Hukum edges battle of older horses as King George lives up to the hype
Some races make your heart beat a little bit faster. Some send a shiver up the spine. The 2023 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot was a catalyst for both – and that was before it started. Thankfully the hype was justified, the horses delivering in style.
Like many great races, it featured a protracted battle between two duelling thoroughbreds in the home straight. Ascot lends itself well to such theatre, this very race producing one of the best head-to-heads of them all when Grundy got the better of Bustino in 1975 (the race of the century).
Fast forward 48 years and we had HUKUM v Westover, two of the well-furnished older horses, the pair gunning for the line at the head of affairs from fully two furlongs out.
Westover got first run under Rob Hornby, but he wandered a little in front and Hukum got to him at the furlong pole where he first poked his head into the lead. Ralph Beckett’s son of Frankel battled back, but Owen Burrows’ horse kept finding for Jim Crowley’s pressure (he might well be hearing from the Whip Review Committee) and the head verdict at the furlong pole was still a head verdict at the line.
A terrific race, by two horses peaking for career-best performances. Hukum, a six-year-old entire, fully justifying connections’ sporting decision to keep him in training, and Westover, a Classic winner who is now thriving at the age of four.
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Both horses look a good fit for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the bookies acted accordingly, cutting Hukum to a general 7/1 from 10s, with Westover a general 10/1 from 20s.
With the ground often soft or worse at Longchamp in October, the more appealing antepost bet is Hukum. Both seem to handle softer ground well, but it would be a major positive for Hukum, the strongest of stayers at this trip and one who relishes testing conditions.
It’s here we should doff our cap to the training feat of Burrows. Injured after winning last year’s Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, Hukum required three screws inserted in a hind leg yet he has come back even better than he was before.
A defeat of the Derby winner Desert Crown laid the foundations for this King George success, his omission from the Hardwicke because of the fast ground at Royal Ascot a blessing in disguise, considering he performs so well fresh.
Given his record after breaks of 50 days or more now stands at 1-1-1-4-1-1-1-1, it makes perfect sense to put him away for Longchamp. On this evidence he would be a serious player, and, while he might not get near the rating of his full brother Baaeed, he could well end up with a trophy cabinet to match.
Westover was brave in defeat after initially wobbling a little when challenged and his performance level went up a notch again from his Coronation Cup second and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud win. He loved chasing the strong gallop, travelling into the race as well as Hukum, but he was just edged out by a slightly more experienced horse.
The performances of both Hukum and Westover trigger the thought that is ‘what would Desert Crown have done here?’ Sir Michael Stoute’s horse was beaten narrowly by Hukum at Sandown and he beat Westover in the 2022 Derby, but he has only made the racecourse four times in his life due to niggles and setbacks.
It would be a shame if we don’t see him deliver his full potential.
Desert Crown was the only big gun taken out of the race at the final declaration stage but we still had a race to savour. The King George has met with some criticism in modern times for not producing the barnstorming renewals of yesteryear, but this year it certainly delivered.
Can it happen on a more consistent basis? That depends on injuries, the weather and the best horses being spread evenly amongst the leading yards. This year we had the perfect storm.
Seven top-level winners took to the field and six of them filled the first seven home. The one who disappointed was the Derby winner Auguste Rodin, clearly not himself from a relatively early stage, effectively pulled up as he drifted home in last.
King Of Steel, second to Auguste Rodin in the Derby, hasn’t got a Group 1 to his name yet but he ran a cracker in third as he was keen enough early on. He was over four lengths behind the front pair and while he stays the trip well he’s surely worth a crack at 10 furlongs sooner rather than later.
Luxembourg, a three-time G1 winner, is another good yardstick who ran his race and he was beaten eight lengths in fourth with last year’s winner Pyledriver only fifth in a much hotter renewal this time around.
Emily Upjohn flopped in this race last year and she did so again under Frankie Dettori in his final King George. She can throw in a performance like this, but John Gosden is a master with his fillies and he can sweeten her up again, a return of the hood a likely tactic as she was keen again today.
The daughter of Sea The Stars is a two-time Group 1 winner who was reduced to a bit part in a vintage King George, beaten 27 lengths at the line. It was that kind of race. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as special if it was like this every year.
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