desert Encounter third) having travelled notably well all the way.

By Derby winner Galileo out of Oaks heroine Light Shift, there ought not be a problem with this step up to a mile and a half especially as he won at the trip, albeit against lesser opposition and when half the horse he is now, in last season's Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

However, Ulysses appeared to be soundly out-stayed by Highland Reel at the Royal meeting and, while Jim Crowley will delay his challenge until the last moment, there is a small doubt as to how well he'll see this out.

Of the others, Jack Hobbs has a big chance on the best of his form, including victories in the 2015 Irish Derby and, in March, the Sheema Classic (on yielding ground) and conditions ought to suit him better than when flopping badly behind Highland Reel last time when the ground was undoubtedly quicker than now.

This trip is probably his optimum but there was little excuse for the five-year-old's refusal to settle in the early stages that day and, while very impressive in Dubai, he doesn't always look the full shilling.

Benbatl is the only three-year-old colt in the field and kept going gamely to win last month's Hampton Court Stakes but that was only a Listed race and the runner-up Orderofthegarter has been turned over in France since.

Argentinian raider Sixties Song is almost impossible to assess but connections will reportedly be delighted to be in the frame while My Dream Boat has just come up short in his three starts this season and is hard to fancy even though conditions may suit him.

Earlier, MAKZEEM is taken to finally fulfil his potential in the Gigaset International Stakes.

Roger Charlton's gelding, who is closely related to the stable's multiple Group One winner Al Kazeem, is making steady progress up the ratings ladder but looks well handicapped here after his staying-on second to Parfait (Fawaareq third, Swift Approval fourth) under a 6lb penalty for an earlier course (good-to-soft) victory at Newmarket earlier in the month.

Makzeem is down 3lb now, and 7lb well in compared to future handicaps, and seems to have been improved by a drop in trip which, naturally for a horse bred for around a mile-and-a-quarter, he sees out very well. My only real concern is that, from stall one, he is at the mercy of any track or tactical bias of which there have been mixed messages at Ascot this season.

Dangers include the blinkered-for-the-first-time Fastnet Tempest, who won the Victoria Cup over the course and distance in May and had little luck in running in the Hunt Cup subsequently - both efforts on faster going - and Viscount Barfield, who showed massive improvement to win a Listed race at Chester last time which, if it can be believed, must give him a big chance at these weights (10lb well in compared to future handicaps even under a 3lb penalty).

Posted at 0955 BST on 28/07/17.

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