Andy Newton

King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting odds headed by Calandagan

by
Andy Newton
20 July 2026

Check out the latest King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting odds as last year’s winner Calandagan heads the betting.

While Aidan O’Brien has four remaining entries, that include his recent Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini, in what is all set up to be a crackerjack of a race on Saturday 25th July.

King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes Betting Odds 2026

Calandagan (Francis Graffard) – 7/4
Benvenuto Cellini (Aidan O’Brien) – 11/4
Masquerade Ball (Takahisa Tezuka) – 4/1
Minnie Hauk (Aidan O’Brien) – 8/1
Goliath (Francis Graffard) – 8/1
Kalpana (Andrew Balding) – 10/1
Bay City Roller (George Scott) – 33/1
Wurttemberg (Hiroshi Miyamoto) – 50/1
Lambourn (Aidan O’Brien) – 100/1
Action (Aidan O’Brien) – 150/1

Note: King George betting odds are subject to change and others are on request

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Calandagan Tops King George Runners As He Looks To Defend Ascot Crown

All eyes are on Ascot this weekend as the 2026 renewal of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes promises to be an absolute blockbuster.

Heading the market with plenty of expectation on his shoulders is the brilliant French raider, Calandagan.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s five-year-old superstar absolutely lit up the turf here last year to claim the 2025 title, and he returns to Berkshire in peak form.

After flopping in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June on soft ground.

He recently bounced back with an authoritative victory in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, he has firmly cemented his status as the horse they all have to beat.

ALSO READ: Record £2.5M prize money locked in for 2027 King George as Ascot posts strong 2025 financial growth

**Calandagan Hoping To Be Only The Second ‘Back-to-Back’ King George Winner Since 1999**

But Calandagan isn’t just running for a massive prize pot – with £1.134m to the winner – he is chasing a slice of racing history.

If he can pull off the double on Saturday, he will become only the second horse since 1999 to successfully defend the King George crown.

Winning Europe’s premier midsummer weight-for-age showpiece once is hard enough, but stringing consecutive victories together has proven to be an incredibly rare feat in the modern era.

The only horse to manage it since the turn of the millennium is the legendary wonder-mare Enable, who dominated the race with an unprecedented three victories between 2017 and 2020, including her unforgettable ‘back-to-back’ triumphs in 2019 and 2020.

For Calandagan to join Enable in that exclusive club would elevate him from a great champion to a true icon of the Ascot turf, setting the stage for a truly historic clash of the generations.

While French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard is looking to win the race for a third year on the bounce – having also won the pot in 2024 with Goliath.

King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Race Information 2026

📅 Date: Saturday 25th June 2026
⌚ Time: 3:35pm
🏇 Racecourse: Ascot
🔄 Trip: 1m4f
💷 Winner: £1,134,200
📺 TV: ITV Racing / Sky Sports

Aidan O’Brien Has Four King George Runners 2026

Aidan O'Brien has three big St Leger chances

Aidan O’Brien boasts a rich history in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, having captured the midsummer showpiece four times with legendary champions Galileo (2001), Dylan Thomas (2007), Duke of Marmalade (2008), and Highland Reel (2016).

Seeking his fifth victory, the master of Ballydoyle has assembled a diverse four-pronged squad for the 2026 renewal.

The charge is spearheaded by Irish Derby hero Benvenuto Cellini, an incredibly talented colt looking for a clean break after his dramatic starting-stall mishap in the Epsom Derby.

But has since bounced back to win in the Irish Derby (watch below).

He is flanked by the high-class filly Minnie Hauk, who comes in fresh off an excellent second-place finish in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting.

Rounding out the O’Brien arsenal are dual Derby winner Lambourn, looking to recapture the sparkling form of his seasonal debut, and the unexposed Action, who steps dramatically up in class as the ultimate wildcard of the field.

Added King George Spice With To Japanese Runners

Japan mounts a dual-pronged assault on this year’s King George, desperate to finally conquer Ascot 20 years after Heart’s Cry finish third in the very same race.

Leading the eastern charge is the high-class four-year-old Masquerade Ball for trainer Takahisa Tezuka.

A winner of the prestigious Tenno Sho (Autumn) last year, the Duramente colt has proven he belongs at the absolute pinnacle of global racing, running market leader Calandagan to a head in a thrilling Japan Cup photo-finish before chasing home international superstar Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong.

While Masquerade Ball spearheads the market challenge, his traveling companion Wurttemberg-trained by Hiroshi Miyamoto-adds a fascinating layer of stamina to the field.

The six-year-old son of Kitasan Black arrives in Newmarket on the back of a career-best performance, where he missed out by a mere nose in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over two miles.

With the marquee booking of five-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle, Wurttemberg looks set to relish Ascot’s fast summer ground, giving Japan two distinct, world-class tactical angles in their bid for a historic British breakthrough.