Racing: Grandera to rule as King George loses its majesty

They would prefer storm clouds, but there is trouble brewing for the Ascot executive if today's field for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes is any measure.

There are 12 horses declared for what the promotional literature tells us is the high summer summit of the season, but that figure could be down to eight as soon as various parties fail to get their sticks into the baked ground this morning.

In quality, as well as numbers, it could be something of a flop. Grandera, the Prince Of Wales's Stakes winner at the Royal meeting and the almost certain favourite, is a good animal, but he is no superstar. In the hierarchy at Godolphin he probably carries breakfast for Sakhee, who seems destined to be scratched this morning.

Even more worrying for Ascot is the absence of a contender from Ballydoyle. The message from the Irish camp seems to be that the King George is poisonous to a horse's prospects for the increasingly alluring pots at the end of the season. It is a theory the French have propounded for a while and it does the King George no service.

Sakhee apart, there are worries about the participation of High Pitched, Millenary and, it emerged yesterday, Nayef. After the opening event of the three-day meeting at the Royal course yesterday, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum broke the news about his Dubai Champion Stakes winner. "Nayef is best on good ground but this might be too fast," he said. "Any horse can go on good ground but not on firm. When Nayef won in Dubai we had had a lot of watering."

The Sheikh also all but confirmed the non-participation of 3-1 second favourite Sakhee who although in his ownership runs in the Godolphin blue. "I don't think I will want to run the horse," he admitted. "Richard [Hills] says it is hard ground and if they don't have rain I don't think he will run. If he doesn't run there is a Group Three in France in August over a mile and a quarter and then we will see."

The Sheikh's comments on Nayef seemed to be at odds with those expressed by the colt's jockey. "He will like the ground," said Richard Hills of the Tote's 9-1 shot. "I'm happy with him and he is used to this kind of surface. It is definitely good to firm and with this weather it will keep getting faster.

"It is not my decision to make as to whether Sakhee will run but they have to look after the horses and everyone knows that he has had a problem with his knees. If it is not his ground then I don't think they will want to run him."

Both Millenary's trainer John Dunlop, and Henry Cecil, trainer of High Pitched, whose charges will need a good overnight downpour before they get out of their boxes, are likely to wait until the morning before making their decisions on their participation in the mile and a half event.

However, Philip Freedman part-owner of the latter all but about ruled out his colt. "I would be astonished if he runs as the jockeys are saying it is more firm than good and he just can't let himself down on fast ground," he said. "I am looking at a Group One in Germany in a fortnight's time for him."

Dunlop said of Millenary: "I'd love to run him and there's no point in making a decision until as late as possible. But it has suddenly got very hot."

Whatever the size of the King George field there is certain to be plenty of pace. Narrative will blaze the way for Grandera, while Sir Effendi is in to do a similar job for Nayef. Zindabad, one of the more credible challengers, will not be hanging about either. All that will leave the way open for Grandera (next best 3.50) to pounce inside the final furlong.

The competitive race of the day is the International Stakes, which does just as it says on the tin, featuring the likes of By Far (the mount of Yutaka Take) and Crystal Castle for John Hammond, Irish Flower for another French-based trainer in Richard Gibson and Hanzano for Are Hyldmo and Norway.

Also well represented are the zig-zag colours of the Lucayan Stud, proving that lightning does strike more than once. Their runners are Just James and Scotty's Future, which sound like episodes of Star Trek, as well as Hurricane Floyd.

The winner though should be the progressive Ghannam (3.10), who was second in the Britannia Handicap at the Royal meeting from a disadvantageous draw. He will relish the ground.

The bet of the day is in the Princess Margaret Stakes, in which BUY THE SPORT (2.35) is the lowest rated on official figures yet provides the best value. Brian Meehan, her trainer, mentions her in the same parish as his Queen Mary Stakes winner, Romantic Liason.

"She's a very nice filly," he says. "She only won a head on her debut at Windsor but that was purely through greenness. She's flying. It's very unfair to make comparisons with Romantic Liason and they haven't worked together because one filly's done it and the other has got it to do. But the one that has it to do is very good and I think she'll take all the beating."

n The biggest win fund dividend in Scoop6 history could be on the cards today. Over £1m already lines the Scoop6 pools.