King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by QIPCO
Group 1, Ascot 15:40
£1,250,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus,
1m 3f 211y, Class 1   
Saturday 27th July 2024

SureWIn

1 Goliath 25/1
2 Bluestocking 9/2
3 Rebel's Romance 5/2
9 ran Distances: 2¼l, 3¼l, 4¾l
Time: 2m 27.43s (fast by 2.27s)

Goliath delivered a stunning performance at Ascot, securing France’s first King George victory since 2006.

Despite Hurricane Run being the last French contender to win this prestigious midsummer race, Francis-Henri Graffard’s four-year-old broke the drought in emphatic style.

As the race unfolded, the spotlight initially fell on market favorites Auguste Rodin and Rebel’s Romance.

However, Christophe Soumillon, riding Goliath, stealthily positioned himself behind the leaders. When asked to accelerate, the 25-1 outsider surged ahead, winning by two and a quarter lengths.

Bluestocking secured second place, while Rebel’s Romance trailed in third. Unfortunately for Ballydoyle, fifth-placed Auguste Rodin missed out on victory once again.

Graffard said: “I know my horse likes running off a good pace and can quicken like this, so we came here to Ascot to find a strong pace, as last time at Royal Ascot he was still too keen.

“So, we were desperate for some pace but when I saw his big odds I thought ‘oh my God, nobody believes in him’.

“But he travelled so nicely and when he was like that, I knew he was able to quicken strongly.

“When you come and you are around 28-1, you feel you might look like a fool and you don’t want that, but I think some punters will be happy now.”

BetGoodwin

Hailing the display of Soumillon, the trainer added: “He’s just such a talented jockey, he never sat on the horse, but he galloped another horse the other day and this one was in behind, so he knew what he was sitting on.

“But he just knew what to do before the race, I didn’t have to tell him anything. You need to be a horseman and talented with your hands on this horse and Christophe knew exactly what to do and I think he really enjoyed it.”

Graffard, who won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot with Calandagan, continued: “I worked for four years here in England for Sheikh Mohammed and went to every racetrack and fell in love with racing here, I think they have amazing races here.

“I always wanted to train in Chantilly but I knew that as soon as I had good horses I would try to come over and be competitive here. It’s always fantastic to be here and I really enjoy it.”

A delighted Soumillon, who rode the aforementioned Hurricane Run in his King George win, said: “When I had a chance to look at the big screen I saw I was two or three lengths clear and I had to check I was not dreaming.

“It’s such an amazing feeling winning one of the biggest races in the world with an amazing horse. He was a 25-1 shot, but I was very optimistic and I knew he just needed a fast pace in the race. It was like a dream.”

QuinnBet

King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes
(Sponsored By Qipco) (British Champions Series) (Group 1)
£1,250,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 1m 3f 211y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (6)    Goliath 4 9-9 F-H Graffard Christophe Soumillon 25/1
2 (9) 2¼ Bluestocking 4 9-6 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 9/2
3 (3) 3¼ Rebel's Romance 6 9-9 Charlie Appleby William Buick 5/2
4 (7) 4¾ Sunway 3 8-12 David Menuisier James Doyle 16/1
5 (2) 1¼ Auguste Rodin 4 9-9 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 7/4F
6 (1) 2¾ Luxembourg 5 9-9 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 11/1
7 (8) 1½ Dubai Honour 6 9-9 William Haggas Tom Marquand 25/1
8 (4) 75 Middle Earth 4 9-9 John & Thady Gosden Oisin Murphy 12/1
9 (5) 39 Hans Andersen 4 9-9 A P O'Brien Sean Levey 150/1