Ascot preview: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (15.50)

Superstar three-year-old Golden Horn looks a worthy favourite to land the feature race on a cracking card at Ascot, the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (15.50).

Trained John Gosden trained colt is unbeaten in five starts and could not have been more impressive trouncing Jack Hobbs in the Investec Derby at Epsom on his penultimate outing.

After racing keen and being held-up in the early stages, Golden Horn made smooth headway two from home under confident Frankie Dettori and after taking up the running a furlong from home sprinted clear to win going away by 3 1/2 lengths.

It was a performance which oozed class, and the front two pulled 4 1/2 lengths clear of the third to give the form a solid look.

Jack Hobbs has also since come out and won the Irish Derby in facile fashion by five lengths , and Golden Horn has subsequently gone on to land the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in impressive fashion.

Golden Horn was forced to make all in the Coral-Eclipse in his first run against older horses and stretched clear under Dettori to easily beat The Grey Gatsby by 3 1/2 lengths.

That success earned him an official rating of 130, the same as the mighty Frankel had at the same stage of his career.

There is little doubt that Golden Horn is the real deal, and providing the forecast rain doesn’t turn the going too soft he is going to be extremely tough to beat.

For those looking at an each-way alternative, The Corsican fits the bill nicely and could outrun his odds.

The David Simcock trained colt was most progressive last season when winning three of his five starts and has continued in the same vein this term.

After landing a Listed contest at Goodwood in good style on his seasonal reappearance, The Corsican posted a career-best effort last time out when fourth to Free Eagle in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The son of Galileo stayed on strongly from off the pace to be nearest at the finish and beaten just over three lengths in a tactical race which wasn’t run to suit, and granted a stronger gallop may well have finished closer.

Judged on that effort, The Corsican won’t have to find much to get involved in this, and he looks the type who may well have even more to offer.