King George, Juddmonte International and Goodwood features set to light up British summer of racing

Calandagan versus Masquerade Ball

• King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot Saturday July 25

This promises to be so much more than a two-horse race, with Ascot’s long-term strategic planning and ever-increasing prizemoney looking set to make this year’s King George one of the best we’ve seen for a long time. The prospect of Benvenuto Cellini showing up here, something that appears to have gathered pace this week according to the antepost betting, is a tantalising one, but with or without the Irish Derby winner it is Calandagan’s rematch with Masquerade Ball that could steal the show.

It came as a genuine relief for many to see the brilliant gelding Calandagan back to form in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, having looked a pale shadow of himself in the Epsom downpours on Coronation Cup day, but he only had a head to spare when beating Japan’s middle-distance ace in Tokyo last November and it seems Masquerade Ball has been aimed at the King George for many months.

So much so that we’ve not seen him in action since some rapid closing splits (covered the final two furlongs in 21.67, the fastest in the race) had a few hardened hacks wondering where on earth Christophe Lemaire had been for the majority of the 10-furlong FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin.

‘How can he give Romantic Warrior a head-start and expect to reel him in?!’

It was a reasonable question to ask in the heat of the moment but another look back at that race from the outset shows that James McDonald edged left on breaking from stall 5 on the local favourite, squeezing his chief rival – in the neighbouring gate – for room slightly as June Take, one further out in stall 7, formed the other half of the Masquerade Ball sandwich.

Lemaire had little choice but to sit and suffer from that point but, having been last turning in, his mount responded willingly once out in the clear to end up a never-nearer second.

Stepping back up to a mile and a half is going to suit this four-year-old colt down to the ground and his bid to become Japan’s first King George winner – as just the fifth one to try – is one of the most anticipated challenges of the summer in my book.

Ombudsman versus Constitution River

• Juddmonte International Stakes, York Wednesday August 19

Since the turn of the century, seven horses have completed the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International double in the same season, four of which were three-year-olds.

It’s a pretty stellar cast too as you might expect with Giant’s Causeway, Sea The Stars, Roaring Lion and City Of Troy the colts in question, and that’s the test facing Constitution River this August after ‘clash of the generations’ leg one went swimmingly for Aidan O’Brien’s horse at Sandown Park on July 4 (replay below).

Was it the greatest Eclipse ever run? It was not. And yet, there were various superlatives being muttered by Ryan Moore and O’Brien in the immediate aftermath of the race and, looking further back, there was definitely a sense of seeing something special after Constitution River somehow defied stall 15 to win the Prix Du Jockey Club at Chantilly in May.

In the blue corner, representing the older brigade and looking to follow in the hoofprints of the likes of Ulysses, Ghaiyyath and Falbrav, we have a certain Ombudsman. As the name would suggest, he looks the ideal candidate to resolve any disputes over who holds the upper hand across the respective age groups at 10 furlongs this season.

The Gosden runner was ultimately a stunning winner at York last year and although floored by Calandagan in October’s British Champion Stakes, he’s been imperious so far this term too, winning the Dubai Turf, Brigadier Gerard and Prince of Wales’s Stakes last month.

That four-length defeat of Minnie Hauk at Royal Ascot was something of a crowning moment for the son of Night Of Thunder and he’s deliberately been given July off with a view to retaining his Juddmonte title next month.

Will he successfully concede 7lb to the young buck from Ballydoyle? The head says he can but throw in the ongoing needle between John Gosden and O’Brien and it should make for fascinating viewing either way.

Diamond Necklace versus Estrange & Friendly Soul

• Qatar Nassau Stakes, Goodwood Thursday July 30

Nestled between King George day at Ascot and York’s Ebor Festival, we have the considerable matter of the Qatar Goodwood Festival and there are two big clashes that should be on everyone’s watchlist, not least another generational fight – this time on the female side of things – in the Nassau Stakes.

There have been 17 three-year-old winners since this race’s promotion to Group 1 status in 1999, including the two most recent courtesy of Opera Singer and Whirl, with O’Brien yet again bringing an improving filly to the table.

Sporting the same Michael Tabor silks as those victors from 2024 and 2025, see next cab off the rank Diamond Necklace, the daughter of St Mark’s Basilica who was earlier this year likened to her sire (by O’Brien) in terms of ability and natural progression.

There was a brief moment in last month’s Prix de Diane when that progress appeared to have stalled but she knuckled down well on ground possibly a shader quicker than she’d like to win her second French Classic, having looked a class apart on seasonal debut in the Pouliches back in May.

She’s now proven at the 10-furlong trip and has already achieved more than many fillies from her generation to have won Goodwood’s marquee contest for fillies and mare.

It won’t be straightforward for Diamond Necklace, however, with a couple of older rivals looking particularly dangerous.

David O’Meara’s Estrange is set to be campaigned ambitiously now off the mark at G1 level following her tremendous success in the Paddy Power Pretty Polly at the Curragh and the Gosdens look to have a legitimate contender here too in Friendly Soul, the big eyecatcher in third behind subsequent Falmouth winner Blue Bolt in the Duke of Cambridge last month.

The 2024 Prix de l’Opera winner appears to be back on track after a layoff and unfortunate episode on her belated comeback at Haydock, and we all know how astute the Clarehaven team can be when it comes to preparing mares for major targets deep into the campaign.

Bow Echo versus Gstaad

• Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes, Goodwood Wednesday July 29

Once bitten, twice shy. Not so in regards to Aidan O’Brien and his principal miling colt, Gstaad.

The son of Starspangledbanner has been beaten by Bow Echo twice already this year but he narrowed the 2000 Guineas gap of two and three-quarter lengths down to a short head in last month’s St James’s Palace, via a clearcut win in the Irish Guineas, so who can blame them for having a third pop at George Boughey’s stable star?

Bow Echo has been brilliant this year. He flashed brilliant potential last year, in fairness, so maybe he is just brilliant.

Boughey seemed to emerge from the Royal meeting with unwavering confidence that the contours of Goodwood, and the speedy nature of the track on the Downs, would suit his horse even more than Newmarket or Ascot and I’ve long since given up on questioning the 34-year-old dual Classic winner.

Billy Loughnane and his mount have fast become the poster-boys of the 2026 British Flat season, the young rider now odds-on to claim a first jockeys’ title over reigning champion Oisin Murphy, and the Sussex Stakes – also likely to feature the quality four-year-old Opera Ballo – provides another major chance for them to get people talking about racing again, for all the right reasons.

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