Galileo has the measure of Fantastic Light
Galileo has the measure of Fantastic Light

David Ord's seven favourite renewals of the King George at Ascot


David Ord counts down his favourite renewals of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.


We want your favourite renewals of the King George. Email them to racingfeedback@sportinglife.com with the reasons why and we'll publish the responses at the foot of this article.


7. REFERENCE POINT, 1987

There have been easier winners of a King George than Reference Point but few braver.

But we already knew that about him. After all he’d made all to win the Derby, fending off a host of challengers down the Epsom straight before hitting the line a length-and-a-half in front of Most Welcome.

He’d been beaten in the Coral-Eclipse en route to Ascot but was carried out on his shield, narrowly failing to the draw the sting from the wonderful Mtoto in an epic clash.

In the King George he faced dual Oaks heroine Unite, Triptych, third at Sandown and a five-time Group One winner, German superstar Acatenango, Irish Derby winner Sir Harry Lewis and the previous year’s St Leger hero Moon Madness.

And turning in he was off the bridle, Steve Cauthen hard at work, but in behind it was getting tough for the rest too.

The crucial moment came five strides after that bend, when his momentum and class carried Reference Point three lengths clear of the chasing pack. Relentlessly and remorselessly he set sail for home and wasn’t for catching.

Triptych and Celestial Storm emerged from the rear of the field to try and chase him down – and for a fleeting moment approaching the furlong pole looked like they might.

But the effort in reducing the arrears took a toll and Reference Point was three lengths clear again at the line. Tough and brilliant. A potent mix.

1987 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes

6. PETOSKI, 1985

A race that still burns bright in the memory – more than 35 years on.

Petoski wasn’t supposed to win this. He was a talented colt, who was found to be off-colour when well beaten in the Derby, weakening down the straight after at least trying to close on Slip Anchor around Tattenham Corner.

He’d since won the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket but look what he was up against. Oh So Sharp, brilliant winner of the 1000 Guineas and Oaks. Law Society, trained by Vincent O’Brien, who finished second at Epsom before plundering the Irish Derby.

There was Rainbow Quest, who went on to win an Arc and rolled into Ascot off the back of Coronation Cup success. Princess Pati had won the previous year’s Irish Oaks, Strawberry Road was a former Australian Horse of the Year now trained in France and there was even the winner of that year’s Japan Derby in the shape of Sirius Symboli.

It was a cosmopolitan mix and they produced one of the great finishes down the Ascot straight.

The pacemakers had done their job by the time they turned for home. Steve Cauthen was rowing along on Oh So Sharp in the leader's (Infantry) slipstream and Pat Eddery was going better aboard Rainbow Quest only half-a-length away.

Battle was joined at the two pole – and by the one marker Oh So Sharp had seemingly weathered the storm. But in behind Willie Carson and Petoski were on the move. Head down, arms rhythmically pumping, the jockey was building momentum and sensing blood.

He switched off the rail to get a clear sight of the line and his willing partner needed no second invitation.

He was in front 50 yards from the finish and, as brave as she was, Oh So Sharp couldn’t get back at him. A neck separated the pair with Rainbow Quest three-quarters-of-length away in third and Law Society fourth.

Injury meant the winner was never able to run to this level again but the placed horses went on to further glory. A gruelling, compelling King George threw up a surprise winner and a race to savour.

1985 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes

5. DANCING BRAVE, 1986

While revenge is a dish best served cold, it was only lukewarm by the time Dancing Brave dashed past his Epsom conqueror Shahrastani to win the King George.

Their infamous Derby clash will be talked about as long as racing continues, the 2000 Guineas winner making rapid and relentless headway down the straight and almost getting to winner despite seemingly facing a hopeless task.

But Shahrastani had gone on to win an Irish Derby by eight lengths afterwards and while Dancing Brave’s Coral-Eclipse triumph meant he too had a 1 next to his name on the racecard, it was the Derby hero who was sent off the 11/10 favourite.

He never looked like winning.

Walter Swinburn was in trouble early in the straight and it was clear that stablemate Shardari was the danger to the other star three-year-old. Pat Eddery replaced Greville Starkey in the saddle aboard Dancing Brave and he took a long, lingering look at Shahrastani as he swept by him two out.

Dancing Brave has his revenge at Ascot
Dancing Brave has his revenge at Ascot

He was in control of the race but drifted to the far rail as he looked to go clear. Suddenly Eddery’s urgings became more vigorous. Shardari had switched from the rail to have another crack at the new leader and was closing again.

At the line he’d got within three-quarters-of-a-length but never looked like getting back on top. Dancing Brave had struck a blow for the Classic generation and, while not banishing the memories of the drama on that first Wednesday in June, had quickly re-established himself at the top of the pecking order.

He was to stay there, too, going on to produce one of the great Arc de Triomphe performances when producing a devastating turn of foot to beat Bering, Tryptich and Shahrastani again in the autumn. A wonderful racehorse.

4. NASHWAN, 1989

A historic renewal. No horse before or since had won the 2000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse and King George in the same season. Nashwan did – but my it was close.

In the excellent Racing TV documentary on the son of Blushing Groom Willie Carson felt the damage had already been done before Ascot. In asking him to close down apparent pacemaker and subsequent Group One winner Opening Verse on rain-softened ground at Sandown, the jockey felt he’d bottomed his champion.

But he had courage as well as brilliance and needed both in the final furlong at Ascot.

Cacoethes, brushed aside when seen as his main danger in the Derby, was here and on-song. He was different proposition to Epsom and twice, with the winning post in sight, looked like going past his rival.

The pair had the race to themselves but Nashwan dug deep to repel his rival, winning by a neck to the roars of sun-drenched crowd. It wasn’t his best performance, but definitely his bravest.

"Hearts Of Joy" - The Story of Nashwan - Racing TV

3. MONTJEU, 2000

You shouldn’t win a King George on the bridle, but Montjeu did.

We knew he was brilliant. We saw that through his wins in the both the French and Irish Derby and the turn of foot that somehow carried him past El Condor Pasa in the 1999 Arc.

But nothing really prepared us for this. After all he wasn’t passing trees. Fantastic Light had won the Dubai Sheema Classic and was to add the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf to his CV.

Daliapour had plundered the Coronation Cup, Shiva a Tattersalls Gold Cup and yet Montjeu treated them with contempt.

At no stage did he look in any trouble, sauntering to the front a furlong-and-a-half out and going clear despite Mick Kinane sitting motionless.

Applause broke out in the stands, JA McGrath on the BBC noting it was “a salute to a true champion” as he called him home. And it was.

There have been deeper renewals of the King George but easier winners? I’ve never seen one.

2000 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes

2. ENABLE, 2019

I don’t think there’s recency bias here, after all how could this race not make the list?

Enable claimed a second King George but only after fending off Crystal Ocean following another of those memorable stretch duels that litter the great race’s history.

This one was joined before the two pole, the protagonists making their challenges at the same time as the trailblazing Norway gave way.

There was never more than a neck between them from that point on. Enable always just about held the advantage but Crystal Ocean wanted it back.

At the furlong pole he threatened to seize it but, as the Ascot crowd roared, Dettori needed only hands and heels to keep the mare in front.

It made for spellbinding viewing with subsequent Arc winner Waldgeist giving vain pursuit in third.

Enable Wins The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes

1. GALILEO, 2001

Poor old Fantastic Light. To run into Coolmore champions in successive years at Ascot is unfortunate by anyone’s standards – but goodness me did he make Galileo fight.

The Derby winner swept to the front passing the two furlong marker and grabbed the far rail under Mick Kinane. Frankie Dettori took aim on Fantastic Light. They drifted towards their rival and battle was joined.

At the furlong pole there was nostrils between them – for more than a stride or three the older horse was in front, but Gailleo’s claims to greatness, on the racecourse at least, hinge on what happened next.

He found the reserves to go again. With Kinane in full flow, Aidan O’Brien’s charge broke his rival and was a neck, half-a-length and then a length in front. Dettori accepted defeat in the final 50 yards and Galileo hit the line hard – and with daylight between the pair.

Fantastic Light was to gain his revenge in the Irish Champion in the early autumn but in the mid-summer it was the three-year-old who had his legs.

Another epic Ascot duel, another unforgettable horse race.

Galileo 1st King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. Gr.1


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