Highland Reel and Sir Isaac Newton will fly the flag for Ireland in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Highland Reel will renew rivalry with Dartmouth after the latter got the better of a thrilling tussle in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last month while Aidan O'Brien has also opted to run Sir Isaac Newton following his recent resurgence.

Following the news on Wednesday that Roger Varian's ante-post favourite and last year's winner Postponed would be forced to miss the midsummer highlight with a respiratory infection, the race has lost some of its lustre.

However, the supplemented Dartmouth is likely to be the headline act given he is owned by Queen Elizabeth in her 90th year and is running in the race named after her parents.

Dartmouth's trainer Sir Michael Stoute is also aiming for a record sixth win in the race following the victories of Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993), Golan (2002), Conduit (2009) and Harbinger (2010).

There is interest from France in the shape of Erupt, trained by Francis Graffard, whose biggest success to date came in the Grand Prix de Paris last season.

The three-year-old classic crop is solely represented by John Gosden's Wings Of Desire, who made rapid strides earlier in the season and won the Dante at York.

He could only manage fourth in the Derby behind Harzand and represents the same connections of Eagle Top, narrowly beaten by Postponed 12 months ago.

Gosden has also declared Western Hymn.

Luca Cumani, who trained Postponed when he won last year, is this time represented by Second Step.