Surprise showdown between Galileo and Fantastic Light

Galileo, the brilliant dual Derby winner, is on course for a showdown with the reigning world champion Fantastic Light in the King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on 28 July.

The Galileo team, based at Ballydoyle in Ireland, have surprised the world of racing with its choice of immediate objective following their superstar’s annihilation of the three-year-olds in both the Epsom and Irish Derbys.

After Galileo’s win at The Curragh at the beginning of the month there had been talk of reverting to a mile and a quarter, but the team has been lured by the huge challenge of the five-year-old Fantastic Light and the world-wide prestige that goes with a King George victory over Ascot’s mile and a half.

Ladbrokes are among the few bookmakers prepared to offer early odds on the race and make Galileo a hot favourite at 7-4 on, with the recent runaway Royal Ascot winner Fantastic Light 11-4.

Galileo’s joint owner Michael Tabor, whose Montjeu romped away with last year’s King George, says that, besides winning another King George, he would like Galileo to wrest the Emirates World Series crown from Fantastic Light.

In addition to the King George, two moreof Galileo’s future objectives, the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in New York, are part of the World Series.