French ace Calandagan aiming to land second King George VI

ASCOT – The Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,414m) is the crowning jewel of the UK staying ranks – worth £2 million (S$3.46 million), the equal-richest race in England and won by some absolute champions.

The 2026 edition promises to deliver in spades with some of the best stayers in the world lining up headlined by the defending champion, Calandagan.

The son of Gleneagles really announced himself with victory in the race in 2025 having just found one or two better at the top level on numerous occasions prior, sitting off a fast tempo and smashing Kalpana and Rebel’s Romance before dropping back to 10 furlongs and beating Ombudsman.

Calandagan turns up at Ascot having won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud (2,400m) in scintillating fashion on July 5 – the same race he won as a lead-in in 2025.

While he won that by 3.5 lengths last year and only a long-neck this year, the margin undersells his performance.

He settled a long last off a very slow speed for regular partner Mickael Barzalona on lightning-fast ground and surged home in electric late sectionals, running all over the top of his rivals late.

A truer test of stamina at Ascot this weekend will only bring about the best of Calandagan. If that is the case, he will be hard to beat.

“He took his win at Saint-Cloud very much in his stride and we feel like he has improved from that run,” said Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs on Sky Sports Racing.

“Obviously the King George is a very tough field but he likes the track and he won it last year, so we are hopeful of a very good run.”

That said, the competition is very strong. Three-year-old Benvenuto Cellini is likely to run for Aidan O’Brien off a strong win in the Group 1 Irish Derby (2,400m) on June 28 last time.

Before that, he had fallen victim to horrendous conditions at Epsom in the Group 1 English Derby (2,400m) on June 6, while Calandagan flopped in the Group 1 Coronation Cup (2,400m) the same day.

It has been a few years since a three-year-old won the King George, the latest to do so being Adayar for Godolphin in 2021. The task ahead for Benvenuto Cellini is tough, but he is a very good colt who still has scope to improve.

Perhaps the most interesting runner is the Japanese-trained Masquerade Ball, a high-class Grade 1 winner over 2,000m and who was excellent in the Group 1 Japan Cup (2,400m) won by Calandagan in 2025.

Masquerade Ball was sent out favourite there by the local punters and was only beaten a head. The Duramente colt has since run a very good second to Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 QEII Cup Stakes (2,000m) in April.

How he handles the undulating Ascot course away from home will be interesting, but he has proven he is absolutely capable of taking it to the world’s best.

Calandagan showed he was back in business at Saint Cloud last time and no doubt winning a second King George is his ultimate goal this season.

He will get the quick ground and fast speed he wants and that makes him clearly the one to beat.
RACING AND SPORTS