ITV Racing Tips: King George legend in the making on Saturday?

No such thing as a dud ITV Saturday - SEVEN races are beamed this week LIVE by the channel, with four from Ascot, and three from York. The highlight is of course the King George, won down the years by the likes of Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard (and they were in successive runnings); Shergar, Dancing Brave, Nashwan, Galileo - the list is frankly ridiculous, in racing 'who's who' terms.

There are strong supporting contests, and meanwhile on the Knavesmire we've got a Group 2 plus the annual adrenaline rush for National Hunt riders - the 5f jump jockeys' Nunthorpe. What a fantastic day's racing - enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

Full ITV schedule;

13:30 York - 5f "Jump Jockeys' Nunthorpe" Handicap (Class 4)
13:45 Ascot - 6f Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes (Class 1) (Group 3)
14:00 York - 6f Dash (Class 2)
14:20 Ascot - 1m Valiant Stakes (Class 1) (Group 3)
14:35 York - 1m 2.5f York Stakes (Class 1) (Group 2)
14:55 Ascot - 7f International Handicap (Class 2)
15:35 Ascot - 1m 4f King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Class 1) (Group 1)

Rationale;

13:30 York - Sports Coach @ 12/1

What an opener - the aforementioned sprint over this fast, flying five, for jockeys used to travelling a little slower over far greater distances.

If ever 'each-way' was an angle into a race this is it - and to modest stakes at that. My token, sporting selection is Sports Coach, a five-year-old gelding whose dam was by Dandy Man, who I spent much of the 'noughties' backing to win the Nunthorpe itself - which he singularly failed to do, despite starting favourite twice.

Sports Coach is trained locally at Warthill by Antony Brittain. The yard has been quiet of late winners-wise but I note that he had a quartet of runners perform with much close-up credit at Nottingham over the last week or so.

The selection has three wins from 19 races, and when last seen 29 days ago at Newcastle in a slightly lower grade at this trip he was second of 12, beaten 1.25l.

He's tried 6f a couple of times with no great success but confirms at least that he stays the 5f strongly. Each-way shout in a potentially thrilling opener.

13:45 Ascot - Velozee @ 10/1

Warm G3 fillies' contest for two-year-olds, 6f is the trip, and an Irish raider who looks hard to ignore.

I yield to few in my admiration for jockey Billy Lee. When he teams up with Paddy Twomey there's extra reason to be optimistic, and the pair combine here with Velozee.

This daughter of Sioux Nation won her first two over in Ireland, ran ok in a G3, then tried her luck in the G2 Queen Mary here at the royal gathering, going down by 3.75l.

She steps up to 6f today, and on her third start it didn't appear to suit at Naas; but she's that wee bit more experienced now, and on breeding it should be within compass.

It's a chance I'm happy to take as I can't imagine connections would make the journey without a degree of sound hope. She wasn't stopping in the Queen Mary, and it's another race where the each-way angle looks appealing.

14:00 York - Red Spells Danger @ 11/2

Billy Ocean vibes (Red Light Spells Danger), and on the would you Adam & Eve-it front he's playing Sandown racecourse next Wednesday, after racing.

Anyway - Tim Easterby trains the three-year-old Coati Glory gelding Red Spells Danger, who arrives here from Great Habton in prime nick, having finished 1.25l adrift in a similar massively-endowed contest at HQ 16 days ago.

Prior to that, here on the Knavesmire in June, he was just half-a-length down for another huge pot on Macmillan day and off a mark of 93 (same as Newmarket) he looks to gain some deserved compensation this afternoon. Beautifully drawn mid-div too, so he can keep tabs on what all his foes are up to.

Regular pilot David Allan has the riding assignment, and we're paying five places each-way. He really stands out to me and though it's a fiendishly competitive affair, you know what they say in tight spots like this - when the going gets tough, the ... you know the rest. Have a fabulous gig Mr Ocean, Sir.

14:20 Ascot - Touleen @ 4/5

The fairer sex take centre stage again for this G3, over a mile.

Dangerous statement alert - on official ratings there seems to a good thing lurking here. Owen Burrows' three-year-old Lope De Vega offspring Touleen is on 112, comfortably ahead of her rivals, and has at least one piece of standout form to back that up and it happened here, last time out.

In the G1 Coronation Stakes, she gave Precise plenty to think about before going down by just 1.5l, and she was splitting the Irish and English 1000 Guineas winners (Newmarket heroine Love finished a close-up third).

Today it's about weight-for-age, with potential penalties for races won at a certain level. Given that official mark she's certainly well-in, and Will Buick, who knows her well, rides in those famous Shadwell Estates silks of *Nashwan and company.

It was in 1989 that the *Guineas and Derby hero added today's feature, the King George, to his CV - and what an outstanding champion he was.

Touleen is in the G1 Matron Stakes at the Curragh in September, and if fit and firing this afternoon will surely take a world of beating.

14:35 York - Item @ 2/1

Action now over the classic Dante and Juddmonte trip of 1m 2.5f.

Small field, but a fascinating affair nevertheless. Talking of the Dante Stakes, this year's renewal was won by a Frankel colt, Item, and he's my selection to take another York G2 this afternoon.

In between these assignments he bombed at the Betfred Derby, as many did on that odd race day - deep ground, strung-out fields, and inevitably unreliable results.

He's on a recovery mission then of sorts, but back on these flat, lush pastures he can remind us what a promising sort he is and why he was sent off as short as 11/2 for the Epsom showpiece.

This is only career appearance number five, so it's highly doubtful we've seen anything like the best of him yet.

14:55 Ascot - Amazing Journey @ 13/2

Five places each-way with Betfred once again, and it looks a great plan.

Our selection has to overcome a career-high mark, but then he's in tip-top form. Trainer Jamie Osborne sends his three-year-old gelding Amazing Journey down from Upper Lambourn, and his gifted daughter Saffie has the riding assignment.

On this very course 15 days ago the selection won very cosily off 87 in a slightly lower grade. He's up 3lb today, elevated to a Class 2, AND is stepped up to 7f.

His sire Starspangledbanner is all about speed but the dam is by a French Derby winner, and the 7f looks eminently do-able (two previous efforts at the trip, both at Goodwood, were satisfactory too).

He's nicely progressive, Saffie's terrific, and we know he acts on the track. Loads of boxes positively ticked.

15:35 Ascot - Calandagan @ 13/8

And so to the big one, the King George. Any number of threats and chances, a fine field assembled, but in the end I'm looking to the defending champion to retain his crown.

One year ago Calandagan defeated Kalpana by a length, having been held up and saved for a late swoop. Andrew Balding's filly re-opposes on the same terms and could be a danger once again, but bar an Epsom Coronation Cup farce in desperate ground the selection has been pretty imperious since.

He doesn't tend to win by much, distance-wise, but neither did the likes of Sea The Stars either. Calandagan is a high-class traveller with a sustained finishing run that is rarely denied, and his 10-from-17 record is no accident (five seconds and a third, too).

Francis-Henri Graffard trains, expertly, and Mickael Barzalona rides. The five-year-old gelded son of Gleneagles out of a Sinndar mare will hopefully bring his championship A-game to Berkshire on Saturday.

Should be an absolute belter, and those Aga Khan stud silks are always a treat for the eyes (Shergar et al).

NAPS Table with Betfred Insights.