Calandigan wins King George, Glorious Goodwood to have more top racing
July 28 (UPI) -- Royal Ascot rules racing springtime in England, but midsummer packs in some of the best of the year's action as the 3-year-olds start to test their elders and spots for big-ticket year-end races are on the block.
The weekend's King George meeting at Ascot and this week's Glorious Goodwood are on the leading edge of that excitement. Here's a rundown, a look forward and a sideways glance at Germany and South Africa.
England
Calandagan chased down Kalpana in the final yards to land Saturday's Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot by 1 length with two-time Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance rallying to finish third after traffic issues.
Coolmore's pair, Jan Brueghel and Continuous, led the way for most of the King George's 1 1/4 miles, but wilted when Kapana surged to the front midway down the straight. They finished next-last and last in the five-horse field.
Kalpana, a 4-year-old Study of Man filly, with Oisin Murphy up, looked to have stolen a march on the field, but Mickael Barzalona had Calandagan wound up from the back of the pack and the Aga Khan Stud's homebred 4-year-old Gleneagles gelding got the job done.
The tactics were a bit of a puzzler, as most thought Continuous was in the race to make a pace for Jan Brueghel, who had defeated Calandagan by 1/2 length in the Group 1 Coronation Cup using those tactics. Barzalona said he was surprised, too, to see jockey Ryan Moore put Jan Brueghel on the lead.
"I didn't expect that one," Barzalona said. "But once I saw Continuous beside him and Rebel's Romance boxed in, I was happy where I was because I knew either William [Buick on Rebel's Romance] was going to make a gap or Oisin was going to have to go round.
"I was just waiting to see what happened, and when I saw Oisin making the move, I just followed."
The race was a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trainer Francis Graffard wasn't talking California in his post-race comments.
"He's in the Juddmonte International, so why not go there?" he added, referring to the Group 1 at York on Aug. 20. "I wouldn't mind coming back and then maybe going to Japan at the end of the season. But I have to discuss it with the Aga Khan team and Princess Zahra."
Kalpana, despite the defeat, was lowered into the favorite's role by many bookmakers for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, perhaps thanks to her win on soft turf in last October's Group 1 British Champions Filly & Mare Turf.
Calandagan came to Ascot off a victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Before that, he had four straight seconds, all in Group 1 races.
Also Saturday at Ascot, Fitzella captured the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes, improving on a fourth-place finish in the Group 3 Albany at the Royal meeting; and Cheshire Dancer landed the Group 3 Valiant Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 mile.
On Friday at Ascot, Time to Turn shot to the lead in the final furlong of the Pat Eddery Stakes for 2-year-olds and held off the late run of A Bit of Spirit to win by a head. The Godolphin homebred Dark Angel colt finished second in his first two starts, won his third on the Wolverhampton all-weather and was favorite in Friday's field.
Looking ahead ...
Glorious Goodwood kicks off Tuesday with the Group 1 Goodwood Cup, a 2-mile staying test with Coolmore's Illinois and Scandinavia the top early picks. Wathnan Racing fields French Master.
Nine-year-old Dubai Future is held at long odds in the eight-horse field, but has shown continued ability with a win in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in April and a third (albeit beaten 13 lengths) in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor would like nothing more than to pick up his second top-level win in three days' time after winning Sunday in Munich.
The highlight of the meeting arrives Wednesday in the Group 1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes. Field of Gold, romping winner of the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in his last start, is the overwhelming favorite.
He and Coolmore's Henri Matisse, second at Ascot, try their luck against older horses for the first time. Field of Gold, a Juddmonte homebred trained by John and Thady Gosden, shares the top spot in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings with Ombudsman and Japanese star Forever Young.
It's 3-year-olds against older rivals again Thursday in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares.
Pending declarations, Coolmore holds a strong hand with entries for Whirl, winner of the Group 1 Pretty Polly, and Bedtime Story, second in the Group 1 Prix de Diane or French Oaks. See the Fire, third behind Ombudsman in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting, also figures in this 1 1/4-mile test.
Germany
Tornado Alert racked up another German Group 1 win for Godolphin in Sunday's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich.
Jockey Oisin Murphy kept the 3-year-old Too Darn Hot colt close enough to the pace throughout, easily took the lead turning for home and repulsed a late bid by the favorite, Wathnan Racing's Map of Stars, to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Lazio finished third, the best of the locals.
Winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor, who won the event with Kutub in 2001 and Benbatl in 2018, picked up his first Group 1 win since October 2023.
Neither of the top two features in the top ranks for upcoming Group 1 events, but Tornado Alert's odds were halved by some bookmakers for the Juddmonte International at York. Map of Stars' standing for the Arc took a tumble.
South Africa
Gladatorian turned the tables on Durban July winner The Real Prince in Saturday's Grade 1 HKJC Champions Day at Greyville, seeing off that rival by 1/2 length. The 5-year-old Vercingetorix gelding finished seventh in the July and third, behind Dave the King, in their previous encounter.OK!
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UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
Calandigan wins King George, Glorious Goodwood to have more top racing
Calandagan wins the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday, earning a "Win and You're In" bid to the Breeders' Cup Turf. Photo by Hattie Austin/ courtesy of Breeders' Cup July 28 (UPI) -- Royal Ascot rules racing springtime in England, but midsummer packs in some of the best of the year's action as the 3-year-olds start to test their elders and spots for big-ticket year-end races are on the block. The weekend's King George meeting at Ascot and this week's Glorious Goodwood are on the leading edge of that excitement. Here's a rundown, a look forward and a sideways glance at Germany and South Africa. England Calandagan chased down Kalpana in the final yards to land Saturday's Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot by 1 length with two-time Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance rallying to finish third after traffic issues. Coolmore's pair, Jan Brueghel and Continuous, led the way for most of the King George's 1 1/4 miles, but wilted when Kapana surged to the front midway down the straight. They finished next-last and last in the five-horse field. Kalpana, a 4-year-old Study of Man filly, with Oisin Murphy up, looked to have stolen a march on the field, but Mickael Barzalona had Calandagan wound up from the back of the pack and the Aga Khan Stud's homebred 4-year-old Gleneagles gelding got the job done. The tactics were a bit of a puzzler, as most thought Continuous was in the race to make a pace for Jan Brueghel, who had defeated Calandagan by 1/2 length in the Group 1 Coronation Cup using those tactics. Barzalona said he was surprised, too, to see jockey Ryan Moore put Jan Brueghel on the lead. "I didn't expect that one," Barzalona said. "But once I saw Continuous beside him and Rebel's Romance boxed in, I was happy where I was because I knew either William [Buick on Rebel's Romance] was going to make a gap or Oisin was going to have to go round. "I was just waiting to see what happened, and when I saw Oisin making the move, I just followed." The race was a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trainer Francis Graffard wasn't talking California in his post-race comments. "He's in the Juddmonte International, so why not go there?" he added, referring to the Group 1 at York on Aug. 20. "I wouldn't mind coming back and then maybe going to Japan at the end of the season. But I have to discuss it with the Aga Khan team and Princess Zahra." Kalpana, despite the defeat, was lowered into the favorite's role by many bookmakers for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, perhaps thanks to her win on soft turf in last October's Group 1 British Champions Filly & Mare Turf. Calandagan came to Ascot off a victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Before that, he had four straight seconds, all in Group 1 races. Also Saturday at Ascot, Fitzella captured the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes, improving on a fourth-place finish in the Group 3 Albany at the Royal meeting; and Cheshire Dancer landed the Group 3 Valiant Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 mile. On Friday at Ascot, Time to Turn shot to the lead in the final furlong of the Pat Eddery Stakes for 2-year-olds and held off the late run of A Bit of Spirit to win by a head. The Godolphin homebred Dark Angel colt finished second in his first two starts, won his third on the Wolverhampton all-weather and was favorite in Friday's field. Looking ahead ... Glorious Goodwood kicks off Tuesday with the Group 1 Goodwood Cup, a 2-mile staying test with Coolmore's Illinois and Scandinavia the top early picks. Wathnan Racing fields French Master. Nine-year-old Dubai Future is held at long odds in the eight-horse field, but has shown continued ability with a win in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in April and a third (albeit beaten 13 lengths) in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor would like nothing more than to pick up his second top-level win in three days' time after winning Sunday in Munich. The highlight of the meeting arrives Wednesday in the Group 1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes. Field of Gold, romping winner of the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in his last start, is the overwhelming favorite. He and Coolmore's Henri Matisse, second at Ascot, try their luck against older horses for the first time. Field of Gold, a Juddmonte homebred trained by John and Thady Gosden, shares the top spot in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings with Ombudsman and Japanese star Forever Young. It's 3-year-olds against older rivals again Thursday in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares. Pending declarations, Coolmore holds a strong hand with entries for Whirl, winner of the Group 1 Pretty Polly, and Bedtime Story, second in the Group 1 Prix de Diane or French Oaks. See the Fire, third behind Ombudsman in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting, also figures in this 1 1/4-mile test. Germany Tornado Alert racked up another German Group 1 win for Godolphin in Sunday's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich. Jockey Oisin Murphy kept the 3-year-old Too Darn Hot colt close enough to the pace throughout, easily took the lead turning for home and repulsed a late bid by the favorite, Wathnan Racing's Map of Stars, to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Lazio finished third, the best of the locals. Winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor, who won the event with Kutub in 2001 and Benbatl in 2018, picked up his first Group 1 win since October 2023. Neither of the top two features in the top ranks for upcoming Group 1 events, but Tornado Alert's odds were halved by some bookmakers for the Juddmonte International at York. Map of Stars' standing for the Arc took a tumble. South Africa Gladatorian turned the tables on Durban July winner The Real Prince in Saturday's Grade 1 HKJC Champions Day at Greyville, seeing off that rival by 1/2 length. The 5-year-old Vercingetorix gelding finished seventh in the July and third, behind Dave the King, in their previous
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Calandagan Scores As Favorite In King George VI & Queen Elizabeth At Ascot
Calandagan Scores As Favorite In King George VI & Queen Elizabeth At Ascot originally appeared on Paulick Report. Favored at 11-10, Calandagan powered home on Saturday to win the £1.5-million King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse, earning a guaranteed start in the $5-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. Owned by the Aga Khan Studs SCEA, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained gelding silenced doubters when he dug deep to beat Juddmonte's filly Kalpana by a length under Mickael Barzalona, giving his French trainer back-to-back wins in the 1 1/2-mile race. The son of Gleneagles previously finished second in four consecutive Group 1 events – including crossing the line half a length behind Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom – which raised questions about his resolution in a finish. However, he broke his top-level duck in the June 29 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) last time out and doubled up with a first domestic success at the top level. His win also marked a fourth success for the Aga Khan's green and red colors in the historic race on its 75th running. French-based Graffard, who won the race with Goliath last year, became the first trainer to achieve back-to-back wins in the race since John Gosden's Enable won in 2019 and 2020. He joins only four other trainers – Gosden, Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed Bin Suroor and Aidan O'Brien – to achieve this feat. 'I'm so pleased for this horse,' said Graffard. 'It's a fantastic race. I was not expecting the tactics during the race. When I saw Continuous going very it was all different. When they turned to home my horse was still travelling well. He lengthened so well. He's a very good horse. 'I was very impatient when I saw Kalpana going away so well. I wanted to see my horse lengthening and getting into a rhythm, but when I saw him really coming, I started to shout and help him up to the line. He's won two Group 1s in a row now. M.B. (Barzalona) knows him very well and the ride he gave him gave me a lot of confidence.' On the fact Calandagan has been gelded, he said: 'As a 2-year-old he was very difficult in the morning. We taught him to load with starters at Deauville for four days but we struggled to load him when it came to the race. He showed a lot of character during the race and he was beaten. We had no choice to geld him – I'd rather have a very good gelding than a bad colt.' Calandagan was aided by the failed tactics of the Ballydoyle duo. Second choice Jan Brueghel – owned by Westerberg, Mrs. J Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor – did not follow the supposed pacemaker Continuous as expected, but instead made the running. Continuous ran on the son of Galileo's outside and never settled, while Jan Brueghel ran out of puff on the final straight. Those two finished last and second last. Andrew Balding's 5-1 shot Kalpana ran a stormer of a race to finish second, a result which saw her into ante-post favoritisms for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1). After the race, several pundits questioned whether her jockey, Oisin Murphy, had gone too soon, while others thought she ran a blinder and the best horse won on the day. She has now been placed in three Group 1s this season. Godolphin's Rebel's Romance was somewhat unlucky to get boxed in by both the Ballydoyle horses leaving his jockey, William Buick, with few options. The two-time winner of the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf ran on well to finish third, replicating his 2024 effort in the race. The winning time was 2.29.79 on a course rated good. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20 in order to receive the rewards. This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time Business News
5 days ago
- Time Business News
Beginner's Guide on Turf Horse Races
Horse racing has long been known as the 'Sport of Kings,' combining speed, strategy, and the thrill of the wager. Among the various types of horse racing, turf racing which takes place on natural grass offers a unique challenge and charm. While on turf races may seem intimidating at first, understanding the basics can significantly boost your confidence and success. Whether you're a total beginner or just getting familiar with turf tracks, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start smartly on turf horse races. Turf racing refers to horse races that are run on grass rather than dirt or synthetic tracks. Turf is common in Europe and popular in North America for high-stakes events like the Breeders' Cup Turf. Horses that run well on grass often require different training, have specific pedigrees, and race differently than dirt-track specialists. Softer surface , better for horses with strong endurance. , better for horses with strong endurance. More strategic , as races may favor late closers or stalkers. , as races may favor late closers or stalkers. Track condition varies greatly (firm, good, yielding, soft), affecting horse performance. Before placing any bets, you need to be familiar with the most common options. Here are the basic types: Bet on a horse to finish first. Bet on a horse to finish first or second. Bet on a horse to finish first, second, or third. Pick the first and second place horses in the correct order. Pick the first, second, and third place horses in order. Pick the top four horses in exact order. Higher risk, higher reward. Turf racing can be more unpredictable than dirt racing due to factors like weather, grass condition, and horse adaptability. That unpredictability can make more exciting but also riskier if you're not informed. Here's why turf-specific knowledge is key: Some horses excel only on turf ; check their past performances. ; check their past performances. Post position (the gate from which the horse starts) can influence the race more on turf tracks. (the gate from which the horse starts) can influence the race more on turf tracks. Pace scenarios can differ; turf races tend to favor horses that conserve energy early and close strong. Here are some beginner-friendly strategies to increase your chances of winning: Some bloodlines perform better on turf. Horses sired by top turf stallions (e.g., Galileo, War Front, or Dubawi) tend to be more successful on grass. Tip: Use websites like Equibase or DRF to view pedigree and past performances. Always check if a horse has previously raced on turf. A horse with consistent turf performances is generally a safer bet than one switching surfaces. Watch for: Wins or top-3 finishes on turf Experience on similar distances and track conditions Grass conditions are described as: Firm (dry, fast) Good (normal) Yielding/Soft (wet, slower) Some horses handle soft turf better, while others perform best on firm ground. The track condition is usually listed in race-day programs. Some jockeys and trainers specialize in turf races. For example, European jockeys often have an edge in turf events. Look for: High win percentages on turf Recent form and consistent results Turf races often favor closers horses that start near the back and surge forward at the end. However, pace and field size can influence this. Use this info to: Predict whether a horse will get a clean trip Avoid horses likely to be trapped inside in large fields Turf races can be unpredictable, especially in large on favorites may lead to small or negative returns. Instead: Look for value picks (horses with decent odds and proven turf form) Try exactas or trifectas with a mix of favorites and longshots In today's digital world, you can bet from the comfort of your home using legal platforms like: TVG TwinSpires BetAmerica Local racetracks or OTB (Off-Track) parlors Make sure the platform is licensed and legal in your area. Remember, even with great research, carries risk. Set a budget and never chase losses. The goal is to enjoy the thrill of horse racing while making informed wagers. on turf horse races adds an exciting twist to traditional racing. With variable track conditions, strategic pacing, and specialized horses, turf races offer both challenge and opportunity for new bettors. Start small, stay informed, and always check turf-specific factors before placing a bet. With a bit of research and practice, you'll be on your way to enjoying one of the most fascinating forms of horse race. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
