Graham Cunningham sets the scene ahead of Saturday's King George, with a deft nostalgic twist and a strong view on a horse he reckons will finish in the money on Saturday.
The thing about the old days: they the old days.
Nostalgia seems to dominate the racing content landscape nowadays, but racing folk clearly love a bit of jumpers for goalposts and it’s hard not to join in as the 50th anniversary of the last great heatwave King George approaches.
Fellow fossils who were around in 1976 won’t need reminding of the superstars who lit up that sizzling sporting British summer. Twenty-year-old Swedish sensation Bjorn Borg beat the brooding Romanian Ilie Nastase to win the first of his five Wimbledon titles.
Centre Court darling Chrissie Evert shaded a thrilling three setter with Evonne Goolagong Cawley to win the second of her three ladies’ singles titles.
And a rangy, blonde Californian called Johnny Miller recorded one of the great Open performances, equalling the course record of 66 in the final round and powering six clear of Jack and Seve as wildfires broke out close to the toasted brown fairways of Birkdale.
It’s hard to believe that trio collected a mere £12,500, £10,000 and £7,500 respectively – or a little under £240,000 in today's money - for their heroics in the summer of ’76.
Fluid beauty in the eye of the beholder
Their 2026 counterparts (Sinner, Noskova and the fantastic Mr Fox) trousered the better part of £10m, but some things never change and a bold young reporter on King George duty all those years ago is the same bloke who will be darting around seeking the inside scoop again this weekend.
Brough Scott waxed lyrical after star French filly Pawneese and Yves Saint-Martin made every yard to beat Bruni, Orange Bay and wayward northern raider Dakota in a thrilling international showdown.
The world’s youngest octogenarian had breakfasted with the winner’s trainer Angel Penna – of course he had – and reflected on his “huge, beaming Argentinian laugh” before turning his attentions to “the fluid beauty of Celou Bonnet, Pawneese’s lass."
It was a different time in Fleet Street, a time when practically all the Sunday rags had full-time racing correspondents, and Ascot's summer showpiece will have to deliver something special to move the newspaper needle this weekend.
But the Broughster and the rest of us can look forward to a potential blockbuster featuring various forms of fluid equine beauty from four different countries.
And it will take around two and a half minutes on the sun-kissed Ascot turf this Saturday for a series of compelling questions to be answered.
WATCH: Calandagan wins the 2025 King George from Kalpana and Rebel's Romance
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Can Calandagan join the Multiple KG Club?
The case for backing Calandagan to become the fourth member of the Multiple King George Winner Club (the others are Dahlia, Swain and three-time winner Enable) is simple given that he beat Kalpana decisively on this day last year and has captured four more major G1s since.
The first saw him overrule the Ombudsman with authority back at Ascot in the Champion Stakes, while the second saw him honoured as the world’s best turf horse of 2025 after shading a sustained duel with Masquerade Ball in the Japan Cup.
But the third and fourth, sandwiched either side of a forgivable flop in that Coronation Cup quagmire, leave a shaft of light for Saturday’s opponents.
It would be unwise to draw firm conclusions from what Calandagan achieved in running down West Wind Blows and Cualificar (rated ‘just’ 107 and 115) in the Sheema Classic and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
But it isn't unfair to wonder whether a repeat of the tactics employed in those two races could be risky.
An ability to sustain top speed for much longer than most has long been Calandagan’s calling card and Barzalona’s faith in him, manifested by exaggerated waiting tactics at Meydan and Saint-Cloud, sems unshakeable nowadays.
Logic suggests the unflappable Frenchman won’t be loitering in rear for so long on Saturday – but the calibre of opposition will make this year’s KG much more open and intriguing if he does.
Benvenuto a welcome presence?
Most certainly, not least because he ensures the G1 classic crop is represented, though whether punters are right to make him second favourite behind a proven global ace like Calandagan in the market remains to be seen.
I watched from the Chester lawn as Benvenuto Cellini powered clear of his Vase rivals and suspected we had seen a real good one.
His controversial Derby flop was a case of least said, soonest mended, and his pushed-out defeat of Epsom winner Christmas Day at the Curragh was a case of redemption, while leaving the jury out as to whether he’s a major star in waiting.
The fact that Aidan has had a cool spell since Constitution River’s Coral-Eclipse doesn’t bother me too much, nor does the fact that you have to go back to Galileo in 2001 to find the last Ballydoyle three-year-old to win the King George.
But Benvenuto Cellini will be joint fifth best on international ratings if all the main market players line up at Ascot. He’s clearly open to more improvement than the older horses, but he was 11/4 before the final declarations and the revised 5/1 looks more realistic from where I’m standing.
Can the King George Ball bounce Japan’s way?
The year is 2006.
A star four-year-old makes the long journey to Ascot with Christophe Lemaire aboard after being beaten in a photo finish for the Japan Cup eight months earlier.
Dreams of a first Japanese King George winner are thwarted as Heart’s Cry settles for a close third behind Hurricane Run and Electrocutionist and, twenty years on, Lemaire is back for another crack on the exciting Masquerade Ball.
This colt pushed Calandagan to the limit at Tokyo last November, coming from a similar position and only cracking in the last stride, and he bustled up another world-class globetrotter when second to the ageless Romantic Warrior on his home deck back over 2000m in the QEII Cup in April.
It’s hard to know what Christophe’s Sha Tin strategy was, but they haven’t invented a horse who can give Danny Shum’s star a significant start in a slowly-run race and quicken past when he kicks off the dawdling gallop to break 22s for the final 400m.
Suffice to say Masquerade Ball zipped home in 21.67s without ever laying a glove on the Warrior - giving the strong impression he’s every bit as good as he looked in the Japan Cup - and he looks a danger to all back at his optimum trip provided Christophe doesn’t get lost in the early shuffle again.
Minnie, Goliath or Kalpana for the 8/1 brigade?
Triple Oaks winner Minnie Hauk put a plain Tatts Gold Cup run behind her when emerging as best of the rest as Ombudsman bounded clear of his Prince of Wales’s rivals at Royal Ascot and the return to a mile and a half ought to suit.
And the much-travelled Goliath – who relished the fierce pace when running clean away from subsequent Arc heroine Bluestocking and Rebel’s Romance in this race two years ago – showed he’s still a force at elite level when placed in an exceptional renewal of the G2 Hardwicke Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance last month.
But Kalpana looks a little over the odds as she bids to go one better than last year.
Andrew Balding’s mare wasn’t good enough to hold a rampant Calandagan 12 months ago and couldn’t hit the frame in the Arc, but she bounced back with an impressive defeat of subsequent G1 winner Estrange back at Ascot on Champions Day and her two runs this season suggest she’s at least as good as ever.
Kalpana travelled powerfully just behind the pace in a Hardwicke that featured six G1 winners – trading at 1.54 as she hit the front over a furlong out – and she battled on willingly to go down by a short head to Giavellotto, with Goliath back in third.
Goliath fans will lean on the fact that he was hindered by Soumillon losing his stirrups close home and, for all that Giavellotto is a smashing older horse, he’s still 7lb shy of the very best around.
But Kalpana is an uncomplicated, high-class filly with a fine Ascot record and a 3lb sex allowance. I suspect she’s capable of recording a career best effort as the third heatwave of 2026 starts to abate and a decent place bet looks a solid option, along with a smaller win punt, just in case the big boys dip below their very best.
Murphy hall pass bodes well for Grizedale
Saturday’s supporting card at Ascot looks strong and, having spent the thick end of 1500 words on the King George, it’s probably best to keep things brief.
Splitting a clutch of fillies who ran well at Royal Ascot in the Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes (1.45) is tricky, but the Longines Valiant Stakes (2.20) makes more appeal and Kon Tiki – who has run two solid race behind subsequent G1 winner Blue Bolt this season – looks a value alternative to the jolly with Ryan Moore aboard for the first time.
And then we come to four fiery handicaps, starting with a Moet & Chandon Handicap (2.55) that has attracted two progressive youngsters who could be nicely ahead of the game off 101 and 90 respectively.
I wouldn’t worry about the fact that no three-year-old has won this since 2003 – few try and Star Of Orion went close in 2021 – and impressive handicap wins at York and here speak well for the prospects of Extremely Zain and Amazing Journey.
But some bang-in-form older rivals lie in wait here.
Completely Random ran a belter for second in the Wokingham and it’s fascinating to see that straight course maestro Jamie Spencer gets a first chance to shine on the frustrating Akkadian Thunder, while Mezcala is still on the up after eight runs and looks weighted to go close again having been raised just 4lb for rewarding sustained support here in the Buckingham Palace Handicap.
And then we come to an intriguing jockey angle for the Betfred Handicap at 4.45.
Andrew Balding runs the useful Spanish Voice here, but it looks like Oisin Murphy has secured a hall pass to reunite with Grizedale.
This lad has been progressing well for the Kublers, following a game Kempton win with a commanding Newbury success, and the fact that Murphy reunites with him for the first time this year is well worth noting as he bids to defy a 9lb hike.
More on the King George
- Simon Holt looks ahead to enthralling clash
- David Cleary with the Timeform view
- Podcast: King George preview
- Matt Brocklebank: King George horse-by-horse guide
- Alex Hammond: Calandagan can win again
- Calandagan 'spot on' for title defence'
- Masquerade Ball faces his 'greatest test'
- Balding targets top-three finish with Kalpana
- David Ord: Ascot huge day for Cellini
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