The King George Points to a Clash of Giants Between Europe and Japan

Calandagan and Masquerade Ball Would Meet Again at Ascot, While Christmas Day and Thundering On Lead the New Classic Generation

Calandagan and Masquerade Ball Deciding the Japan Cup / JRA

BERKSHIRE, England (Special to Turf Diario).– The 76th edition of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) promises to become one of the great international events of the season. With a record purse of 2 million pounds sterling and a field that combines Europe's top figures with a powerful Japanese delegation, the race on July 25th at Ascot is already generating enormous expectation.

The great attraction lies in the potential rematch between Calandagan (Gleneagles) and Masquerade Ball(Duramente), protagonists of one of the most memorable duels of 2025, when the Aga Khan representative defeated the Japanese runner by just a head in the Japan Cup (G1), which was officially considered one of the best races in the world last season.

Since then, both have pursued successful paths. Calandagan kicked off 2026 with a victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) before an unexpected failure in the Coronation Cup (G1), contested over an extremely heavy track at Epsom. Meanwhile, Masquerade Ball returned to action with a valuable second-place finish behind Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in Hong Kong's QEII Cup (G1).

For Takahisa Tezuka, trainer of the son of Duramente, the King George has been a targeted objective for several months: "We started thinking about an international campaign after he won the Autumn Tenno Sho. We felt he had the level to compete against the best in the world, and his owners were always very interested in running in the King George," he explained.

Tezuka also acknowledged the enormous logistical challenge posed by the trip: "It will be my first experience at Ascotand I feel very honored. The transport, about 48 hours door-to-door, will be a major test, but we believe Masquerade Ball deserves to represent Japan on this stage," he noted.

The Japanese offensive could be completed by Wurrtemberg, a 6-year-old veteran coming off a loss by just a nose against Croix du Nord (Kitasan Black) in the Spring Tenno Sho (G1).

His trainer, Hiroshi Miyamoto, confessed that the project was born from a long-held dream of his owner, Teruya Yoshida: "He always spoke of the King George as a dream race. After his performance in the Tenno Sho, we analyzed different alternatives and understood that Ascot was the right path," he commented.

The French representation looms once again as one of the strongest. Francis-Henri Graffard, winner of the last two editions with Goliath (Adlerflug) and subsequently with Calandagan, nominated three horses in an attempt to secure an unprecedented third consecutive victory.

In addition to Calandagan himself, the lineup includes the champion Daryz (Sea the Stars), winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), and Goliath himself. Also appearing as potential French representatives are Best Secret(Persian King), trained by Stephane Wattel, and Caulificar, conditioned by André Fabre.

Among the 3-year-olds, the recent classic heroes stand out.

The Epsom Derby would be represented by its top 3 finishers: Christmas Day (Camelot), Maltese Cross (Sea the Stars), and James J Braddock (Zarak), while the brilliant winner of the Epsom Oaks, Thundering On (Frankel), also features among the nominees for Joseph O'Brien.

The list further includes Legacy Link (Dubawi), runner-up to Thundering On at Epsom, and the undefeated Water To Wine (Kingman), both under the care of John and Thady Gosden.

As usual, Aidan O'Brien entered a powerful contingent of 11 runners in pursuit of his fifth victory in the race.

Among the potential representatives from Ballydoyle are highly prominent names such as Benvenuto Cellini(Frankel), Constitution River (Wootton Bassett), Jan Brueghel (Galileo), Lambourn (Australia), and Minnie Hauk (Frankel), shaping a lineup capable of disrupting any forecast.

The 2025 edition was won by Calandagan and ended up being recognized as the best European race over 2400 meters and the fourth-best race in the world according to international rankings.

Now, with the possibility of gathering elite figures from Europe, Japan, and multiple generations, the 2026 King George has all the ingredients to once again become one of the great appointments on the global calendar.

And if Calandagan and Masquerade Ball finally meet face-to-face once more, Ascot will be the stage for a rematch that transcends borders and could define a large part of the international season.