THE ride on King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes favourite Crystal Ocean is likely to come up for grabs with Ryan Moore presumably set to ride Aidan O’Brien’s Kew Gardens in next Saturday’s Group 1 at Ascot.

Moore has teamed up with his old employer Sir Michael Stoute to ride Crystal Ocean to all three of his wins this term, most recently in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, typically a good guide race to the King George. On that occasion, Moore was allowed to ride the four-year-old, despite the fact that there were two Ballydoyle horses, Cliffs Of Moher and Idaho, in opposition. However in a higher profile race, the Coolmore partners will be keen for Moore to ride Kew Gardens.

The son of Galileo himself is not exactly a sharp downgrade. He was an impressive winner of the Queen’s Vase, now run over a mile and six furlongs, on his penultimate run at Royal Ascot and he made his Group 1 breakthrough at ParisLongchamp in the Grand Prix de Paris last week, after which O’Brien earmarked the King George.

The aforementioned pair are only two major contenders in a race that has the potential to be a top-class contest. Stoute has won this race a record five times and is also keen to run Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Poet’s Word. Waldgeist is in line to make the trip from France for Andre Fabre who won this race in 2006 with Hurricane Run.

One horse more likely not to run is Cracksman, whom John Gosden prefers for later targets in the season.

Aidan O’Brien holds seven of the 19 entries, of which Rostropovich and Hydrangea could be called upon to join Kew Gardens.

General prices: 7/4 Crystal Ocean, 5/2 Poet’s Word, 6/1 Kew Gardens, 9/1 Waldgeist, Cracksman, Coronet, 16/1 Rostropovich