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The 2025 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Despite the result in the Coronation Cup, I think Calandagan has the better overall form.

I also think Ascot suits him.

But if I was going to lump on a horse at the price he is, I'd want someone else riding him tbh.

I reckon Kalpana is an obviously talented filly, but I think, unless the others run below form, she needs a career best to win this and I just wonder whether the ground will be quite quick enough to benefit Rebels Romance and inconvenience one or two of his rivals.

If Jan Brueghel is a boat, he's a luxury ocean liner - he's only ever got beat the once, they could theoretically have run The Derby winner getting the weight-for-age, The Derby favourite or last year's Arc third, but they're relying on him.

You can never rule that mob out - they win Derbys with horses that look like next stop needs to be intensive care after the Guineas, they don't operate by conventional historical rules.

A St Leger winner might not fit the profile many generally look for in a race of this nature, but if he starts second in tomorrow and confirms the Epsom form under the best jockey in the world against a jockey who wouldn't be in many people's top twenty on a horse with an indifferent overall win record, many will he asking why did they bet like they did?
 
It's affectively a four runner race and will be a very good watch no doubt, but a total non bet race, at this stage anyway, if ever there was one, surely? Each to their own I guess.

Calandagan to beat Rebels Romance in the forecast would be my idea of making it pay if I had to have a bet.

Should be a fine race for sure.

If I had a spare 50K in a brown envelope at the track tomorrow I'd love the buzz of lumping on one of them though. 😂
 
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Calandagan is ticking down to the price point where it’s time to put on the white lab coat of ponceology — and come out the other side with a 9/4 Jan Brueghel ticket.
 
I suppose with three of the main four holding official ratings of 123 and more, and Kalpana’s allowance would effectively make her 120, you could argue it is a proper G1 but without anything of superstar quality and I always want to see a 130+ horse in this kind of race. I can’t see it being anything but fast run, though, since Coolmore will probably be wary of Calandagan’s superior speed and will probably try and draw the finish out of him. I reckon Calandagan gave Jan Brueghel far too much rope at Epsom and won’t do so this time but Barzalona strikes me as arrogant and might just let his ego get the better of him. I would much prefer to see Rebel’s Romance win but I’m not sure he has a 126 performance in him. I’ll probably sit the race out as far as a bet is concerned but if I do end up backing anything it will probably be Calandagan.
 
I've been waiting all week for Maurice to pour sub-OR 130 cold water all over this intriguing contest and ultimately he didn't disappoint me! 😂

We are mostly - me included - creatures of habit here - love it!

If there was an established OR 130 plus horse in the field it would be 1/3 and maybe even shorter as some of today's runners might have been diverted elsewhere.

It's the year, so far, of competitive OR 120-125 middle distance Group 1s, and I'm loving it.

In 1984 Lester Piggott on Teenoso, a testing ground previous year Derby winner thought to be a bit of a plodder, went so fast down to Swinley Bottom His Honour, Sun Princess's pacemaker, could hardly lie up with him.

Piggott broke the race and Teenoso was last man standing (well, last horse still capable of forward motion) at the death.

Fascinating to see what Ryan Moore does today.
 
Ian_Davies said:
I've been waiting all week for Maurice to pour sub-OR 130 cold water all over this intriguing contest and ultimately he didn't disappoint me! 😂

We are mostly - me included - creatures of habit here - love it!

If there was an established OR 130 plus horse in the field it would be 1/3 and maybe even shorter as some of today's runners might have been diverted elsewhere.
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House!!

Of course there isn't a 130+ in it today but that doesn't mean it won't be very watchable, just mildly tainted for me. It isn't the runners' fault that top class races these days are populated by ordinary types but it means I won't be sipping my cuppa post-race and wishing it was a post-coital 140 ciggie...
 
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Round Course: 6.8.

It is actually 0.4 higher than when Rebels Romance won the Hardwicke, it's obviously getting quicker and 6/1 in a place about the old boy looks fair to me.

Kalpana, conversely, I am not so keen on given the drying ground.

I'm not entirely sure about Jan Brueghel on this surface either - it might be that he's simply better than Rebels Romance anyway, but I think it will be the quickest ground Jan Brueghel's encountered.

It was 7.3 when Calandagan won the King Edward VII Stakes - no worries for him there.

But the bloke on top is an erratic potential liability on any surface and Calandagan now looks very short to me, especially as he's only actually won one of his last five races.
 
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Continuous will have to get out of the stalls like a 6f horse or I think we'll see Ryan Moore making the running.
 
Slim said:
I think that's the clear value. Calandagan is now being priced as if he wouldn’t finish second to a bicycle. Ascot will help—but enough to justify 5/4? No.
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Reckon he's a speed horse,but that shouldn't be enough, today.
 
This is the way to do it, Ryan - make it attritional:

Piggott absolutely ripped the guts out of faster horses, who were consequently legless, and out on their feet, in behind, at the death.
 
Yes, I can see the pace being strong in order to expose any deficiencies in Calandagan's stamina.

I can't help thinking the Coronation Cup form flatters JB given how the race panned out. I'm not convinced he's worth his OR126. If Calandagan's stamina is iffy then it brings Rebel's Romance into it all the more and I still have a very healthy respect for Kalpana.

If I don't have a bet in the race it means it won't cost me anything if any of my hunches prove to be misplaced.

It's fair to say the word 'intriguing' can appropriately be applied to this race. I just hope it doesn't disappoint.

(I might sneak a quid ew on Continuous just in case the entire race goes mammaries up...)
 

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