Along with the Epsom Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of Europe's top Group 1 races. Since 1951 it has showcased many all-time greats, including Ribot, Nijinsky II, Mill Reef, Dancing Brave and three-time winner Enable.
Saturday's 75th running of the 1 1/2-mile King George features another outstanding field at majestic Ascot Racecourse.
Andrew Balding trains the 4-year-old filly Kalpana, a course-and distance winner and the 5-1 third favorite behind the 5-year-old gelding Calandagan (8-5) and the 4-year-old colt Jan Brueghel (2-1).
“It's a race with a fabulous history, with great prize money [$2.02 million] at a fantastic venue,” Balding told Sky Sports. “You've got the older horses against the 3-year-olds with a few fillies thrown in. It's a great event for British racing and one of the most important races of the year.”
Irish wizard Aidan O'Brien, who has four King George trophies, has two in the five-horse field.
“Jan Brueghel was unbeaten as a 3-year-old and he gets a mile and a half very well,” O'Brien told Racing TV. “He would still be unbeaten if I hadn't run him at the Curragh too early this year.”
France-based Francis Graffard. who trained last year's upset winner, Goliath, will try for a repeat with Calandagan, a close second behind Jan Brueghel on June 6 in the 1 1/2-mile Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom Downs. That was Calandagan's fourth consecutive runner-up finish, a streak he broke last time in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, his first Group 1 victory.
“The King George is a big target, but he's not ungenuine,” Graffard told Sky Sports. “In the stretch he can lengthen his stride and quicken very strongly.”
The other big name is Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (6-1), two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). How tough is this race if he's the fourth betting choice?
The race is again a "Win and You're In" qualifier for this year's main event at Del Mar in November.
For those who like to bet horse racing, here are some insights that might help you land on the King George winner.
The field from the rail out, with jockey, trainer and odds in parentheses – post time for the race is 11:10 a.m. ET.
Five wins, five seconds in 11 career starts, eight of them graded stakes, including a 12-furlong Ascot victory. “He's never run a bad race,” Graffard said. Couldn't catch Jan Brueghel at Epsom after that colt got first run on him in mid-stretch. Won the 12-furlong King Edward Stakes (G2) last year at Royal Ascot, so he likes the track. Although he broke free of second-itis last time, the opposition was far weaker than the all-stars he'll face Saturday. His racing manager, Nemone Routh, admitted “some things have to fall right” for him to take the King George.
O'Brien loves to run rabbits to ensure honest fractions, and Continuous set the pace for Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. Expect him to play the same role at Ascot, leading for a mile or so before checking out.
Held off odds-on Calandagan at Epsom for his fifth win in six career starts. He's the latest in O'Brien's endless run of standouts, and don't be surprised if he goes off as the favorite. Having Continuous as a pacemaker is a big edge, and stablemate Lambourn, wire-to-wire winner of the Epsom Derby, also will contribute to solid fractions. Top-class colt going for world-class connections will be very tough to beat.
The old country song “I've Been Everywhere” tells Rebel's Romance's life story, except that the title should be “I've Won Everywhere.” The 7-year-old globetrotter has earned 19 wins, including 13 graded stakes, at 16 tracks in seven countries. The Godolphin homebred has earned more than $12.8 million in his 18-for-26 career and he'd be the oldest to ever win the King George. “If there's one horse you'd want to be rolling your last dice, it's him,” Appleby said. “You have confidence that win, lose or draw, he would go out on his sword for you.” Worth a small win bet and belongs in all exotics.
Was a course-and-distance winner on very soft turf last fall. “She doesn't want fast going,” Balding said, “but she's where we want her right now.” Rain is forecasted but good ground is likely. She's sure to stay 12 furlongs, which is comforting to her connections, who know they're taking on a major challenge. “Calandagan is a top-class horse, and we saw what Jan Brueghel did at Epsom,” said Barry Mahon, Juddmonte's European racing manager.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
