Aidan O'Brien hopeful Auguste Rodin gets good ground in King George And Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin is one of four runners for Aidan O'Brien as the master of Ballydoyle goes in search of a fifth victory in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.

It is 22 years since the great Galileo supplemented his Derby triumphs at Epsom and the Curragh with victory in Ascot’s midsummer highlight, comfortably accounting for top-class older horse Fantastic Light.

Dylan Thomas and Duke Of Marmalade provided O’Brien with back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008 before Highland Reel struck gold for the County Tipperary maestro in 2016 – and in Auguste Rodin he has unearthed another potential middle-distance star.

Disappointing when favourite for the 2000 Guineas in May, the son of Japanese ace Deep Impact has since proved his worth with successive Classic wins over the King George distance of a mile and a half, in the Epsom Derby and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Both of those triumphs did come on fast ground, though, and with an easier surface forecast for this weekend, O’Brien is hoping underfoot conditions do not deteriorate further.

He said: "We’re very happy with Auguste Rodin and everything has gone very well since the last day.

"The better the ground, the better it will suit him. We wouldn’t want it getting any worse. We’ll definitely walk the track, obviously.

"He’s a beautiful mover, he doesn’t raise his feet much."

Auguste Rodin is joined by a trio of stablemates in Luxembourg, Point Lonsdale and Bolshoi Ballet.

While the latter pair are three-figure prices with some bookmakers, it would be dangerous to dismiss Luxembourg, who has won an Irish Champion Stakes and a Tattersalls Gold Cup at Group One level over a mile and a quarter and was second to Mostahdaf in the Prince of