Reel to rule in King George at Ascot

To my mind he would have won had his rider not lost the persuader and there is every chance that Highland Reel could be able to dominate in this race.

If that proves to be the case he will be a tough nut to crack.

Dartmouth sure to go well

Dartmouth carries the colours of The Queen and would be a popular winner.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the colt is unbeaten in three starts this season and produced a career best in the last of those when landing the Hardwicke.

Everything dropped right for the four-year-old that day but to he stuck to the task well and is clearly still improving and worth a crack at this level.

Dartmouth also hails from a yard that knows what is required to win the race as Stoute has already saddled five winners of the 1m 4f showpiece courtesy of Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993), Golan (2002), Conduit (2009), and Harbinger (2010).

Erupt not to be underestimated

French raider Erupt is another that commands plenty of respect. The colt won his first four starts, including a Group 1 at Longchamp, and also ran cracking races to finish fifth in the Arc and sixth in the Japan Cup.

Erupt also ran very well last time out when given far too much to do and finishing with a flourish to be beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Silverware in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

That was just the second start of the campaign for the son of Dubawi and the four-year-old should now be spot on to do himself justice.

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Coral’s top tip: Highland Reel has plenty going for him and looks the answer to a wide-open renewal of the King George. French raider Erupt is feared most.