THERE was much consternation at the beginning of the week when only six horses, in the care of just two trainers, were left in today’s King George, the traditional middle distance championship, with a roll of honour filled with some of the best horses ever to grace a racecourse.

Then the final declarations reduced it to just four, three Ballydoyle Group 1 winners out to prevent Enable creating history in winning the race for the third time. [And then there were three when Anthony Van Dyck came out on Friday evening.]