Dartmouth added to King George field at Ascot

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by The Queen, Dartmouth won the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting over the same 12-furlong distance as Saturday’s race.

The four-year-old son of Dubawi has won each of his three races this season and will be arriving at the top of his game as he tackles the odds-on favourite, Postponed.

The Queen’s racing manager John Warren said: “The horse is in exceptional form and the trainer has been delighted with his progress since Ascot.

“With that side of things going so well, we felt he was a worthy candidate.

“Olivier Peslier, who rode him to such good effect in the Hardwicke, will ride him once again so there is continuity on that front.”

Hawkbill, though, will bypass Saturday’s feature race at Ascot, with next month’s Juddmonte International at York his likely next target.

The three-year-old landed the Eclipse at Sandown earlier this month, supplementing his victory in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot and extending his unbeaten run to six.

Connections raised the possibility of supplementing Hawkbill for the mile-and-a-half King George following that victory, but while trainer Charlie Appleby is pleased with the way the Kitten’s Joy colt has come out of that victory, it has been decided Hawkbill will stick to 10 furlongs.

Appleby said: “After consultation with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and John Ferguson, we have decided he will miss the King George and be saved for races over a mile and a quarter. The Juddmonte is the likely next target.”

The Roger Varian-trained Postponed is a red-hot 4-7 favourite for Saturday’s Ascot showpiece, ahead of Highland Reel at 8-1.