The Group I King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1m4f) at Ascot overnight was billed as a generational clash with top three year-old colts Auguste Rodin and King of Steel taking on the older big guns and the race produced a thrilling finish as expected.
Epsom and Irish Derby winner Auguste Rodin was sent out favourite, but produced the worst run of his career and was never a factor, while Epsom Derby runner-up King of Steel fared better against his elders.
The son of Wootton Bassett tried gamely throughout to finish a distant third while the serious end of the race produced a hectic finish with Shadwell’s six year-old Sea the Stars stallion Hukum outgunning four year-old Frankel stallion Westover in a head to head duel.
"We felt he's never been better," said Hukum’s trainer Owen Burrows.
"For whatever reason he's shown a bit more speed and what a tough horse he is because—fair play to the second—he didn't lie down.
"What a race, what a spectacle. It lived up to the hype and I'm a bit hoarse from shouting, but what can you say about him—he's an absolute star.
"I can't put into words what it means. I just said to Sheikha Hissa (bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum) there, 'Thank you for giving us another chance.' He could have been whipped off to stud so credit to her for a very sporting decision and giving us that chance, and hats off to my team for getting him here in that shape."
It was the second Group I win for Hukum, who won the Group I Epsom Coronation Cup last year.
“I've always believed in Hukum and even last year I said to Owen this could be a King George horse - he's out of his brother's shadow now. It's a great training performance by Owen because he was off a year and in fairness to Sheikha Hissa she persisted with him to bring him back into training. It would've been very easy to retire him as a full-brother to Baaeed,” said winning rider Jim Crowley.
"She had faith and it's great, that was something special. Westover got first run at me but it gave me something to aim at. He was so tough, I never felt he was going to come off second best there. That's the best race I've ever ridden in - without doubt.”
Hukum has 11 wins from 17 starts and is the older full brother to Shadwell’s Champion Miler Baaeed, who retired to stud at the end of last year to stand at a fee of 80,000 pounds.
Hukum is the second Group I winner from stakes-winning Kingmambo mare Aghareed, a daughter of Champion US Turf Mare Lahudood.
