Horse-by-horse guide for tomorrow’s big race – the King George Vi And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot.
CALANDAGAN (Francis Graffard)
Model of consistency for connections, finishing first or second in 10 starts since his debut outing a couple of summers ago.
A striking winner of the King Edward VII Stakes over this course and distance as a three-year-old last year, he went on to fill the runner-up spot on four straight Group 1s before opening his top-class account in last month’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Outfought by Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup prior to that but only half a length in it and every chance he’s closely involved again.
CONTINUOUS (Aidan O’Brien)
St Leger winner from 2023 is now seemingly utilised as a pace-maker for more esteemed stablemates and ended up last of eight when 100/1 in last month’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Great test of stamina will help but can’t be considered as a likely player for all that his participation is all but confirmed.
JAN BRUEGHEL (Aidan O’Brien)
Had made six racecourse appearances and the sole defeat came when looking particularly rusty in a Curragh Group 3 on his seasonal debut in April.
Consigned that run to the past when defeating odds-on favourite Calandagan back from 55 days away in last month’s Coronation Cup and he’s still entitled to be reaching full fitness and maturity having been a slow burner en route to winning last year’s Leger. It’s going to take a tough and classy performance to lower his colours.
REBEL’S ROMANCE (Charlie Appleby)
On the subject of tough and classy, Godolphin’s ace globetrotter has retained every ounce of enthusiasm as a seven-year-old this season, returning to the UK with wins in the Yorkshire Cup and Hardwicke Stakes most recently.
Ascot form got a timely boost by runner-up Al Riffa at the Curragh over the weekend and he can be relied upon to run another bold race if the ground remains good or quicker.
KALPANA (Andrew Balding)
No great secret that a shot at the Arc de Triomphe has been top of her agenda since ending last year on a Champions Day high at this venue, and her training looks to have been steadily turning the screws so far this campaign.
Two highly creditable runs in 10-furlong Group 1s should have brought her to the boil in time for this step back up in trip and any ease underfoot will probably play more to her strengths than the likes of Jan Brueghel.
GREEN IMPACT (Jessica Harrington)
Also entered in the Sky Bet York Stakes over 10 furlongs on the same day and no real surprise to see him head to Knavesmire instead considering he didn’t exactly rubber-stamp his credentials over a mile and a half when sixth in last month’s Irish Derby.
He’s got some way to go yet in order to prove himself a top-level three-year-old and the older horses in here are on another level too.
LAMBOURN (Aidan O’Brien)
Building a highly likeable profile, having made all in the Derby before toughing it out to follow up in the Irish version at the Curragh.
Reportedly being kept back for next month’s Great Voltigeur at York so can’t be considered a betting prospect here even though he’d be a fascinating addition to the race if ultimately lining up alongside Jan Brueghel or in his place if his stablemate had to miss out.
WHIRL (Aidan O’Brien)
Another Ballydoyle entry who isn’t expected to take up her engagement, the Nassau Stakes over 10 furlongs seemingly considered more suitable. Totally unexposed over this longer trip though, having just missed out by a neck in the Oaks on her only previous attempt, while she proved her class against the older generation when defeating Kalpana and Survie in last month’s Pretty Polly Stakes.
Verdict
We could easily end up with no three-year-old representation at all, Lambourn and Whirl set to wait for York and Goodwood respectively, with Green Impact a possible for the Sky Bet York Stakes on the Knavesmire.
It should still be an interesting race, featuring a rematch from the Coronation Cup between JAN BRUEGHEL and Calandagan. The French horse, a subsequent Group 1 winner on home soil, will be better suited to a return to Ascot where he was so impressive at last year’s Royal meeting, but the Ballydoyle four-year-old looks to be going from strength to strength and assuming Continuous puts plenty of pace into the race from an early stage, Jan Brueghel is going to take plenty of passing once again.
Rebel’s Romance won’t be a pushover but the greatest threat to the selection could be presented by Andrew Balding’s mare Kalpana, who couldn’t quite give 12lb to Whirl in last month’s Pretty Polly but looks to be building up to an even bigger performance back over 12 furlongs and at Ascot where she was deadly, albeit against her own sex, on Champions Day last autumn.
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