Saturday (25 July) sees a vintage edition of the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) with an international flavour to the joint-richest race of the British racing season. Total prizemoney is £2 million (approx. HK$20.8 million).

Calandagan has been aimed at becoming only the fourth horse to win Great Britain’s most prestigious all-aged race for a second time but he faces fierce opposition from Japan and Ireland, as well as the sole British-trained challenger Kalpana, an Ascot specialist and second to him in this Group 1 last year.

Despite failing on the testing ground at Epsom in June, Calandagan has an extraordinary record, winning six international Group 1s in the last 13 months and putting Epsom well behind him when mastering his rivals with his trademark late acceleration to win this month’s G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud World Pool by PMU (2400m) for the second consecutive year.

Nemone Routh, the Aga Khan Studs French Racing Manager, said: “He worked well this week and we think he has improved since Saint-Cloud when Mickael Barzalona gave him another terrific ride. The guys in the stable who know him best say he is the same weight and in the same shape as he was this time last year. We are very happy with him – it is just the opposition that looks really tough.”

That tough opposition includes Goliath, trained like Calandagan in Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard, and the surprise winner of the 2024 King George. He has looked back to his best in 2026, easily winning May’s G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly (2400m) before his unlucky third in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes (2392m) at Royal Ascot, quickening stylishly from the back and looking a likely winner when Christophe Soumillon lost his irons at a vital stage of the contest.

Japan’s Masquerade Ball is also a leading contender. Despite an unfavourably wide gate, he finished only a head behind Calandagan in November’s G1 Japan Cup (2400m), and this race has been the target ever since. Masquerade Ball’s only start since came when losing out to Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior by a length in April’s G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.

Provided his travel has gone smoothly, Christophe Lemaire’s ride looks to hold stronger claims than the other Japanese challenger, Oisin Murphy’s mount Wurttemberg. In May he almost landed a huge shock in Kyoto’s G1 Tenno Sho Spring (3200m), and it would be at least as big a surprise were Wurttemberg to figure at this level.

That intense gallop is expected to come from Aidan O’Brien’s Action (Sean Levey) and possibly William Buick’s mount Lambourn, the dual 2025 Epsom and Irish Derby winner. However, either Minnie Hauk or Benvenuto Cellini is most likely to provide the Irish master trainer with victory in a race that has eluded him since Highland Reel’s triumph in 2016.

Minnie Hauk’s victories in last year’s English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks, followed by her head defeat to Daryz in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m), make her a leading contender as Wayne Lordan’s mount returns to the trip that has produced her greatest performances.

Ryan Moore is aboard Benvenuto Cellini, who recovered swiftly from his mishap in the G1 Derby Stakes (2405m) when officially a non-runner after a stalls injury, to beat Epsom hero Christmas Day in the Irish version over 2400m at the Curragh. He gets a handy 11lb weight-for-age allowance, offering hope that he will become the first King George winner from the Classic generation since Adayar in 2021.

The G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) is carded as S1-5 and will be run at 10.35pm (Hong Kong time) on Saturday, 25 July.

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