Ryan Moore is excited at the prospect of riding Sea Moon in Saturday's Betfair-sponsored King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The former champion jockey said earlier in the week he felt Sir Michael Stoute's charge would have to improve to land the Group One contest, but it's a race he's relishing.
Writing in his exclusive column at www.betfair.com/ryanmoore he said: "There are seven Group 1 winners in the race. Ignore the pacemaker Robin Hood and that leaves you with last season's 6 length King George V handicap course and distance winner/St Leger runner-up Brown Panther and my mount Sea Moon, three-quarter length winner of an above-average Hardwicke last time.
"So that gives you some idea of the depth to this race. It will take a hell of a lot of winning. And I had a look at the prize money the horses in here have collectively won, too. I can't readily recall a race where the runners have accumulated so much earnings between them.
"But what I can definitely tell you is that I have rarely looked forward to a race more, and I think Sea Moon goes into the race with strong claims.
"He has a fair bit to find with a few of these. I think Danedream has the single best piece of form in the race and St Nicholas Abbey is the best horse judged on his overall form - those two comments are not contradictory, in my book - but I was really taken with Sea Moon at Ascot and we have been happy with him at home since.
"He is hopefully still unexposed and on an upward curve, having just his ninth career start."
Some pundits felt Dunaden was an unlucky loser behind Sea Moon in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot - but Moore feels a lack of tactical speed counted against the Melbourne Cup winner.
"I have said this before, but I think too much has been made of how unlucky Dunaden was. He clearly would have got a lot closer with an untroubled run but there was one occasion in the straight when he had a gap and didn't have the instant acceleration to take it.
"That trait and ability can often mark out top notch Group 1 winners, and you will have to be that to win this. And I hardly was all out to win either. Dunaden had three lengths to make up on me at the line - and then he had to try and get past me."
To win Betfair-sponsored King George - sponsors bet: 3.95 Nathaniel, 4.1 Sea Moon, 4.7 St Nicholas Abbey, 9.4 Dunaden, 11 Danedream, 20 Deep Brillante, 28 Reliable Man, 34 Brown Panther, 95 Masked Marvel, 1000 Robin Hood
