Calandagan heads international field for King George

Ascot is set to stage a truly international renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday with last year’s winner Calandagan heading up nine runners.

Only George Scott’s Bay City Roller was not among the final field from the confirmations on Monday, meaning Francis-Henri Graffard’s globetrotting superstar faces eight rivals, including his stablemate Goliath.

Jointly-owned by an American in John Stewart, Goliath will be ridden by a Belgian in Christophe Soumillon, who will be hoping to avoid a repeat of his Royal Ascot run in the Hardwicke Stakes when he lost an iron in the closing stages which cost him any chance of victory.

There are two runners from Japan this year in Masquerade Ball and Wurttemberg.

Masquerade Ball was narrowly beaten in the Japan Cup by Calandagan and had previously won the Tenno Sho, Japan’s premier all-aged 10-furlong contest. More recently he was beaten a length by Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong.

Wurttemberg has been doing his recent racing over trips of two miles or even further.

Aidan O’Brien has a strong hand as he looks to end a 10-year drought in the race since Highland Reel was successful in 2016.

He runs this year’s Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini, last year’s Derby hero Lambourn, Dante runner-up Action and the filly Minnie Hauk, a multiple Group One winner last season.

The field is completed by the sole runner trained in the UK, Andrew Balding’s mare Kalpana.

She is far from an also-ran, though, and having won twice at Ascot on Champions Day and given Calandagan most to do in this race last year, her track form stands up to the closest scrutiny.