Kalpana gets her revenge on Calandagan in the King George

Reaction from Francis Graffard and Aidan O'Brien to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot

Horse Racing

Sat July 25, 2026 · 2d ago

Reaction from Francis Graffard and Aidan O'Brien following the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Francis Graffard had to settle for second with Calandagan as Kalpana reversed the 2025 placings in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Calandagan started his season in Dubai in March before turning up at Epsom in June where the testing conditions provide his undoing.

Last year's Japan Cup winner bounced back in France at the start of the month but his trainer felt that may have left a mark, saying: “We had less time between Saint-Cloud and today, which doesn’t help, especially with the heat we have in France.

"He has been beaten by a very good filly. She looked fantastic in the paddock before. She always runs well. I have nothing to blame the horse for as he tried and was a good second.

“You just feel sorry for him to be beaten as he tries. He found himself a bit far back as well, but he got beaten by a good filly.

“I needed to see after Epsom if he was right mentally, and physically. It was really hard to come here after that, but maybe that is what I did wrong. He doesn’t look like a flat horse to me as he raced well and increased his pace up the straight.

“I watched it again and he quickened strongly and he kept trying, but that is racing.

“I thought he was trying, but he was not making up ground on her.

“I need to sit down with the entourage. To go back to the Japan Cup would be a dream for him at the backend, but I have to be careful of the ground in the autumn.

"Maybe we could look at York, but he had a hard race today and I need to see how he comes back.”

🏆@ctkjockey @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/gp8gjZtYnV
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 25, 2026

America beckons for Benvenuto

Aidan O’Brien gave the debrief on three of his runners, saying: “I was very happy with Benvenuto Cellini. He ran a great race. It was his first time against the older horses, and we learnt a lot about him.

“We learnt that he gets the mile and a half well, and you couldn’t be sure of that until he did it against the older horses. Even going to the line he didn’t looked finished.

“He was drawn out wide. That is where he was [position through the race] as that is where he was drawn. It depends on what position you are going to get when they leave the gates. They all left the gates well on his inside so he had to settle with that position.

“I think we could look at the Breeders’ Cup, or something like that with him.

“Lambourn is a good horse. He is a solid horse and a dual Derby winner.

"Minnie Hauk, going forward with the pace like that over a mile and a half might not have been for her.

“Maybe we needed to take a little bit more time with her going a mile and a half against the older horses. She is pacey and she has mile and a quarter pace.”