Saturday's King George Stakes: All Eyes on Jan Brueghel and Calandagan Only five runners have been declared for Saturday’s feature Group 1 contest, which has long since been considered one of the key races of the European Flat season since its inception. The 1m4f event, which was initially made up of two separate races prior to its amalgamation in 1951, has a long and illustrious roll of honour and regularly sees the best of the British, Irish and European-trained middle-distance performers lock horns. This year is no exception, but rather unusually, the three-year-old Classic generation isn’t represented. Tips Selection: Jan Brueghel Next Best: Calandagan Jan Brueghel can prevail Barring an eight-length demolition job on his debut at The Curragh in May 2024, JAN BRUEGHEL isn’t flashy, but there are few tougher horses in-training and the application of first-time cheekpieces could just eke out the small amount of improvement that he needs to see him confirm his Coronation Cup superiority over French raider Calandagan. The four-year-old has won five of his six career starts, his only defeat coming on his seasonal reappearance in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes at The Curragh in April, when he undone by the combination a lack of race fitness and his 5lb Group 1 penalty. Last year’s St Leger winner was better than ever when winning at Epsom at the start of last month, bettering his Doncaster effort by 6lb when running to a Racing Post Rating of 126 and appearing to outbattle Calandagan. Stamina is no concern for him on this stiff track and he’s effective on all types of ground, so he’s extremely hard to pick holes in. His sire, Galileo, was the first of Aidan O’Brien’s four winners in this race he can follow in his hoofprints, ending a run of defeats for his trainer in this great race since Highland Reel in 2016. Confident Calandagan The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained CALANDAGAN hasn’t always convinced with his attitude at the highest level and there were some rude things said about him following last month’s Coronation Cup second to Jan Brueghel, his fourth second-place finish in Group 1 company in succession. He went some way to righting those wrongs when winning the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud afterwards, the gelded son of Gleaneagles booting clear in the final half-furlong to score decisively, which ought to have boosted his confidence. However, he was tackling lesser rivals on that occasion and didn’t need to battle, something which is unlikely to be the case on Saturday. He’s only got a pound to find on official figures, but he’s finished second as many times as he’s won and could come up just short again. One for the romantics? The globetrotting REBEL’S ROMANCE deserves plenty of respect, but he’s yet to win a domestic Group 1 and could finish only third last year behind Calandagan’s stablemate, Goliath. Third in the list of all-time British money winners, he comes here off the back of an authoritative success in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over course and distance and only has 3lb to find with the top-rated Jan Brueghel. He’s almost certain to run his race again, but he’s now seven and is likely vulnerable to younger rivals.
