Improvement expected from Kalpana in Saturday's King George at Ascot

The daughter of Study Of Man was a two-length winner of the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares' Stakes over the same course and distance at Ascot last October and has so far this term been campaigned over a mile and a quarter.

The Juddmonte-owned filly gets the 3lb allowance from her male rivals in Saturday's Group 1 and while not underestimating the task at hand, Balding has full confidence in his Kingsclere representative.

Speaking on Thursday's Nick Luck Daily, the trainer said: "She did a nice piece of work yesterday and is fine this morning so we're all systems go.

"I think she's fairly effective on anything (ground-wise), she just wouldn't want rattling-firm ground which it's unlikely to be so. Obviously she excelled on soft ground last year but I think she can be effective on good ground or slightly faster.

"We're looking forward to it."

There are only five runners declared but Balding is encouraged that a true end-to-end gallop should be assured, with Aidan O'Brien's chief hope Jan Brueghel joined by pace-setter Continuous, another former winner of the St Leger.

Balding said: "Jan Brueghel stays well and it would be to his advantage as well. It'll be a fascinating race as it always should be and racing people really look forward to the King George. I remember as a child it was always the race that really stirred the imagination when you had the three-year-olds taking on the older horses. It's a fabulous race and the perfect place in the calendar to provide a real spectacle."

So how much improvement has Kalpana made since the two runs over 10 furlongs earlier this season?

"I hope and imagine a fair bit," Balding said. "Because she was obviously strong at the end of the race over a mile and a half last year in the Fillies and Mares and Kempton and likewise at Hamilton, so the extra couple of furlongs will certainly suit her."

A certain Romance

Meanwhile, Charlie Appleby is happy with Rebel's Romance as his money-spinning globetrotter aims to land his first UK Group 1.

He said: “Rebel’s Romance has come out of Royal Ascot well and we’ll go into the King George as a decent player.

“Needless to say, there are some young legs in there but a little bit like last year, he'll always run a solid race for you. You’re going to meet some younger horses who have taken different routes to get there but the one thing about him is he's not going to lie down easily and wherever he finishes, whoever beats him will know they've had a race."

However he performs in the King George, Rebel’s Romance will open up a new frontier later this year when heading to Canada and determine his path back to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup.

"Beyond Ascot, one of his targets will be the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine,” Appleby said. “Hopefully that will give him a springboard into another crack at the Breeders’ Cup."

The 7/4 early favourite, the French-trained Calandagan, earned his first top-level score for the Aga Khan Studs SCEA in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud after finishing second in four consecutive top-level races.

Trainer Francis Henri-Graffard is seeking back-to-back victories in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth after winning the 2024 edition with Goliath (GER) at 25/1. Four-year-old Calandagan was beaten a half-length by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup in June, but his trainer is confident he has him in the best possible form.

Henri-Graffard said: “(Calandagan) has been a very competitive horse internationally at the top level. He won his Group 1 very convincingly last time and he’s coming to Ascot in his best form.

"He doesn’t mind any ground. He’s very versatile and has already won on the course and distance. We won the race last year with Goliath so hopefully can do it two years in a row.”

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