King George live on Sky Sports Racing: Key quotes from trainers, owners and jockeys ahead of Ascot feature

The 2023 renewal of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot, live on Sky Sports Racing, is shaping up to be one of the hottest contests in recent years.

With two Derby winners, Royal Ascot heroes and the defending champion all in the mix, Saturday’s race has got everyone talking.

Recent wet weather has added another intriguing angle as punters try to predict which of this year’s star-studded line-up will cope best with conditions at the Berkshire track.

Here’s what key connections have had to say about their runners…

Auguste Rodin

Trainer Aidan O’Brien…

“Every week he is progressing. Physically, he is getting stronger and he’s growing still.

“We always had in mind that’s what we’d do. Even if he’d won the Guineas he’d have gone to Epsom [Derby] and then the Curragh [Irish Derby].

“I suppose if he was going to the St Leger he might not have gone to the King George but the plan after the Derby has always been to go to the Curragh and then Ascot.”

King Of Steel

Jockey Kevin Stott…

“It’s probably the Flat race of the season so far, you’ve got all the best horses in there – proven ones and upcoming ones.

“If it’s a 12 or 15-runner field then it’s going to be really, really exciting. There’s not long left now, he did a nice piece of work this morning and it’s all systems go.

“It’s by no means a two-horse race. There are some very high quality horses in there and especially if we are going to have ease in the ground, there are a lot of horses with very good form on slower ground.

“First and second in the Derby going at it again for the first time since the Derby is obviously a massive thing for everyone.

“You don’t know when you have so many good horses pitched against each other, it’s exciting and it’s very open. Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel are getting a bit of weight from the other horses as they are only three and the others are older and more experienced.”

Hukum

Trainer Owen Burrows…

“We’ve had an unseasonably wet spell which has hopefully gone in our favour. It’s not as if he doesn’t go on faster ground but it does look as if we’ve had a bit of luck that it’s going to be around good to soft.

“He’s been in good form. We had to let him down a fraction because we didn’t run at Ascot but his build-up in the past three weeks has gone well.

“Jim [Crowley, jockey] has been in and rode him a couple of times and he was very pleased.”

Desert Crown

Assistant racing manager Philip Robinson…

“He’s in good form and it looks like he’s coming right now. He worked nicely on the Limekilns round gallop. He was moving nicely and everybody was very happy after the work.

“He won his maiden at Nottingham on soft ground, so any rain at Ascot shouldn’t be a problem for him.”

Emily Upjohn

Co-owner John Stack…

“We’re there on our merits and the distance suits us. I think the industry is benefiting from these high-quality fields. What is thrilling is to take on the big battalions.”

Pyledriver

Trainer William Muir…

“I think he’s in exceptional order. We haven’t had to do anything, it’s just been a natural progression from Royal Ascot to here. He’s improved from the run, just like you’d hope.”

Luxembourg

Trainer Aidan O’Brien…

“He was pestered [in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes] and the American horse [Classic Causeway] just messed up Ryan’s clock. Ryan was very happy with the horse. He got taken on all the way and it gave us no chance. We think he’s better than that.

“He’ll be very happy going a mile and a half.”