Short on Runners, Long on Intrigue: King George Shaping Up as a Must-Watch

Pace Assured With Continuous, the Class of Jan Brueghel, Calandagan Seeking Revenge, Kalpana a Threat, and Rebel’s Romance Bringing Experience

Calandagan and Jan Brueghel Set for Another Showdown / ASCOT

By Diego H. Mitagstein

Saturday brings one of Europe’s marquee racing events as Ascot hosts the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) over 2400 meters, Britain’s premier all-aged turf contest with £1.5 million in prizemoney. Part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the winner earns an automatic berth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 1.

This year’s King George features a short field of just five runners but is overflowing with quality. All are G1 winners and proven champions across France, England, and the UAE, setting the stage for a fascinating tactical showdown.

Jan Brueghel (Galileo), trained by Aidan O’Brien for Coolmore, headlines the lineup after an authoritative win in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom, where he defeated French rival Calandagan (Gleneagles), whom he faces again Saturday. Ryan Moore retains the mount on the Irish colt.

Calandagan, representing the Aga Khan Studs for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, rebounded from that Epsom defeat with an impressive victory in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1). With Mickaël Barzalona aboard, he returns to Britain in peak form, seeking revenge in unfamiliar but prestigious surroundings.

Veteran globetrotter Rebel’s Romance (Dubawi) adds further intrigue. The 7-year-old Godolphin stalwart, trained by Charlie Appleby, boasts wins in the 2022 and 2024 Breeders’ Cup Turf, as well as G1 triumphs in Germany and Dubai. However, he has never won a top-level race in Britain, something he will try to rectify under William Buick.

Juddmonte and trainer Andrew Balding are represented by Kalpana (Study of Man), the lone filly in the field who carries a favorable weight allowance. Winner of the British Champions Fillies & Mares (G1) here last October, she arrives in solid form and will relish the soft ground after recent rain. Oisin Murphy takes the ride.

Completing the field is Continuous (Heart’s Cry), also trained by O’Brien, who is expected to set the pace for stablemate Jan Brueghel. His presence guarantees a genuine tempo, which could set things up for closers like Rebel’s Romance or Kalpana.

Recent trends favor 4-year-olds, who have won 13 of the last 24 renewals, though older horses have had their moments, as Enable (Nathaniel) captured the race at both five and six. Rebel’s Romance will attempt to join that list. Notably, no 3-year-olds are entered this year.

Ascot’s King George has long been a stage for legends, from Dahlia (Vaguely Noble) to Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells), Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), and the great Enable. This year’s edition combines depth, class, and tactical complexity, with a coveted Breeders’ Cup Turf berth on the line.

On paper, Jan Brueghel brings the ideal blend of stamina, class, and recent form. But Calandagan continues to progress, Rebel’s Romance thrives on grand stages, and Kalpana has the credentials to spring an upset if the race unfolds in her favor.

It promises to be a race worthy of its storied past—one that crowns not just a winner, but Europe’s reigning turf monarch.