Mukhadram set to step up to mile-and-a-half for King George

Mukhadram is likely to step up to a mile-and-a-half for Saturday week’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes where he could bump into Aidan O’Brien’s dual-Group 1 winner Magician.

Ballydoyle's Irish 2,000 Guineas and Breeders Cup hero is already an 11-4 second favourite for the all-aged midsummer Ascot highlight which O'Brien has won three times to date: Galileo (2001), Dylan Thomas (2007) and Duke Of Marmalade (2008.)

Magician is joined among the King George entries by his Gold Cup winning stable companion Leading Light who is currently a 12-1 to successfully drop back a mile from his Royal Ascot success last month.

In contrast, Mukhadram won his first Group 1 prize in the Eclipse earlier this month and is set to rise in trip for the King George. “William (Haggas) has always been keen to try him over a mile-and-a-half so we’ll see,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to Mukhadram’s owner, Sheikh Hamdan, yesterday. “He’ll certainly be left in the King George and I would say at this stage it is more likely than not he will run there.”

The Hardwicke winner Telescope currently tops the King George betting at a general 7-4.