It has been dubbed a ‘generational’ renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday at Ascot, with last year’s winner CALANDAGAN (Gleneagles heading up nine runners including the younger, Irish Derby winner BEVENUTO CELLINI (Frankel), 2025 Epsom Derby winner LAMBOURN (Australia) and his own tough stablemate, GOLIATH (Ger) (Adlerflug).
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Calandagan has won 10 of 17 races for the Aga Khan’s stud. Bevenuto Cellini was expected to win the Epsom Derby this June but he got his leg stuck at the back of the gate and was delacred a non-starter.
Jointly-owned by an American in John Stewart, Goliath will be ridden Christophe Soumillon, who will be hoping to avoid a repeat of his Royal Ascot run in the Hardwicke Stakes when he lost an iron in the closing stages, which cost him any chance of victory.
There are two runners from Japan this year in Masquerade Ball (Duramente) and Wurttemberg (Kitasan Black).
Masquerade Ball was narrowly beaten in the Japan Cup by Calandagan, late late year, and had previously won the Tenno Sho, Japan’s premier all-aged 10-furlong contest. More recently he was beaten a length by the world’s top horse, Romantic Warrior, in Hong Kong.
Wurttemberg has been doing his recent racing over trips of two miles or even further.
Aidan O’Brien has a strong hand as he looks to send out his first King George winner in a decade.
He runs this year’s Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini, last year’s Derby hero Lambourn, Dante runner-up Action, the likely pacesetter, and the filly Minnie Hauk, a multiple Group One winner last season.
The field is completed by the sole runner trained in the UK, Andrew Balding’s mare Kalpana.
She is far from an also-ran, though, and having won twice at Ascot on Champions Day and given Calandagan most to do in this race last year, her track form stands up to the closest scrutiny.
King George odds via Coral
13-8 Calandagan
7-2 Masquerade Ball
9-2 Benvenuto Cellini
13-2 Minnie Hauk
8 Goliath
8 Kalpana
40 Wurttemberg
100 Lambourn
100 Action
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