Calandagan Confirmed His Greatness in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Francis Graffard Trainee Delivers Another Triumph for the Aga Khan, Secures GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Berth

Calandagan Outduels Kalpana Late to Capture King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes / BREEDERS' CUP

BERKSHIRE, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- Long considered talented but flawed, Calandagan finally silenced the doubters with a career-defining victory in Saturday’s historic G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2400 meters at Ascot, earning an automatic berth into the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf this November at Del Mar.

Sent off the 11-10 favorite, the Aga Khan homebred delivered when it mattered most, rallying under a confident ride from Mickael Barzalona to outfinish the gallant Kalpana (Study of Man) by a length. The Juddmonte filly, trained by Andrew Balding, had tried to steal it on the front end, but could not hold off the powerful late surge of her French rival.

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the son of Gleneagles entered off a string of four runner-up finishes at the top level, prompting concerns about his will to win. But since breaking through in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on June 29, Calandagan has found new life, backing it up with a signature win on British soil.

“I'm thrilled for this horse,” said Graffard. “The pace scenario was strange, especially with Continuous going slower than expected. But when I saw Calandagan traveling so comfortably, I started shouting. I could feel something special happening. Mickael rode him beautifully.”

The victory marked the fourth King George for the Aga Khan and placed Graffard in rare company. After saddling Goliath (Adlerflug) to victory last year, he joined the likes of John Gosden, Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed bin Suroor, and Aidan O’Brien as the only trainers to win back-to-back editions of the storied event.

Graffard also credited a crucial decision made earlier in Calandagan’s career. “He was very difficult as a colt—temperamental and unreliable at the gates. We even took him to Deauville to school with the starters. Eventually, we had no choice. I’d rather have a top-class gelding than a poor stallion prospect.”

The race unfolded unconventionally, with Aidan O’Brien’s duo Jan Brueghel (Galileo) and Continuous (Heart’s Cry) failing to fulfill their expected pacemaking roles. Instead, the pair ended up out of sorts, finishing last and second-last after setting an oddly slow and disruptive tempo.

Kalpana once again showed her class, adding another high-level placing to her résumé and solidifying her credentials for a potential tilt at the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. While some pundits debated whether jockey Oisin Murphy moved too early, the consensus acknowledged that the best horse won on the day.

As for Rebel’s Romance (Dubawi), last year’s third-place finisher returned to repeat that result despite a troubled trip, finding himself boxed in between Ballydoyle’s runners at a crucial stage.

The winning time was 2:29.79 over a course rated good. But numbers told only part of the story. On a summer Saturday at Ascot, Calandagan was not just victorious—he was vindicated. Now with two Group 1 wins in his last two starts, the once-frustrating gelding has earned the right to dream big, with Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup Turf firmly on the horizon.