By Cornelius Lysaght
BBC racing correspondent
Rarely since pulling on his England shirt 46 times during the 1970s has Mick Channon made such an important appearance for his country.
The striker-turned-top racehorse trainer is the principal defence against more of racing's most prestigious silverware heading to trophy cabinets overseas this weekend.
Channon, who scored 21 England goals and a further 185 for Southampton FC, saddles Youmzain in Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
The five-year-old is second favourite in the betting for the £850,000 championship race, behind Duke Of Marmalade, trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien, who also saddles the fancied Macarthur.
In a summer to match the pretty miserable weather conditions, British racing has lost out time and time again to the might of O'Brien and fellow countryman Jim Bolger.
And other top prizes have gone to France, Spain (hardly renowned in this field) and South Africa, while Australia only narrowly failed to get in on the act.
Just three Group One races have been won by runners trained in Britain: Newbury's Lockinge Stakes (Creachadoir), the Epsom Oaks (Look Here) and Royal Ascot's Golden Jubilee Stakes (Kingsgate Native).
There is, however, reason to believe that Channon and Youmzain can buck the trend.
The main thing is the horse's form - against the brilliant O'Brien pair Soldier Of Fortune and Dylan Thomas - which would appear to be the most solid.
It includes the runners-up spot in last year's King George and in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (both behind Dylan Thomas) and in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June (when defeated by Soldier Of Fortune).
Later last month, however, Youmzain, who will be ridden once again by Richard Hughes, took revenge on his Epsom conqueror in France with a display that was as gritty as it was impressive.
In contrast, Duke Of Marmalade, who receives no weight allowance from the year-older Youmzain, seems to bring no such illustrious record from his so far unbeaten season to the race.
He is, however, part of the confident steamroller that has characterised the year for O'Brien, jockey Johnny Murtagh and the Irish-based Coolmore racing and thoroughbred breeding empire.
Already O'Brien and Coolmore have bagged 13 Group One successes.
But Channon will take heart from the fact that through Youmzain's exploits in France, he is one of the very few to have proved that the Irish march is stoppable.
The trainer reports his big race hope to be "ready to go" ahead of the King George, and "exactly where I want him".
If Team Channon are in Ascot's winners' enclosure just after 1620 on Saturday, it will be exactly where British racing wants them to be.
Which may all spark the much-needed rescue of the most disappointing of seasons.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~19~RS~)