Who will triumph in the race of the season so far?

ITV Racing fans are in for a real treat on Saturday afternoon, as 11 of flat racing's finest clash in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The winners of 14 Group One races will go toe-to-toe in the main event at Ascot, in what promises to be the race of the flat season so far.

2023 King George VI Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Runners

The Three-Year-Olds

With the three-year-olds getting a hefty amount of weight from their older rivals, it's been no surprise to see the two youngsters sitting atop the King George betting for much of the build-up. That being said, only six three-year-olds have won this Group One since 1995 and two of those were fillies, who made the most of both sex and age allowances.

Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel were much the best two colts in the Epsom Derby. Both have won since, but Auguste Rodin failed to sparkle in an underwhelming Irish Derby and King Of Steel couldn't have had a much easier race in the King Edward VII Stakes. 

I'm yet to be convinced that King Of Steel is up to this standard. Auguste Rodin has the raw ability, but for an athletic sort who moves so beautifully - as Aidan O'Brien would put it - 12 furlongs on rain-softened ground would hardly be his ideal conditions. I'm happy to take the three-year-olds on.

Older Horses

Emily Upjohn bumped into the hugely progressive Paddington in the Coral-Eclipse. While her runner-up finish that day has to be commended, I'm not convinced it was the ideal prep. Immediately after the race, Ryan Moore said that we hadn't seen the best of Paddington, stating that his mount felt "vulnerable" going into the final quarter mile. Emily Upjohn had the whole straight to pass Paddington, but try as she might, John Gosden's filly couldn't get by.

Emily Upjohn finished last of six in this race last year. She returns to Ascot on the back of a hard race at Sandown just three weeks ago and she hasn't got the three-year-old allowance in her favour this time around. 

Westover has similar negatives to Emily Upjohn, in that he flopped as a three-year-old in this race 12 months ago and a three-week turnaround could be tough on a horse who has proven fragile in the past. Ralph Beckett's colt did set a track record time when winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and won't mind the extra cut in the ground, so if each-way support was to arrive for Westover, I wouldn't be surprised.

The declaration of Luxembourg adds some extra spice to an already warm King George. Whether he'll relish a mile-and-a-half on softish ground, I'm not so sure, but he certainly has to be respected.

Point Lonsdale has never struck me as a mile-and-a-half horse and Bolshoi Ballet is surely only in the field to set a nice, even gallop. Deauville Legend will be a little out of his depth and William Haggas would want the ground to be much softer than it is for Hamish to even have a squeak.

2023 King George VI Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Tips

I'm left with two runners in my search for this year's King George winner. Hukum was backed into second-favouritism once the ground softened up and, based on his last two performances, Owen Burrows' six-year-old warrants a great deal of respect.

Then there's PYLEDRIVER, who ran out a superb winner of this race under PJ McDonald last year. William Muir's stable star enjoyed the ideal prep for his return to the King George, winning the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot despite clearly needing his first run of the season.

Pyledriver is the highest-rated runner in the field. He's won three of his four starts around Ascot, the only defeat coming as a three-year-old in the Champion Stakes having finished third in the St Leger the previous month. McDonald's mount won his Coronation Stakes on good-to-soft and his dam did all of her best work on juicy ground.