Andrew Balding believes Kalpana is a "sleeker and slicker model" ahead of her attempt to exact revenge on Calandagan and go one better in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
Last year the daughter of Study Of Man had to settle for second place behind the Francis Graffard-trained globetrotter, who swept by inside the final furlong of the mile-and-a-half Group One before going on to score by a length.
Having struggled early on last season to get Kalpana to peak fitness, the Classic-winning handler feels he is in a much better place with the Juddmonte-owned filly this time around ahead of her return to action in the £2million contest.
With her seasonal debut resulting in a win in the Group Three Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes at Newbury in April, only a short-head denied Kalpana victory back at Group Two level last time out in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Having shown on her most recent start that quick ground no longer holds any fears, Balding believes a repeat of her run in the race from 12 months ago would be good enough to see her finish in the frame once again.
Balding said: “I think she has been slightly easier to train this year. Last year she carried a lot of condition and we struggled getting it off her. This year she seems to be a slightly sleeker and slimmer model for whatever reason.
“I don’t think we did much wrong in the race last year. We just got run down by the best horse in Europe as it turned out. She lost nothing in defeat, she just got beat by a better horse on the day. We have been very happy with her, and she showed at Ascot last time that she can be effective on fast ground.
“If there was rain, which there doesn’t seem to be, it might inconvenience some of the others, but she has run well enough there to go here with the same level of form she had last year. If she can run a similar race to last year we hope that she would be in the first three."
Item the one for Sky Bet York Stakes
It promises to be a busy day for both Balding and the Juddmonte-team with Item bidding to bounce back from his Betfred Derby no show in the Group Two Sky Bet York Stakes.
Prior to tasting defeat at Epsom Downs, the son of Frankel had run out an impressive winner of the Group Two Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes on the Knavesmire in May.
Balding added: “The plan is to go to the Sky Bet Stakes at York with Item. He hasn’t been for an away day, but I’ve been very happy with him since Epsom Downs.
“He looked good when he won over course and distance in the Dante so hopefully he can bounce back here."
All roads look set to lead to Deauville next month for Juddmonte-owned filly Blue Bolt with Balding hinting that the Group One Prix Rothschild on August 2nd appears likely to be her next target.
After landing the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at the Royal meeting on her penultimate start, the daughter of Blue Point made her Group One debut a winning one last time out with victory in the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
Balding said: “I think the likelihood is that we will go to Deauville early next month for the Prix Rothschild. We’ve not finalised it yet, but the likelihood is she will go to Deauville although plans might change.
“She could possibly go to the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year, but we have got a lot of racing to do between now and then."
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