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| Sumita Pawar |
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According to layers on Sunday, the potential for unstable weather at Ascot in the near future may pose difficulties for Hukum, as it could affect the chances of star 3YO Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel becoming the favorites for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.
The upcoming championship on Saturday is expected to be one of the standout races of the summer. It will feature Derby 1-2 finishers Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, as well as classy filly Emily Upjohn, last year's Epsom hero Desert Crown, and Pyledriver, who was the winner of the £1.25 million race last year.
Hukum's Ground Conditions Gamble
Hukum, trained by Owen Burrows in Lambourn, has been targeting the King George race for a while. However, the horse had to skip the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot due to the fast ground conditions.
Fortunately, the ground conditions are expected to be suitable on King George's Day. Showers of 3mm are forecasted for Monday, with a potential rainfall of 7-10mm on Wednesday and Thursday. Blustery conditions are also expected on Friday and Saturday, according to Ascot's clerk of the course Chris Stickels. As of Sunday, the ground was described as good to soft, with some soft patches.
The outlook of the weather is welcomed by those backing Hukum. The horse produced a career-best performance when defeating Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May. As a result, Hukum's odds for King George were shortened to 9-2 (from 5-1) by Coral on Sunday.
Hukum, a top-level winner of last year's Coronation Cup, is the brother of last year's European champion Baaeed. After the impressive victory at Sandown, those closest to Hukum believed that he was at the peak of his abilities.
His record with the word soft in the going description reads 1131 and Paddy Power's Paul Binfield said, "We cut Hukum [to 9-2] for King George glory on Saturday with the weather looking perfect for a horse who likes to get his toe in.
“It’s very possible he’ll go off shorter and, looking at the forecast, I wouldn’t be amazed if he did become dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin’s main rival in the betting."
Ascot also races on Friday and Stickels, speaking just before 12.30 pm on Sunday, said, "The forecast is unsettled and we're good to soft, soft in places after 12mm of rain yesterday. That forecast is only the odd shower until late Wednesday into Thursday. I imagine the track will improve a bit before Thursday, but then that rain will ease it up again.
"It's hard to know how it will play out, but I expect it to dry out before Thursday and then, if that forecast is accurate, to soften up again. The word soft is in the going description now, so it's quite possible it will be on raceday – it wouldn't be a surprise.
"I'm very happy with the way the track is. It's been an unsettled July and conditions are probably a bit easier than where we'd be normally be at this time of year."