Oisin Murphy booked to ride 50-1 King George outsider as four horses pulled from £2million Ascot race

SportHorse Racing YORK, ENGLAND – AUGUST 23: Oisin Murphy after riding Never So Brave to win The Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at York Racecourse on August 23, 2025 in York, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images) Credit: Getty OISIN MURPHY has been booked to ride a 50-1 outsider in Ascot’s star-studded King George on Saturday. The five-time champion jockey is all set to get the leg up on Japanese raider Wurttemberg – who hasn’t won in more than a year. Five-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy could spring a shock on a 50-1 outsider in Saturday’s big King George at Ascot Credit: Getty Wurttemberg, right, and fellow Japanese raider Masquerade Ball, left, get ready for the King George at their temporary Newmarket base Credit: Ascot racecourse Trained by Teruya Yoshida, the six-year-old went down by just a nose to former Arc de Triomphe fancy Croix Du Nord when last seen in May. That was on good to firm ground over two miles of Kyoto racecourse in Japan, so the going and Ascot’s stiff uphill finish should not pose any problems. However, Wurttemberg last won in June 2025. And aside from his runner-up finish last time, hasn’t finished better than fourth in his previous four outings. Not that that bothers Murphy too much, who told the Racing Post: “He’ll handle the fast ground well and it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on.” Ten horses stood their ground for the blockbuster Group 1. Can Aidan O'Brien land a gamble? THERE is no denying the regard in which Benvenuto Cellini is held at Ballydoyle, writes Sam Morgan. But I don’t think reputation – even when armed with the 11lb weight allowance he gets from Calandagan – will be enough here. Ascot, with its stiff finish where we often see horses come from the back, just suits Calandagan’s running style so well. He bombed out entirely in the Coronation Cup and Francis Graffard was fuming with himself for letting him run. Given a month off to recover he deployed his trademark late burst of speed to take the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Mickael Barzalona could possibly be accused of sometimes leaving it too late. But he knows if he holds his horse up, gets the fractions right, judges the pace well, that all he has to do to win is unleash him in the final stages. Andrew Balding seems incredibly confident in Kalpana’s chances but I think the 7-4 about Calandagan regaining his King George crown is a great price. Defending champion Calandagan heads the market at as short as 13-8 while Aidan O’Brien’s Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini has been the subject of a massive gamble. The Ballydoyle boss pulled Causeway out of the race during Monday’s confirmations. Most read in Horse Racing While Charlie Johnston withdrew Ancient Egypt, Karl Burke removed Convergent and Ed Walker scrubbed Almaqam on account of the ground. Coral’s David Stevens said: “Calandagan remains favourite to repeat last year’s King George success. “But that position is definitely under threat from Benvenuto Cellini, who has been all the rage for the race in recent days. “Punters are backing the Irish Derby winner to strike another blow for the Classic generation following Constitution River’s Coral-Eclipse victory earlier this month.” King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds via Coral 7-4 Calandagan5-2 Benvenuto Cellini7-2 Masquerade Ball6 Goliath7 Kalpana8 Minnie Hauk25 Bay City Roller50 Wurttemberg100 Lambourn, Action FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here. Comment now