Big names to clash all summer

A number of big races may have come and gone this summer but there is still much to look forward to on the tracks around the UK.

At the end of the month all eyes will be on Ascot once again for the two-day King George meeting, with the feature race being the Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

It is one of Europe’s top all-aged middle-distance races and Highland Reel will be back to defend his title.

The five-year-old is the current 6/4 favourite in many places and punters looking for a flutter on the contest should check out the racing at Bethut for all the best prices, markets and sites available.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge beat Wings of Desire to land the prestigious race 12 months ago and is eyeing a hat-trick having taken Epsom’s Coronation Cup and the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

While it is too early to say who he will be facing, challenges are likely to come from Enable (6/1), Ulysses (5/1) and Cliffs of Moher (12/1).

The five-day Goodwood Festival follows in early August and the opening day will see a fascinating renewal of hostilities between Big Orange and Order of St George.

The former, trained by Michael Bell touched off O’Brien’s short-priced favourite to land the Ascot Gold Cup on June 22 and will be hoping to make it three in a row after winning at Sandown back in May.

Big Orange is 5/4 with many bookmakers to take the Group One contest, with Order of St George generally a 7/4 chance.

The Sussex Stakes takes place on Wednesday, August 3 and should see a couple of Royal Ascot winners square off.

Ribchester took the Queen Anne Stakes under William Buick while James Doyle piloted Barney Roy to glory in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Ulysses subsequently lowered Barney Roy’s colours in the Coral-Eclipse but the three-year-old is 9/2 to return to winning ways, while Ribchester is on offer at 4/5.

Churchill (5/2) could only finish fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes but the O’Brien – Ryan Moore partnership will hope for better things in West Sussex.

The Nassau Stakes is another Group One race and Coronation Stakes winner Winter will be hoping to keep up her superb record.

The daughter of Galileo has won three successive Group One races and is 7/4 to triumph on her first run at the venue.

Queens Trust and Nezwaah oppose but Winter looks the class animal in the field.

Towards the end of August, York’s four-day Ebor Meeting takes centre stage with the Juddmonte International Stakes on Monday, August 21 the feature race.

Almanzor, winner of the 2016 Irish Champion Stakes and Ascot’s equivalent is the early 11/4 favourite for Knavesmire glory despite not being seen since October.

On what looks set to be a fascinating contest, the big players may well all line up as Barney Roy (7/2), Ulysses (4/1), Highland Reel (5/1) and Churchill (9/1) have all be slated for a run out in Yorkshire.

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