Heart's Cry, one of the equine stars of Japan, and the only horse to have taken the scalp of Deep Impact, is now a top-priced 7/2 for the King George VI Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on Saturday following sustained recent support.

 

The five-year-old's big-race jockey Cristophe Lemaire has reported the entire to be in fine fettle, and the Frenchman seems confident about his mounts chance, despite stiff competition presented by the like of the brilliant Arc winner Hurricane Run, and Godolphin's Dubai World Cup hero, Electrocutionist.
 
The Kojiro Hashiguchi-trained charge, who had the likes of Ouija Board and Alexander Goldrun behind when comfortably winning the Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba in March, has been trained with this race and a European autumn campaign, culminating in the Arc at Longchamp in October, in mind ever since.

 

Heart's Cry laid his marker as one of the best middle-distance horses in training when beating the mighty Deep Impact by half-a-length in the valuable Arima Kinen at Nakayama on Christmas Day last year - the sole defeat that has been inflicted on Deep Impact in eleven career starts.

 

With most of the Japanese racing taking place on firm ground, the prospect of a quick surface at Ascot on Saturday will hold no terrors for Heart's Cry, although ante-post favourite Hurricane Run - a best-priced 5/4 with betuk, Paddy Power and Sporting Odds - has only raced on going faster than good once, which was when he landed the Irish Derby last year - and he has looked more effective when there's cut in the ground.

 

The likelihood of good to firm going will pose no problems for Godolphin's Electrocutionist, who shapes as though he is crying out for this return to a mile and a half, having raced over ten furlongs the last thrice.

 

The son of Red Ransom kept battling all the way to the line when beaten half-a-length by Ouija Board in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting here last month, and with Godolphin's excellent record in this race, he will be popular with punters. Electrocutionist is currently available at 5/2, but as short as 9/4 in places.

 

Connections have indicated that the participation of Ouija Board is a decision will "probably go to the wire" as connections must pay a supplementary fee of £70,00 for her to take part. She may instead go for the Vodafone Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood seven days later, a race over two furlongs shorter and confined to fillies and mares.

 

The Aidan O'Brien-trainer Dylan Thomas, 10/1 with betuk and Sporting Odds but half those odds with William Hill, appears to be the best hope of the Classic Generation in this contest after his impressive victory in the Irish Derby.

 

However, just two three-year-old's in the last decade - Alamshar in 2003 and Galileo in 2001 - have thwarted their elders in this event and therefore, along with 14/1 chance Papal Bull and stablemate Alexandrova, a top-priced 16/1 with bet365, he clearly faces a stiff task.