French ace Calandagan, Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel, renowned globetrotter Rebel’s Romance and star filly Kalpana headline the confirmations for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday [July 26].
Worth a record £1.5m in 2025, the 12-furlong midsummer highlight is Britain’s richest all-aged contest and the most valuable race ever run at Ascot.
Calandagan, who stands at world #5 on Thoroughbred Racehorse Commentary’s Global Rankings, arrives on the back of a deserved G1 success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, a victory that ended a run of four consecutive seconds at the highest level. His trainer Francis-Henri Graffard is chasing back-to-back King George victories following Goliath’s surprise win in 2024.
Last year’s St Leger winner Jan Brueghel had Calandagan’s measure when the pair clashed in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. Conduit in 2009 is the most recent St Leger victor to follow up in the King George.
Alongside Jan Brueghel, trainer Aidan O’Brien has confirmed 2023 Leger winner Continuous as well as leaving the door open for dual Derby hero Lambourn and Pretty Polly Stakes scorer Whirl.
Seven-year-old Rebel’s Romance (world #8) would become the oldest winner of the King George, supplanting Swain, Enable and Hukum who all won the race at the age of six. Godolphin’s dual Breeders’ Cup winner – the winner of 18 races around the world altogether – will look to add a first domestic G1 to his glittering CV.
Kalpana is set to return to the scene of her biggest victory, with Andrew Balding’s filly having ended 2024 with an easy success in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes on Qipco British Champions Day.
The Juddmonte homebred has performed creditably in two starts at the Curragh so far this season, encountering trouble in running when third in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and finishing second to Whirl in the Pretty Polly.
Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, said: “Kalpana is all systems go for the King George. This has been her intended target since her last run in Ireland and she is in good shape.
“I think her two runs this year have been very solid. We know she is proven over a mile and a half on soft ground, so for her to produce those performances over 10 furlongs on quicker ground is very promising.
“We would be hopeful of a strong showing on Saturday back over 12 furlongs, for all it looks a competitive race. Calandagan is a top-class horse and we all saw what Jan Brueghel did at Epsom. I don’t know if Lambourn will line up as well but a Derby winner always commands respect.”
G2 winner Green Impact, who was sixth in the Irish Derby last time out for Jessica Harrington, completes the eight confirmations.
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