Big three to clash in King George

A three-cornered heavyweight tussle looks likely for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes after Michael Stoute yesterday confirmed that Pilsudski will take on stablemate Singspiel and Arc winner Helissio at Ascot a week on Saturday.

The clash will see the convergence of a tangled web of form lines which would make Sherlock Holmes scratch his head in confusion, with the trio having mopped up most of the world's most valuable middle-distance prizes over the past 10 months.

Elie Lellouche's Helissio staked an emphatic claim for last year's middle-distance champion of Europe when running out the five-length winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October.

However, he was then humbled when third to Singspiel in the world's richest turf race, the Japan Cup at Tokyo the following month.

Singspiel, previously successful in the Canadian International in September, went on to win the Dubai World Cup, the most valuable race on the planet, and eased to victory in the Vodafone Coronation Cup at Epsom last month.

He had held Pilsudski by three lengths in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown in April 1996, but Pilsudski gained his revenge when taking the Breeders' Cup Turf at Woodbine last September and gave a scintillating - and regrettably overlooked - performance in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown at the beggining of the month.

Pilsudski, however, could prove no match for Helissio in the Arc and trailed in his wake when third in the Group One Prix Ganay in April. Helissio has since posted a similarly impressive success in the Group One Grand Prix de SaintCloud at the end of last month.

Although the three are set to meet for the first time in the same race, the King George will not witness Bosra Sham's attempt to salvage the reputation controversially tarnished in the Coral-Eclipse.

Henry Cecil's filly, judged by many to be an unlucky loser when third in the that race, heads for the Juddmonte International at York on August 19th.

Lester Piggott will make a public return to the saddle when he competes in a celebrity race for charity at Wincanton on Thursday October 23rd. Others who have accepted the invitation to participate include John Francome and Peter Scudamore, trainers Robert Alner, Bob Buckler and Mike Roberts, equestrian riders Ginny Elliot, Mary King, Mary Gordon Watson and Nick Skelton, and broadcaster Clare Balding.