Harbinger blew them away in the $1.5 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday as he cruised to an incredibly easy 11-length triumph in England’s most important mile-and-a-half weight-for-age race.

Sent off at a generous 4-1, the 4-year-old son of Dansili left seven-length Epsom Derby winner and 8-11 favorite Workforce 16 3/4 lengths behind in fifth as he sped the 1 1/2 miles on good ground in a track record 2:26.78, shaving .46 of a second off the mark set by Linas Selection in 2006.

Starfish Bay, the Todd Pletcher-trained filly who set a Monmouth Park track record for about 5 1/2 furlongs on June 13, will leave New York on Sunday night for her date in the five-furlong, $152,000 King George Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday. The 4-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality worked four furlongs in 48.88, breezing, on the Belmont training track on Thursday morning in preparation for Goodwood, which lies a few miles outside of Chichester near the south coast of England.

Querari puts his Arlington Million credentials on the line at Munich on Sunday when he seeks a second successive Group 1 triumph in the 1 1/5-mile, $200,000 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen. A 4-year-old son of Oasis Dream, he has been freshened since his May 16 victory in the 1 1/4-mile, Prmeio Presidente della Repubblica at the Capannelle in Rome. Trained by Andreas Wohler, the man who engineered the 2001 Million victory of Silvano, Querari will be ridden, as usual, by Eduardo Pedroza, the Panamanian jockey who has been the champion rider in Germany each of the last three years.

Wizz Kid and Approve, two of the leading juveniles in Europe at this early date, clash in the Group 2, $167,000 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on Sunday. History favors the filly Wizz Kid as females have won two of the last three runnings of this 5 1/2-furlong dash – subsequent 1000 Guineas winners Special Duty and Natagora.

Famous Name confirmed his odds-on favoritism with flying colors at Leopardstown on Thursday evening as he drew off to a comfortable 2 1/2-length victory in the Group 3, $76,500 Meld Stakes. Making his first start since May 9 at short-priced odds of 4-6, the 5-year-old son of Dansili tracked the dawdling pace of Lord High Admiral and led under Pat Smullen approaching the three-sixteenths pole, covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.62 on good ground while spotting his five rivals five to 14 pounds.

Workforce, the leading European 3-year-old, faces older horses for the first time in his brief career Saturday at Ascot in the $1.5 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in which he will be sorely tested by his Michael Stoute-trained stablemate and recent course-and-distance winner Harbinger.

Three races in Ireland, England, and Germany this week will determine the European contingent for the Arlington Million on Aug. 21. Famous Name will test the waters in the Meld Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday. On Saturday, intended Million runner Stotsfold goes in the York Stakes at York along with Million possible Debussy. And on Sunday, Querari runs in the Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich.

Godolphin completed a profitable weekend in Germany on Sunday when Buzzword surprised a big field in the $647,000 Deutsches Derby (German Derby), defeating local hero Zazou by 1 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/2-mile classic. Forgotten in the betting market at 17.80-1, the winning son of Pivotal tracked the pace in third under Royston Ffrench and led approaching the furlong marker while covering the distance in 2:29.51 on good ground.

Zazou will have to be at his best at Hamburg on Sunday if he is to hold off a strong Sheikh Mohammed-led British challenge in the $645,000, Group 1 German Derby. He has won two of the key trials for this 1 1/2-mile test, the 1 1/16-mile, Group 3 Dr. Busch Memorial and the 1 3/8-mile, Group 2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen, but Zazou, a son of 1 5/16-mile French Derby winner Shamardal, is not a certainty to stay this longer distance.

Snow Fairy and Meeznah, separated by just a neck when first and second in the English Oaks, go at it again at the Curragh on Sunday in the $548,000, Group 1 Irish Oaks, when they will be joined by two very dangerous rivals in Hibaayeb and Rosanara.