Enable Vs Three in the Qipco King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

July 23, 2020

Enable will face three rivals in her bid to make history on Saturday as the first horse ever to win the Qipco King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes three times at Ascot.

The John Gosden-trained mare won the Group 1 last year when beating Crystal Ocean by a neck in one of the most exciting runnings of the storied race, as well as in 2017 when she beat Ulysses by four and a half lengths.

Frankie Dettori will take his regular seat aboard Enable, with the jockey set to ride her for the 15th consecutive time.

Standing between Enable and history is Aidan O’Brien, and three of his runners led by last year’s Juddmonte International winner Japan.

Japan also has a close victory over Crystal Ocean last season, but has since finished behind Enable on two occasions, most recently by a head in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown which was won by Ghaiyyath, who went Gate to Wire while Enable closed to finish second.

Ryan Moore will once again ride Japan, having ridden him in his last six races.

O’Brien’s other two runners are 2019 Classic winners Anthony Van Dyck and Sovereign.

Anthony Van Dyck won last season’s Derby, but the four-year-old has failed to win any of his subsequent seven starts, while Sovereign has run just once since his 33-1 shocker in the Irish Derby. He finished third in the Group 3 International Vintage Crop Stakes at the Curragh last month.

Oisin Murphy will ride Anthony Van Dyck, and has only previously ridden for O’Brien once in Britain and once in Ireland.

Four-time Group 1 winner Magical will not line up in the King George, but will instead tackle the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday.

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