The winners of the Emirates Melbourne Cup, Japan Derby, Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Investec Coronation Cup and Coral-Eclipse are among 12 acceptors for a truly international King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The Betfair-sponsored 2400m showpiece is part of the QIPCO British Champions service and the betting market for the £1-million contest is headed by St Nicholas Abbey, a wide-margin winner of the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom, and runaway Hardwicke Stakes hero Sea Moon.

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of St Nicholas Abbey, has also engaged Windsor Palace and Robin Hood, while John Gosden could be two-handed with Coral Eclipse winner Nathaniel and last year’s Ladbrokes St Leger hero Masked Marvel.

Last year’s Arc heroine Danedream could have her first start in Britain in the Group 1 race. Following her victory in Paris, Peter Schiergen’s star finished sixth in the Japan Cup and returned this season with an easy win at Baden-Baden. She then returned to France for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud but could only manage a fourth to Meandre but Schiergen believes there were excuses that day and expects a bold display this weekend.

Schiergen said: “Nothing went right for her at Saint-Cloud, they went very slow early on and that didn’t suit. She prefers a strong gallop and that is usually what you get in England. Everything has gone well since her last race.

“Soft ground would not bother her at all, she handles it very well indeed so if it was very soft that would not change anything.”

Michael Owen’s Brown Panther and Japanese star Deep Brilliante are other interesting entries along with Melbourne Cup hero Dunaden and the Alain de Royer-Dupre pair of Reliable Man and Shareta.

There’s Classic action this weekend in the shape of the €400,000 Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks over 2400m at The Curragh on Sunday.

Dermot Weld, who is bidding for a third win in the race, will saddle Princess Highway. The Moyglare Stud-owned filly booked her place in the Group 1 contest with a six-length romp in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, beating Epsom Investec Oaks third The Fugue.

Weld said: “She’s in good form and she’s all set. We’d like the weather to pick up because she’s a filly with a lot pace, but she handled that ground on the day at Ascot and she’s very adaptable.

“It would be lovely and be our third time if we could win it. Classics are hard to win and they don’t come easy, so we are well aware of that.”

At The Curragh on Saturday we could see the long-awaited return of another Australian champion, Starspangledbanner, in the Group 3 KARE Race Day Minstrel Stakes over 1400m. He won the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Cup before finishing second in the Nunthorpe. The son of Choisir was then retired to stud but reported fertility problems have seen him return to Ballydoyle to join O’Brien once more, this time as a six-year-old.