King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Trends

The King George at Ascot is one of the most prestigious middle-distance races in the flat calendar year and has seen some truly great horses make a name for themselves. Famous winners include Dancing Brave, Galileo, Shergar and most recently the wonder filly Enable. This year’s renewal looks competitive as ever and we will try and find the winner with the help of some key statistics and trends.

See our King George VI tips here or read on to see trends on the race.

King George Trends

• Some ages dominate – Since 2000, every winner has been aged three or four
• Group race form is necessary – 9 of the last 12 winners had won a Group 1  before
• Match fitness helps – 11 of the last 12 winners had run within 50 days 
• Punters do well – 7 of the last 12 came from the top three in the betting

Cracksman ✅✅✅✅

Poet’s Word ✅✅✅✅

Crystal Ocean ✅❌✅✅

Coronet ✅❌✅❌

Salouen ✅❌✅❌

Cracksman and Poet’s Word are the two in this field who tick every box and look to have every chance on the trends. They fought it out in the Prince Of Wales’ at Royal Ascot and edge out Crystal Ocean as he has yet to record a top-level success.

If returning to the form of last year’s Champion Stakes, which was run at this track it is fair to say that John Gosden’s Cracksman would be almost impossible to beat. He travelled kindly that day and demolished a classy field, which included Poet’s Word, by seven lengths. He never looked in danger on that occasion and put some top-class horses to the sword but has been disappointing since. He impressed on his seasonal debut but only scrambled home from Salouen in the Coronation Cup and was well-beaten by Poet’s Word last time. At his best he would slaughter this field, but whether he will be at his best is a doubt.

One horse who certainly hasn’t been inconsistent is Sir Michael Stoute’s Poet’s Word who, like so many from that stable, seems to have got better and better with age. He looked in need of the run when second at Meydan at the start of the season but has been better than ever in his last two starts, winning a Group 3 at Sandown and at the top level during Royal Ascot. He was well on top of Cracksman at the line the last day but may need to better that performance to confirm the form.

Crystal Ocean has been a hype horse since his impressive maiden win last year and has some really top class form to his name despite the fact he has yet to win a Group 1. He was brilliant at Glorious Goodwood and then finished second in possibly the strongest renewal of the St. Leger ever run. He is three from three this season in lower grades than this but has been doing everything easily and a step up in class looks natural. This is his biggest test yet but he may well be up to it.

Coronet was behind Crystal Ocean in the St. Leger but has improved and has shown some good form this season. She was narrowly beaten by Waldgeist in a Group 1 last time and would come into her own if this became a test of stamina though she may lack the required class against the boys. Salouen nearly turned over Cracksman at Epsom and has since run well but would be a surprising and slightly disappointing winner of this.