The mercurial August Rodin looks set to go off favourite for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes for the second-year running. Connections will certainly hope he makes a better fist of it this time around after he finished last of 10 in the race in 2023, some 127 lengths behind the winner.
Such inexplicable blowouts have pockmarked an otherwise glittering career for Aidan O’Brien’s Epsom Derby and Breeders Cup Turf winner and make him opposable in the 2024 edition.
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2024 tips
Best Bet: Rebel Romance to win @ 7/2
Each-way: Goliath @ 33/1
Bet on the latest horse racing odds at Betzone
Appleby globetrotter has to be the win bet at the prices
There’s plenty to like about Auguste Rodin’s King George chances, as you’d expect from a 5/4 favourite. He’s won two of his four runs on the expected good-to-firm going, three of his five races over the 1m4f trip and landed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out.
However, it’s difficult to dispel the fear that he could throw in one of his occasional stinkers having done so in this race in 2023, as well as last year’s 2,000 Guineas and this year’s Sheema Classic – all of which he finished stone last in.
The most recent of those races saw him finish 22 lengths adrift of the Charlie-Appleby-trained REBEL’S ROMANCE who looks a lot better value at 7/2 versus the 5/4 about the favourite considering the pair are so closely matched on a host of factors
Official-rating-wise the pair are equals, with both allotted a BHA mark of 123 and each of them has five Group 1 wins to their name. Like Auguste Rodin, Rebel’s Romance should relish the fast ground having won five of seven outings on good-to-firm.
The Appleby operation are flying at the time of writing, with seven winners from their last 18 runners for a 39% strike rate in the last fortnight and their representative looks better value than the favourite here.
Tip: Best Bet: Rebel Romance to win @ 7/2
French raider underrated at the odds on his Hardwicke form
Another yard in top form is that of Francis-Henri Graffard, who saddles 33/1 shot Goliath. Graffard has sent out seven winners from his last 20 entrants at the time of writing.
Goliath returns to Ascot for his second race in a row after finishing second when Isle Of Jura won the Hardwicke Stakes for followers of news.betzone.co.uk at Royal Ascot last month.
That silver medal stands him in especially good stead here given he had the reopposing Middle Earth (third) in arrears on the day.
John and Thady Gosden’s runner is likely to go off far shorter than the French raider, yet both were race fit at the Royal Meeting and there’s no obvious reason the form should be turned around.
A total of nine runners makes for favourable each-way conditions and at 33/1 the mount of Christophe Soumillon could run into the places.
Tip: Each-way: Goliath @ 33/1
