King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 2m 32.21s

(2)

Arthur's Kingdom²³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: L Dettori| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 107

9/2

Off the mark at the third attempt when winning a heavy ground maiden at Gowran Park and progressed to finish 3L second in a Saint Cloud Group 1 when last seen in October. Shapes like he will relish this step up in trip and holds Irish Derby entry.

Form: 2212-

(4)

Mogul²²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 110

10/11

Built on a maiden success at the Curragh with a Group 2 win at Leopardstown in September. Probably not best suited to the AW switch in the Vertem Futurity last time and every chance he'll improve for this marked step up in trip. Irish Derby entry.

Form: 2114-

(5)

Mohican Heights²⁹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: D M Simcock| OR: 102

4/1

Bought for £520,000 following an impressive debut at Leopardstown and made it 2-2 when landing a Listed race at Salisbury (1m, good) in August. Tough ask on just his third start but every chance he's going to benefit from this longer distance.

Form: 11-

(3)

Papa Power¹¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: S De Sousa| T: A M Balding| OR: 92

17/2

Made it two wins from three starts when making easy work of a 1m2f contest at Newcastle in February. Makes turf debut here and this is a totally different level of opposition.

Form: 511

(1)

Pyledriver¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: M Dwyer| T: W R Muir| OR: 103

18/1

Listed winner at Haydock in September and returned with a smart effort in a Newcastle Group 3 10 days ago; will need to come on markedly for that up in trip here though.

Form: 1417-2

(6)

Sound Of Cannons¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: P J McDonald| T: B J Meehan| OR: 103

40/1

Winner on debut at Newmarket and while he has failed to add to that success, he's been highly tried and not disgraced in a Saint-Cloud Group 1 behind Arthur's Kingdom last year; well beaten on return in Listed class though.

Form: 1254-4

Forecasts

Mogul (10/11), Mohican Heights (4/1), Arthur's Kingdom (9/2), Papa Power (17/2), Pyledriver (18/1), Sound Of Cannons (40/1)

Several of these are going to benefit from a step up in trip and the one that could appreciate the greater stamina test most is MOGUL. The son of Galileo looked highly progressive as a juvenile, taking a Group 2 along the way and he appears to be the first-string for Ballydoyle. Stablemate Arthur's Kingdom performed to a smart level when runner-up at Saint-Cloud last time while Mohican Heights has done nothing wrong in his two starts to date and he ought to put up a bold defence of his unbeaten record.