The 2026 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot promises a thrilling clash among elite thoroughbreds, including Calandagan, Masquerade Ball, and former winner Goliath. Calandagan is favored after a string of Group One wins, while Goliath, having previously won at Ascot and returning to form, offers outstanding value at 10/1. With strong competition from Irish and Japanese stars, our tipster recommends backing Goliath each-way, with Calandagan and Minnie Hauk likely to fill out the placings.
Odds and betting predictions for the 2026 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
This Group One will be run at Ascot on Saturday 25th July
Goliath is our value bet at 10/1
The King George at Ascot. (Getty)
On Saturday, one of the season's biggest races takes place at Ascot, as many of the world's best racehorses clash in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. This historic Group One, which was first run back in 1951, has been won by legends like Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Dahlia, Shergar, Galileo and, the only three-time winner, Enable.
2026 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Runners
Calandagan claimed a cosy victory in this Group One 12 months ago, beating Kalpana and Rebel's Romance with a flying finish. Francis Graffard's star went on to win the Champion Stakes, the Japan Cup and the Sheema Classic, before bouncing back from a below-par run at Epsom with another Group One triumph in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud earlier this month.
The leading three-year-old in this year's King George is Benvenuto Cellini, and plenty of money arrived for Aidan O'Brien's Irish Derby at the start of the week. Ballydoyle will also be represented by 2025 Arc runner-up Minnie Hauk, following her second-place finish behind Ombudsman in the Prince of Wales's Stakes.
Japan is represented by Tenno Sho winner Masquerade Ball, who started favourite when narrowly beaten by Calandagan in the Japan Cup. Last year's runner-up Kalpana will have another showdown with the market leader, following her narrow defeat to Giavellotto in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. Francis Graffard will also be represented by Goliath, an impressive winner of this very race two years ago.
Wurttemberg will join fellow Japanese contender Masquerade Ball on the flight to Ascot. Aidan O'Brien's Action and Lambourn complete this year's King George field.
2026 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Tips
Aidan O'Brien has opted for not one, but two pacemakers in Saturday's feature race. Lambourn tried to make the running for Jan Brueghel in the Hardwicke Stakes, but ran a solo effort and faded tamely coming out of the bend. Action missed the break and couldn't get to the front in the Irish Derby. Front-running will be his instructions here, though, and Lambourn is sure to appreciate a bit of company at the head of the field.
Benvenuto Cellini has the weight of history to overcome. Despite a huge advantage at the weights, three-year-olds have a very poor recent record in the King George. I'm not convinced that this year's Derby form is particularly strong, and O'Brien comes into this weekend with a mere 9% strike rate over the past two weeks.
Personally, I'd rather back Minnie Hauk than her younger stablemate. O'Brien's filly ran a cracker in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, and stepping back up in trip is sure to suit. Masquerade Ball has to be hugely respected on fast ground, as he looks to reverse the Japan Cup form with Calandagan.
Cristophe Soumillon riding Goliath win The King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot in 2024. (Getty)
Francis Graffard's star is undoubtedly the best horse in this field. Calandagan will relish the conditions and an end-to-end gallop will suit. GOLIATH (10/1) too will enjoy the make-up of Saturday's contest, and the 2024 King George winner looks to be the best value bet in Saturday's feature.
Christophe Soumillon's mount cantered to victory in this contest two years ago. Despite going off at 25/1, Goliath motored through the contest like the best horse in the race, and left two exceptionally good rivals in Bluestocking and Rebel's Romance trailing in his wake down the home straight.
Graffard campaigned his star on the international front for most of 2025, with Goliath adding to his Group One collection in the Grosser Preis von Baden. Graffard's gelding went into the Hardwicke Stakes on the back of a routine victory at Chantilly, and had the leaders in his crosshairs when Soumillon lost his irons at the two-furlong marker.
After that mishap, Goliath was forced to settle for third. Soumillon himself wasn't sure whether he would have beaten Giavellotto, but I thought Goliath was travelling best of the lot, and he'd surely have gone very close to winning had his rider not lost his balance at a crucial stage.
Goliath was drawn out wide in stall ten at the Royal Meeting. Stall five is much more manageable, and I doubt we'll see Soumillon give the leaders as much rope on Saturday as he did in the Hardwicke Stakes.
Graffard's six-year-old comes into the King George in excellent form. He loves the track, loves the ground and stays the distance very well. Whether he can repeat his heroics from 2024, only time will tell, but at 10/1 I think he's worth an each-way punt.
