Ryan Moore’s World Pool blog: King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day

Ascot | Race 2: Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes

I rode BELLA LYRA at Newmarket in a Listed race a couple of weeks ago for Richard [Hughes] where she finished third. She ran a good race and stayed on well. Six furlongs at Ascot will suit her, although she probably has a bit to find on form.

Ascot | Race 5: 3yo+ 0-105 Handicap

There’s a big field of 17 for this mile (1600m) handicap where I’m on SISYPHEAN for Kevin Ryan. I haven’t ridden him before, but he was a good second in a decent handicap at York the last day. He’d run in the Hunt Cup the time before that, finishing ninth, and he has to turn around the form with Bullet Point who was second in that race. It’s another competitive handicap and he goes there with an each-way chance.

Ascot | Race 6: Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes

I ride JAN BRUEGHEL who has done very little wrong throughout his career. He’s only had six starts and has won five of them including the St Leger. He beat Calandagan in the Coronation Cup last month and we think a mile and a half at Ascot will suit him well. Conditions should be absolutely fine for him as well. Hopefully he’s going to turn up in the same shape or even better and we’d be hopeful of a similar performance. He’s the highest rated horse in the field.

Calandagan looks like being at the head of the market. He won his first Group 1 at Saint-Cloud last month, beating Aventure and Junko. It was a small field but he was an impressive winner, and I remember Novellist winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and then following up in this race a few years ago. He’s run in top company, has been beaten by some very good horses and won the King Edward VII over course and distance last year. He’s a very consistent, solid horse who I have a lot of respect for.

I know Kalpana pretty well. She’s had two very good runs this year. She won the Group 1 Champions Filles & Mares Stakes at Ascot last October on soft ground, but I don’t think she needs it soft. She’s performed well on quicker ground and her runs this year put her in the mix.

You can’t knock Rebel’s Romance. He’s seven, he’s won his last two in Group 2 company, and he’s won over £10 million in prize money. He’s performed all over the world and is just a very likeable horse proven at the top level. You can pretty much guarantee he’s going to run to his mark, so if we’re going to beat him, we’re going to have to run to our best.

Ascot | Race 8: 3yo+ Handicap

I do like ARAMRAM. He ran very well in the Wokingham where the draw was a little awkward. He didn’t run a bad race at all at Newcastle a week later, only beaten half a length in fourth. I think the step back down to five furlongs at a stiff track like Ascot will suit him