THE stage is set for a humdinger of an Ascot showdown. It’s difficult to remember a deeper field for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (3.40) than is the case in today’s main event, jam-packed with questions surrounding each of the main protagonists.

Can Auguste Rodin recover some of the sparkle he lacked in a workmanlike Irish Derby win, or will his closest Epsom rival King Of Steel improve beyond the great Ballydoyle hope on just his fifth career start?

Could Emily Upjohn pay the most handsome of compliments to her Eclipse conqueror Paddington by beating the boys on her return to a mile and a half, or does Hukum have what it takes to put himself top of the pile when it comes to Britain and Ireland’s best middle-distance performers?

Is last season’s superb Irish Champion Stakes scorer Luxembourg the forgotten horse in the race? He only found a red-hot Mostahdaf too strong in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes last month.

Then there is the seven-length Irish Derby winner of last year, Westover, who has been available to back at 16/1 after winning a Group 1 by two lengths on his last start. That tells you how deep this is.

Might last year’s brilliant winner of this race, Pyledriver, be overlooked in the market at 15/2? He gave a two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length beating to the then reigning Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso here 12 months ago, with a further eight lengths back to international stalwart Mishriff in third.

Course form

There were no signs of any regression when William Muir and Chris Grassick’s stable star readily landed the Hardwicke Stakes on his return from a 336-day layoff. For good measure, his form figures at Ascot read 1711.

Pyledriver’s regular rider P.J. McDonald is chomping at the bit to renew his partnership with the son of Harbour Watch, especially after suffering the setback this season of his biggest supporter John Dance having assets frozen in the spring. Officials from the Financial Conduct Authority have been investigating reported serious regulatory and operational issues regarding Dance’s businesses.

“My numbers are well down and, to be honest, if I didn’t have Pyledriver this year would be a complete disaster,” the British-based Wexford native told the QIPCO British Champions Series.

“I’ve been in the top 10 or 15 jockeys for a lot of years but I had all my eggs in one basket. I’ve put a lot of work into John and James [Horton, Dance’s trainer] and their establishment, and I hadn’t done the groundwork at other yards to go freelance.

Staying loyal

“It’s been a kick in the balls, but it’s been tough on James too and it’s been tough on John. John sat down with both of us when it came out and assured us he had done nothing wrong. He said he’s made a mistake but done nothing illegal. I’m very much still in John’s camp. I’ve got John’s back and I’ll be staying loyal to him until I’m told different.”

On Pyledriver’s bid to become only the third back-to-back King George winner since the 1970s, McDonald added: “He’s a proper, proper horse, and the bit of rain around won’t hurt, although he goes on any ground. It’s probably the best King George we’ve seen in a long time, but he’s tough and he’ll battle.

“He’s been in the trenches before and I’ll make it as tough as I can for the rest of them. I’m looking forward to being part of it again, and I’m very excited.”