ASCOT'S feature race this Saturday is the Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, where Calandagan, last year's winner, will face stiff competition to defend his crown. The five-year-old, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, is undefeated in five consecutive Group One contests, including this event last year. Calandagan kept pace with Kalpana to take the title, and since then, he has added three further Group One successes.
However, Calandagan did struggle on slow ground in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, but he bounced back with a win in the Group One Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud a month later. This time around, he faces a rematch with Japanese star Masquerade Ball, who he just edged out in the Japan Cup last November.
The competition is expected to be fierce, with Takahisa Tezuka's colt Masquerade Ball having recently finished second behind Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin. Despite the stiff competition, Calandagan's perfect conditions and Ascot form make him the favourite to win.