Hukum Gets Well Fought King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes Victory

Tom Williams/JTW Equine Images 

Hukum’s victory punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita

By Jack Williams

ASCOT, Berkshire, U.K.—In a race that prior to the off was billed by many as being the best clash of weight-for-age equine talent since the days of Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard and Grundy, a fairytale winner was once again crowned in front of royalty at Ascot on Saturday, as Hukum and Jim Crowley won a vintage King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes. 

Trained by Owen Burrows, and owned by Shadwell Estate Company Limited, the six-year-old son of Sea The Stars and Aghareed fought a titanic duel with Westover and Rob Hornby, to win by the shortest of heads, with King Edward VII victor King Of Steel only four-and-a-half lengths back in third.

Despite being 13-2 in the betting, this season’s Brigadier Gerard victor and last season’s Coronation Cup still had questions to answer back at Ascot. Carrying 9-9 against two readily fancied stars of the Classic generation in King Of Steel and Epsom and Irish Derby victor Auguste Rodin, was said by some to be too far out of the agenda. His target at Royal Ascot (Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes) had to be scrubbed at the eleventh hour due to unsuitable ground, and the drying ground did present an issue. 

As the gates opened, it was a very level break, with Jim settling the eventual winner in mid-division, with his outsider neighbour Point Lonsdale being scrubbed along by Adam Kirby to get to the head of the field, which he duly did, sharing this with stablemate Bolshoi Balletunder pilot Sean Levey. Last year’s winner Pyledriver was settled in third, with Hukum in-behind the leaders, tracking Luxembourg on the rail. King Of Steel had settled beautifully on the rail, with Westover, who had been extremely keen and blew his chance a year ago in the same race, travelling comfortably under Rob Hornby. 

Frankie Dettori, in his last King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes, was towards the back of the field, along with Deauville Legend and favourite Auguste Rodin, who had been made to track wide under Ryan Moore, having been given stall 10 at the declaration stage. Coming out of Swinley Bottom the pace increased, and as the climb towards home intensified, Deauville Legend under Oisin Murphy was scrubbed along, but then eyes were drawn to the favourite Auguste Rodin, who was being niggled along by Ryan Moore in an effort to improve his position. Favourite backers were left aghast however, as despite Emily Upjohn moving up to challenge and Hukum having plenty of cover, Auguste Rodin dropped out very tamely, very quickly. 

Turning for home, it was almost seven-abreast the track; King of Steel had followed Luxembourg, who was then in line astern with Bolshoi Ballet, Point Lonsdale, Pyledriver, Hukum and Westover, who had come widest of them all, but was seemingly doing best of all. As he moved right to get the rail, Hukum went after him on the outside, before the pair of them began to pull slightly clear of Pyledriver and Luxembourg. 

The early leaders had then been dropped, and King of Steel forced the gap to keep himself in contention, and briefly looked to make it three-abreast into the final furlong, but the older legs began to show their stamina, with Westover and Hukum locked in battle. When one looked like they were edging it, the other would fight back accordingly. Memories of Grundy vs Bustino in 1975 came flooding back, and as the line passed, it was Hukum and Jim Crowley who had prevailed; just. 

The post-race comments came flooding in thick and fast; Auguste Rodin’s trainer Aidan O’Brien reported to Sporting Life that there were “no excuses. Whatever happened, the power ran out and it ran out early. That is the unusual thing. The race wasn’t even started. 

“He was calm in the paddock; we were very happy with him. There is obviously a reason, and we’ll find it. It is frustrating, but that’s the way.”

Connections of Westover were said to be “devastated, but delighted”, according to the same publication. Nevertheless, Jim Crowley was full of praise for his mount, and speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Hayley Moore, he was quoted as saying “fair play to the second (Westover) he didn’t lie down, full credit to connections.”

On his winning mount, “he could have gone to stud after the Coronation (2022 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs)… but decided to keep him in training, and they (connections) have been rewarded today.”

“It was an insane performance, especially after being off the track for a while. He missed the Hardwicke, it would have been very easy to run him that day, and it was a very brave decision not to run. It was very special to even get a ride in this race, it’s the best King George I’ve seen on paper for a while.”

“Everyone expected this horse to want soft ground, and that was good ground today… he’s equally adept on soft, and it was nice for him to win on that ground.”

“It’s amazing. I’m sure he (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who died in 2021) was looking down smiling, because he laid all the foundations for this, and it is a great honour to be part of this.”

Trainer Owen Burrows, who had completed the second part of a fantastic half-hour double after Alflaila won the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes on the Knavesmire, said to Sky Sports Racing’s Gina Bryce that it was “probably enjoyed it (watching the race) more than I did, I felt sort of 1 and a half furlongs down that we’d got it, but credit to the second he was tough, he made us really pull it all out. Amazing horse… speechless to be truthfully honest.”

Speaking to myself, I asked him, after many in racing thought, he would never return to the racetrack after suffering an injury after the Coronation Cup, his layoff of 356 days was ended with victory in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May, if his victory today was the most important one, and one he thought would never happen.

“It is very sporting of Sheikha Hissa to give us another chance with him this season, he’s always been and we’ve always felt we’ve not got to the bottom of him, of what you’ve seen on the track, so it is great to finally show everyone how good he really is.”

On a day where HRH Princess Anne presented the trophy commemorating her grandparents, it was extremely fitting for a fairytale to be written on the royal racecourse. As the sun beamed down on the Berkshire track during the presentation, one could not help but feel that there was another Royal presence smiling down on Ascot.