King George target for Duke

Royal Ascot winners Duke Of Marmalade and Macarthur are likely to represent Ballydoyle in next month’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The former would be stepping up to a mile and a half for the first time, while Hardwicke Stakes scorer Macarthur is also in line for a crack at the Ascot feature on July 26.

Although stablemate Soldier Of Fortune heads the betting for the King George, a long-term gameplan for the Coronation Cup winner has yet to be finalised.

“We’ve all discussed things and, while plans can always change, we’ve come up with a list of races for our Ascot winners, and we’re looking at Duke Of Marmalade and Macarthur going for the King George,” confirmed O’Brien.

“Soldier Of Fortune may go to France on Sunday for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and, for now, we’re looking no further than that race for him.”

O’Brien’s St James’s Palace Stakes hero Henrythenavigator will now be primed for the BGC Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 30, according to the Racing Post.

The history-making Yeats and Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Honolulu are also likely to head to the Sussex Downs for the Goodwood Cup, which the former won in 2006.

“The current plan is to send Yeats and Honolulu for the same Goodwood race,” added O’Brien.

“The horses seem to have come out of Royal Ascot well.”