Racing King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes: Kris Kin has hardly been lauded as one of the great Derby winners, but the Epsom hero can prove himself a champion in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot today.
Plenty of observers seem obsessed with the three-year-old crop not being up to the standard of the older horses this year, but it's surely churlish to pick holes in the performance of Kris Kin, who has done almost everything asked of him since he stepped foot on the racecourse.
Beaten first time out as a juvenile at Doncaster, he has made rapid progress indeed since.
Notoriously lazy at home, but connections were rewarded in handsome fashion as Kieron Fallon gave him a peach of a ride to take the English derby.
Alamshar may or may not have handled the track as well as he might that day, and the suspicion is that he may have been ridden with a few stamina doubts in the back of Johnny Murtagh's mind.
He certainly looked the business when upsetting the previously unbeaten Dalakhani next time in the Irish equivalent, but whatever the excuse for him at Epsom he was not getting to Kris Kin and there is no obvious reason why he should get past him today either.
More than a few rain clouds have gathered over Ascot recently and a bit of juice in the ground is just the job for Kris Kin, while the opposite can be said of Alamshar.
Michael Stoute raised a few eyebrows by not sending Kris Kin to the Curragh, but you can be sure he will have him absolutely cherry ripe today.
Sulamani, however, is the new favourite at 7 to 2 with major bookmakers after rain at Ascot eased the ground.
The four-year-old's owners Godolphin are seeking their 100th Group One success.
"The King George market has been turned on its head by this miserable weather and Sulamani, who had been the forgotten horse in the race, is now certain to start favourite," said Coral spokesman Simon Clare.
Despite punter confidence, Sulamani's jockey, Frankie Dettori, does not want too much rain.
"We don't want soft ground. He'll go on it but it would make it a mile and six race. We want good ground for everybody," he said.
"One thing we were worried about was the ground being rock hard. He didn't like that in France. He enjoys good to firm because he's got a blistering turn of foot. Anything worse than soft it would be against me, as then he wouldn't be able to show his turn of foot."
Last year's World Series champion Grandera was the beaten favourite 12 months ago and has yet to reproduce his best form this season, but Godolphin are hopeful of an improved performance.
"Grandera was a revelation the first time he worked with cheekpieces," the jockey added.
The Italian jockey fears the Marcus Tregoning-trained five-year-old, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, is the main stumbling block to Godolphin's hopes of a Group One century.
"Basically who beats Nayef wins. He is the rock of the race. He will be first or second," said Dettori. "He was second last year and he's going to stay. He loves the track, he's got a good draw. Whatever gets past him, if they can, wins the race. It's as simple as that."
Dettori was less positive about Falbrav, on whom he won last year's Japan Cup.
"He's a great horse, but my query for him is this stiff mile and a half," Dettori said. "He showed tremendous cruising speed in the Eclipse and a tremendous turn of foot. If he can repeat that over a mile and a half, like Darryll (Holland) says, he will win."
Coral: 7-2 Sulamani, 4-1 Nayef, Kris Kin, 5-1 Alamshar, 9-1 Falbrav, 14-1 Victory Moon, Bollin Eric, 16-1 Millenary, Warrsan, 20-1 Leadership, 22-1 Indian Creek, 25-1 Grandera, 66-1 Magistretti, 200-1 Izdiham.
William Hill: 7-2 Sulamani, 4-1 Kris Kin, 9-2 Alamshar, Nayef, 9-1 Falbrav, 10-1 Victory Moon, 16-1 Bollin Eric, Millenary, 18-1 Leadership, 20-1 Indian Creek, Warrsan, 33-1 Grandera, 66-1 Magistretti, 300-1 Izdiham.
