Ascot Racecourse Media Release for immediate release, Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Postponed features among 39 entries for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) Last year's winner Postponed headlines 39 top-class entries for the £1.15-million Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) at Ascot on Saturday, July 23, details of which are revealed today. The number of entries this year, which include 14 three-year-olds, is significantly up for the summer showpiece of the European Flat season, with 31 put forward in 2015, 35 in 2014 and 29 in 2013. Five-year-old Postponed is bidding to become only the third dual winner of Ascot's 12- furlong flagship race, following on from Swain (1997 & 1998) and Dahlia (1973 & 1974). Formerly trained by Luca Cumani, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned Postponed is unbeaten in three starts this year for new handler Roger Varian and was last seen out when defeating Found (Aidan O'Brien) impressively by four and a half lengths in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup (Sponsored by Investec) at Epsom Downs on June 4. Investec Derby hero Harzand (Dermot Weld) headlines 14 entries from Ireland. The son of Sea The Stars could bid to become the 13th colt to complete the Derby/King George double in the same season and the first since Galileo in 2001. Aidan O'Brien, Ireland's champion Flat trainer, accounts for 12 entries in total, the most of any handler. His possibles, besides Found, include Minding, who took her Group One tally to four in the British Classic, the Investec Oaks, at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 4, Gold Cup favourite Order Of St George, globe-trotting dual Group One winner Highland Reel and impressive French 2,000 Guineas victor The Gurkha. The Investec Derby runner-up and third, US Army Ranger and Idaho, also feature among the Ballydoyle contingent. Khalid Abdullah's famous colours were carried to victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes by the great Dancing Brave in 1986 and the owner has three contenders this time. They are last year's Prix du Jockey Club victor New Bay (Andre Fabre FR), impressive Royal Ascot scorer Time Test (Roger Charlton) and big improver Exosphere (Sir Michael Stoute), who thrashed his rivals by four lengths in the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket when returning to action this year. Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager to the owner, said: "Exosphere is in good form and is heading towards the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. "He had been working nicely going into the Jockey Club Stakes but, with two Classic winners in there [Simple Verse and Jack Hobbs], we were far from confident. "He follows a pretty well-trodden Sir Michael Stoute pathway and we were very happy with the way he quickened and put the race to bed. "Time Test is good after winning nicely at Sandown [Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes on May 26]. We were very pleased with him and he now goes for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. "As far as he is concerned, I would say the King George is just a precautionary entry. He could stay a mile and a half and we just wanted to have that covered, but primarily we feel is 10-furlong horse. "New Bay did not work to Andre Fabre's satisfaction on Tuesday morning and will not be coming over to Royal Ascot. He is fine but did not please enough in his work to bring him for a Group One. Soundness-wise he has got no problems so we will give him a bit more time and regroup." Other eye-catching entries include Group One scorers The Grey Gatsby (Kevin Ryan) and Cannock Chase (Sir Michael Stoute), plus the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Godolphin pair of Elite Army and Beautiful Romance Champion British Flat trainer John Gosden has three entries, last year's nose runner-up Eagle Top, Group Two Dante Stakes victor and Investec Derby fourth Wings Of Desire, and the consistent Western Hymn. There is a scratchings' stage for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO), which is part of the British Champions series, at noon on Tuesday, July 5, with the five-day confirmation and £75,000 supplementary entry stage on Monday, July 18. For more information, please contact: Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Communications, Ascot Racecourse 07771 791449 [email protected] The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) Group 1, £1,150,000 total prize fund, part of the British Champions Series. Saturday, July 23, 1m 4f. For three-year- olds and upwards. Weights: three-year-old colts and geldings 8st 9lb, fillies 8st 6lb; four-year-olds and up colts and geldings 9st 7lb; Southern Hemisphere allowance: four-year-olds 4lb. Entries closed June 7, entries revealed June 8 (39 entries), scratchings deadline July 5, five-day confirmations & £75,000 supplementary stage July 18, final declarations July 21. Horse Age Owner Trainer AJMAN BRIDGE 6 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Roger Varian ALMODOVAR (IRE) 4 Bjorn Nielsen David Lanigan ASTRONEREUS (IRE) 5 John Connolly & Odile Griffith Amanda Perrett BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor BEST OF TIMES 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor CANNOCK CHASE (USA) 5 Saeed Suhail Sir Michael Stoute CHOREOGRAPHER (IRE) 3 China Horse Club Roger Varian COVERT LOVE (IRE) 4 FOMO Syndicate Hugo Palmer DEAUVILLE (IRE) 3 Fitri Hay/Michael Tabor/Sue Magnier/Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE DYLAN MOUTH (IRE) 5 Scuderia Effevi SRL Marco Botti EAGLE TOP 5 Lady Bamford John Gosden ELITE ARMY 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor ERUPT (IRE) 4 Niarchos Family Francis-Henri Graffard FR EXOSPHERE 4 Khalid Abdullah Sir Michael Stoute FOUND (IRE) 4 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE GERSHWIN 3 Bjorn Nielsen David Lanigan HARZAND (IRE) 3 H H Aga Khan Dermot Weld IRE HIGHLAND REEL (IRE) 4 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE IDAHO (IRE) 3 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE INTILAAQ (USA) 4 Hamdan Al Maktoum Roger Varian LONG ISLAND SOUND (USA) 3 Derrick Smith/Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Joseph Allen Aidan O'Brien IRE MINDING (IRE) 3 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE MOONLIGHT MAGIC 3 Godolphin Jim Bolger IRE MUNTAZAH 3 Hamdan Al Maktoum Owen Burrows NEW BAY 4 Khalid Abdullah Andre Fabre FR ORDER OF ST GEORGE (IRE) 4 Lloyd Williams, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE PORT DOUGLAS (IRE) 3 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE POSTPONED (IRE) 5 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Roger Varian ROSEBURG (IRE) 5 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Roger Varian SECOND STEP (IRE) 5 Merry Fox Stud Limited Luca Cumani SHOGUN (IRE) 3 Derrick Smith/Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Annemarie O'Brien Aidan O'Brien IRE SIMPLE VERSE (IRE) 4 QRL/Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani/M Al Kubaisi Ralph Beckett SIR ISAAC NEWTON 4 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE THE GREY GATSBY (IRE) 5 Frank Gillespie Kevin Ryan THE GURKHA (IRE) 3 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE TIME TEST 4 Khalid Abdullah Roger Charlton US ARMY RANGER (IRE) 3 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE WESTERN HYMN 5 Robin Geffen and Rachel Hood John Gosden WINGS OF DESIRE 3 Lady Bamford John Gosden 39 entries 14 Irish-trained 2 French-trained About QIPCO British Champions Series The QIPCO British Champions Series is designed to throw the spotlight on Britain's best Flat races and will climax on October 15, 2016 with the richest fixture in British racing history, QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot with a guaranteed £4.2 million in prize money. The Series features 35 Flat races staged at 10 of the UK's leading racecourses: Ascot, Doncaster, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Haydock Park, Newbury, Newmarket's July Course, Newmarket's Rowley Mile, Sandown Park and York. It encompasses the top races at British racing's key festivals, including the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket, the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom, Royal Ascot, the Newmarket July Festival, the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York and the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival at Doncaster. The QIPCO British Champions Series comprises five easy-to-follow champion categories - Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares. .