King George field deep from top to bottom

Even with Epsom Derby winner Desert Crown missing an intended start because of a minor injury, Saturday’s Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in England is must-see racing.

Favored as of Thursday in a field of six is Westover, a troubled second in the Derby before romping in the Irish Derby. Emily Upjohn was second choice with British bookmakers after nearly overcoming a nightmare trip in the Oaks at Epsom, where Tuesday beat her by a whisker. Emily Upjohn originally had been booked for the July 16 Irish Oaks, but travel complications forced her to remain in England. She’s joined in the King George field by her stablemate Mishriff; both horses are co-trained by John and Thady Gosden.

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Mishriff finished second in the 2021 King George, well beaten by Adayar, who got the same 11-pound 3-year-old weight break from older rivals that is conferred upon Westover this year. The filly Emily Upjohn gets in even lighter, carrying 14 pounds fewer than older male rivals Mishriff, Torquator Tasso, Broome, and Pyledriver.

Mishriff rebounded from a dismal dirt showing in the Saudi Cup this past February to finish a troubled second last out in the 1 1/4-mile Eclipse, where victorious 3-year-old Vadeni, the French Derby winner, got 10 pounds. More naturally a 10-furlong horse, Mishriff’s only 1 1/2-mile start besides the 2021 King George came in the Sheema Classic at Meydan, where he won by a neck over the fabulous Japanese mare Chrono Genesis.

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Good-to-firm conditions at Ascot could help Mishriff see out the trip, but it’s hard to understand how Torquator Tasso could be trading Thursday at roughly four times Mishriff’s price.

Twelve furlongs is Torquator Tasso’s trip and his 72-1 upset of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last fall was no fluke. Torquator Tasso always needs the first start of his form cycle, and though he was especially bad making his seasonal debut May 29 at Baden-Baden, the German-based horse, trained by Belmont Gold Cup winner Marcel Weiss, immediately rebounded with a dominant score July 2 in the Grosser Hansa-Preis at Hamburg. The ground at Ascot, however, might not have as much give as Torquator Tasso would prefer.

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Westover ran into traffic during a key juncture of the Derby, finishing as well as Desert Crown to get third of 17 in a race where he was at worst second best. A clean trip in the 1 1/2-mile Irish Derby produced a seven-length rout, though runner-up Piz Badile did nothing to flatter the race’s form finishing last of six on July 14 in the Grand Prix de Paris.

Emily Upjohn’s form out of the Oaks goes in different directions: Third-place Nashwa returned to capture the French Oaks, while the filly that beat Emily Upjohn, Tuesday, was a lackluster fourth in the Irish Derby. Still, Emily Upjohn, getting all that weight, should race competitively. A scopey filly with a long stride who galloped strongly near the lead in her first three races, all wins, she was forced to race from the rear after a terrible start at Epsom. A better beginning will see her forwardly paced Saturday in a fascinating renewal of the King George.