Ascot: Goliath shows turn of foot for 25-1 upset in King George

Carrying odds of 25-1, France-based Goliath found another gear that his more fancied rivals did not have Saturday when he kicked away to a stunning, 2 1/4-length triumph in the Group 1, US$1,125,950 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, England.

Jockey Christophe Soumillon rode the Germany-bred 4-year-old in mid-pack for the first mile of the 1 1/2-mile turf race. Luxembourg (10-1 in U.S. pari-mutuels) set the early pace with his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemates Auguste Rodin (6-5) and Hans Andersen (70-1) lurking throughout the clockwise run on the course that was rated good to firm.

Charlie Appleby-trained Rebel’s Romance (2-1) settled in third place through the early stages but never found a garden spot behind the early leaders, and he was tipped wide by William Buick in the turn for home.

By this point Hans Andersen weakened as expected while Rebel’s Romance and Luxembourg appeared to take charge. All the while, Soumillon was positioning Goliath, first in the three path at the top of the stretch and then in the four. That was where the gelded son of Adlerflug found the room to apply his decisive turn of foot.

Soumillon looked behind him and pointed to himself, his horse and the crowd through the final stages of a certain victory for his second time in the King George. The winning time was 2:27.43 without a run-up.

“When I came out of the turn, I felt he was cruising,” Soumillon said, adding later, “It’s amazing to be able to enjoy and appreciate such a big win 150 yards from the line.”

Bluestocking (4-1) closed from last in the field of nine to finish second. Rebel’s Romance, who won the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf, came in another 3 1/4 lengths back in third. Sunway (18-1) rallied to a distant fourth. Auguste Rodin, the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner who was Saturday’s post-time favorite with jockey Ryan Moore, never was a threat and came home fifth. Luxembourg, Dubai Honour (25-1), Middle Earth (13-1) and Hans Andersen completed the finish in that order.

Owned by Philip Baron von Ullman of Germany’s Oppenheim banking family and trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Goliath was a Group 3 winner this spring at ParisLongchamp. He followed that in June with a fourth-place result in the Grand Prix de Chantilly (G3) and last month with a second-place finish to Isle Of Jura in the Hardwicke (G2) at Royal Ascot.

“I love winning like this,” Graffard told ITV after getting his first win in the King George. “I know my horse has good pace. We came here to Ascot to find some pace. He traveled so nicely.”

The King George, which is on the short list of the most prestigious summer stakes in Europe, also was a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Graffard was not looking that far ahead.

“The spring was planned around this race, and I’m happy it worked,” he said. “Now we can sit down, have a nice drink and see where we go next.”