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Key events
2.20 ASCOT, VALIANT STAKES, GROUP THREE, 7F 213YD
There’s no doubt about the class act here – Touleen finished sixth in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, and then a one-and-a-half length second in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot after running into traffic problems in the straight.
William Buick replaces Saffie Osborne in the saddle today and she is definitely the one to beat, although this is her first start in an all-aged contests and there is not a huge amount of pace in the race. That’s a slight concern given her hold-up running style, but she still has a few pounds to spare on the ratings and also has more scope for progress than most of her opponents.
The obvious danger is Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Kon Tiki, fourth home in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Timeform top-rated: Touleen.
SELECTION: TOULEEN.
KING GEORGE CONTENDER: KALPANA
Age: 5. Career: 16 races, 7 wins. Group One wins: 2. Trainer: Andrew Balding. Timeform rating: 123
Andrew Balding’s five-year-old has been a regular on open Group One company for a couple of seasons now, although her two wins at the highest level have both come in the Group One Fillies & Mares’ event on Champions Day here in October.
Her best run, though, was arguably in the King George last year, when she was just a length behind Calandagan.
That form puts here bang there today and Balding’s stable remains in rude form, having had a winner on the card already with Moonrise.
2.00 YORK RESULT: GAMBLE LANDED BY STRATUSNINE
1. STRATUSNINE 100-30 fav, 2. Coul Angel, 3. Air Force One, 4. Veblen Good. 21 ran.
Off and running in the 2.00 at York …
Stratusnine away fast in the centre, plenty of pace far side too, Evening Blues well there on the far rail,
Two out, Red Spells Danger making ground, Eternal Sunshine finishing well …
Still Stratusnine leads, drifting left but hanging on to win as the 100-30 favourite …
At the post – indeed, starting to go in – for the Dash handicap at York, and Stratusnine has emerged as the favourite at 7-2, ahead of Red Spells Danger at 4-1.
Ballydoyle blues – is O’Brien’s current form a worry?
Having looked at the form for Aidan O’Brien’s main King George contenders, here’s something that punters might like to bear in mind that landed from the venerable Timeform organisation earlier this week.
The sages of Halifax pointed out that O’Brien’s “run-to-form” percentage in July – which ranks a horse’s performance compared to its pre-race rating – is at its lowest point since the metric was introduced in 2012. The 2026 Flat season as a whole is also O’Brien’s worst – so far – since 2012.
“With Aidan O’Brien’s ‘Run to Form’ percentage for the season currently at 54, it’s the lowest by at least five percent since we started publishing the figures,” Kieran Clark, Timeform’s senior analyst, said earlier this week.
“This is obviously a concern with major targets on the horizon for some of his stable stars in the next week and it’ll be interesting to see how those to have already run this month fare next time, particularly if the form of the yard has improved by then.”
2.00 YORK, SKY BET DASH HANDICAP, 6F
A field of 21 sprinters stretched across the track in the absence of Fivethousandtoone, but the edge for low-numbered stalls is, if anything, even stronger over six furlongs than it is over five and the single-digit boxes are generally the place to be.
Pace is a big asset too, and with Evening Blues, Pocklington and Eternal Sunshine drawn in one, two and three respectively, the far side could well have the advantage throughout. Red Spells Danger, from 11, is close enough to the likely pace to make an impact, and a similar comment applies to Stratusnine, from nine, but I’m going to side with Evening Blues, who was much-improved for a big drop from nine furlongs to six in a similar contest here four weeks ago, and showed enough speed to get some useful sprinters out of their comfort zone before being headed well inside the final furlong.
Timeform top-rated: Air Force One.
SELECTION: EVENING BLUES.
KING GEORGE CONTENDER: MINNIE HAUK
Age: 4. Career: 11 races, 6 wins. Group One wins: 3. Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Timeform rating: 127
The second-string in Aidan O’Brien’s challenge for this year’s race according to the jockey bookings, but Wayne Lordan has already enjoyed plenty of Group One success since replacing Seamie Heffernan as the go-to No.2 at Ballydoyle and Minnie Hauk is another big contender to add to his haul.
She reeled off three consecutive Group One wins last summer including the Oaks and Irish Oaks, before rounding off her three-year-old season with a close second behind Daryz in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
She has been beaten in Group Ones on her last two starts but her second behind Ombudsman over 10 furlongs at the Royal meeting was a big step forward after she was only fifth of seven at odds-on for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May. If back to her Arc-second best, she will be a danger to all.
1.45 ASCOT RESULT: MOONRISE SHINES IN PRINCESS MARGARET
1. MOONRISE 11-2, 2. Dee’s Funny Girl, 3. Velozee. 11 ran.
More money for Dark Issue, she’s in to 5-2 … and they’re off and running in the Princess Margaret Stakes …
They split into two groups, Glorious Game leads near side, Moonrise prominent towards the middle of the track …
A furlong out, Moonrise leads, here come the challengers, Dee’s Funny Girl finishing fast from the rear … but Moonrise holds on for the win at 11-2, Dark Issue was a disappointment.
On the way to post for the Princess Margaret, Richard Hannon’s Dark Issue has emerged as a clear favourite at around 100-30, with Moonrise and Alta Regina next in at 5-1.
KING GEORGE CONTENDER: BENVENUTO CELLINI
Age: 3. Career: 7 races, 4 wins. Group One wins: 1. Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Timeform rating: 124p
The Irish Derby winner is the standard-bearer for the Classic generation in this year’s King George, having followed up his run-that-wasn’t in the Derby at Epsom – when he trailed home in mid-division but was deemed a non-runner after getting his leg briefly caught on the stalls – with a decisive success at the Curragh.
Ryan Moore takes the ride, which suggests that Benvenuto Cellini is the first-string in Aidan O’Brien’s team, and the trainer is looking for a fifth win in the race, and also his first since Highland Reel in 2016.
YORK 1.30 RESULT: LATE SHOW FROM THRILLER
1. KODIAC THRILLER 17-2, 2. Sports Coach 9-2, 3. Managing Director 6-1. 17 ran.
Off and running in the 1.30 at York …
Flying start by Mon Na Slieve, also Managing Director …
Far side has the best of it, Managing Director from Mon Na Slieve …
Here come’s Mon Na Slieve, Kodiac Thriller too, Kodiac Thriller has got there, beating Sports Coach … Jamie Hamilton takes out the Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe from stall two.
They are at the post for the Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe at York, and starting to go into the stalls. Lethal Nymph is the favourite at 3-1, with Sports Coach at 9-2 and Mon Na Slieve at 11-2.
1.45 ASCOT, PRINCESS MARGARET STAKES, GROUP THREE, 2YO FILLIES, 6F
All but three of the 11 runners here were in action in one of the juvenile events at the Royal meeting last month, including the overnight favourite, Dark Issue, who was fourth home – and three lengths clear of the fifth – in the Albany Stakes over this trip.
Alta Regina has been attracting support today too, having looked more than ready for this step up to six furlongs when coming home sixth in the five-furlong Queen Mary Stakes with another of today’s runner, Velozee, in eighth.
The form of the Windsor Castle Stakes could be highly relevant too, as the race was upped from five furlongs to six this year. Moonrise, a 66-1 outsider, was a half-length second in that race, with Harlequin Sky in third, it’s here from 5m56sec.
I’ve sided with the Albany form and Dark Issue, but this is a very open renewal.
Timeform top-rated: Dark Issue.
SELECTION: DARK ISSUE.
The first race here at Ascot was won by the favourite, Never Enough, from the Ed Walker stable, and he is now a 33-1 shot (from 100-1) for the Gimcrack Stakes at York next month with Paddy Power.
And now it’s almost time to get the ITV Racing show on the road, with the …
1.30 YORK, “JUMP JOCKEYS’ NUNTHORPE” HANDICAP, 5F
An annual novelty event which gives some of the country’s top jump jockeys a chance to blitz their way down the five-furlong sprint track on the Knavesmire, and probably best left alone for betting purposes as a result.
That said, though, there are some basic rules to follow when looking for a sprint winner at York, where front-runners and low-numbered stalls have a significant edge on closers and horses drawn high. Kevin Ryan’s Mon Na Slieve is one of the speediest runners in the field and he’s got an ideal pitch near the far rail in stall one, so at 6-1, there may be little need to look much further.
Timeform top-rated: Lethal Nymph.
SELECTION: MON NA SLIEVE.
KING GEORGE CONTENDER: MASQUERADE BALL
Age: 4. Career: 9 races, 4 wins. Group One wins: 1. Trainer: Takahisa Tezuka. Timeform rating: 129
As noted in the form profile of Calandagan, the ratings suggest that it will take a new career-best to lower the favourite’s colours today and Japan’s best turf horse is, on paper at least, the likeliest contender to find the necessary improvement.
He has just one Group One win to his name so far, but that came in the Autumn Tenno Sho, one of Japan’s most prestigious events, last November.
He was then just a head behind Calandagan having set off as the favourite for the Japan Cup, when he was the only horse to give the winner a serious race.
Takahisa Tezuka’s four-year-old has had just one race since, when second to the Hong Kong-based superstar Romantic Warrior at Sha Tin over 10 furlong in April.
The step back up to a mile-and-a-half should suit Masquerade Ball, and Tezuka reported after he had exercised in Newmarket earlier this week that his runner has improved “both mentally and physically” from three to four. If so, he looks more than ready to run a huge race this afternoon in an attempt to become the first Japanese-trained King George winner.
KING GEORGE CONTENDER: CALANDAGAN
Age: 5. Career: 17 races, 10 wins. Group One wins: 6. Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard. Timeform rating: 133
There will not be much time to pause for breath once the ITV Racing programme is underway so this is a good moment to run through some of the main contenders for the big race, and last year’s King George winner is the only place to start.
He finished the 2025 campaign as the world’s top-rated racehorse, 2lb in front of five others that raced at various trips, including today’s rival, Masquerade Ball.
His subsequent win in the Japan Cup, with Masquerade Ball a head away in second, capped an extraordinary season for Francis-Henri Graffard, his trainer, who also took the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Daryz and ended the year as France’s champion trainer for the first time.
The current 13-8 favourite for today’s big race is on a run of six wins in seven starts, all at the highest level, with the only blip being his fourth-of-six on rain-softened ground in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June.
But he bounced back to winning form in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time out:
… and the bottom line is that Calandagan is richly-talented, tough and dependable, and it is likely to need a career-best from one of his rivals to stop him winning a second successive King George.
Preamble
Welcome to Ascot for one of the grand occasions of the racing year – King George day, featuring the most valuable and prestigious all-aged Group One of the British season.
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, to give it its full title, is a relative youngster on the Ascot programme, having been first staged in 1951 (all of 144 years after the first Gold Cup in 1807). But it swiftly became a fixture in the top-level racing programme, with the second and third runnings both won by that year’s Derby winner – Tulyar in 1952 and Pinza in 1953 – and many, in fact most, of the true middle-distance greats since then are on the roll of honour. Ribot, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Shergar, Dancing Brave, Mtoto … the list goes on and on, and there was, of course, also the Race of the Century when Grundy saw off Bustino after an epic tussle down the straight in 1975.
That said, however, the King George has struggled to maintain its consistent, unmissable quality since the turn of the century, and has fallen well behind its French equivalent, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, in terms of prize money and, if we’re honest about it, prestige.
It is a situation that Ascot is determined to address – or redress – and the prize money is an obvious place to start. This year’s race is worth £2m and next year it will be up to £2.5m, and the initiative has had an immediate reward in terms of the quality of this year’s field.
It is, quite simply, the best King George for at least 20 years, with seven previous Group One winners in a field of nine and the two top-rated middle-distance horses in the world last year – Calandagan, last year’s winner, and Masquerade Ball, Japan’s top turf horse – heading the market.
It is the highlight of a card that also includes the Princess Margaret Stakes for juvenile fillies at 1.45 and the ever-popular International Stakes Handicap over seven furlongs at 2.55, while the ITV cameras will also be rolling for three races at York including the Group Two York Stakes at 2.35.
Picks for the seven ITV races are here, and all the news, views, betting moves and more will be here on the blog – along with closer looks at the main King George contenders – as we head towards the feature race at 3.35. The first race here at Ascot is a maiden at 1.10, but the meat of the card is underway at 1.45 and ITV’s coverage is off and running with the Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe at 1.30.
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