Connections opt to miss the King George with Amiloc
'The real racing for this horse will be in the autumn time and Ralph thinks it's a little too quick after his last race, it's nothing more than that and nothing untoward.'
Amiloc was a general 10-1 chance for the King George, which could see Coronation Cup one-two Jan Brueghel and Calandagan renew rivalry, and holds entries for both the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York (August 20) and the Curragh's Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (September 14) later in the summer.
However, connections appear undecided on their next move at this stage, as they anticipate heading overseas in search of valuable prizes before the year is out.
Cooper added: 'We'll hopefully go on the road with him in the autumn time, we haven't overly thought about it, but the big-money races are at the end of the year.
'All those races in Hong Kong, Australia and America are all on the radar and I suspect we will be on the road at some stage.'
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South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Calandagan rules supreme for France in King George
Francis-Henri Graffard's gelding was bidding to keep the trophy in the Chantilly yard after Goliath prevailed 12 months ago, with his key rival seemingly Aidan O'Brien's Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel, who had edged the Aga Khan Studs-owned four-year-old at Epsom. Calandagan was the well-backed 11-10 favourite to turn the tables and after an incredibly patient ride from Mickael Barzalona he swept through to pick off all of his rivals and pass the gallant Kalpana ahead of the line for a one-length triumph. It is the fifth time the race has been won by a horse carrying the green and red silks, with Shergar the most famous of the those winners after prevailing for the fourth Aga Khan, who died in February this year at the age of 88. THE FRENCH RAIDER HAS DONE IT! 🇫🇷 CALANDAGAN WINS THE KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 26, 2025 'I am so pleased for the horse, it was a competitive race,' said Graffard. 'The tactics during the race were not what I was expecting, when I saw Continuous going very steadily it was all different. 'When the filly (Kalpana) kicked on for home my horse was still travelling well, I was hoping he was going to catch her at the end. He lengthened so strongly, he's a very good horse. 'I wanted to see my horse getting into his rhythm and lengthening his stride, when I really saw him coming I started to shout. 'He won nicely again today, he's a good horse, that's two in row now in Group Ones. 'Mickael knows him very well and he has a lot confidence in the horse. You saw the ride he gave him, he had a lot of confidence and he won – we are so happy.' Future plans could include another trip to York for the Juddmonte International, in which he was second to City Of Troy last year. Graffard said: 'We'll see how he comes out of the race, but he's in the Juddmonte International and why not, I wouldn't mind going back there. I would have no problem bringing him back to 10 furlongs, but I will discuss it with the owner. 'A mile and a half is also the perfect distance for him, but he ran really strongly in the race at York last year and if he comes back really well, why avoid the race? 'We could maybe go for the Japan Cup at the end of the season, but he will have a big target somewhere.' Jubilant rider Barzalona added: 'This means a lot and it has come at the right time for me. 'It's took a bit of time to win his Group One, but now he has won two in a row and to win a King George means a lot. 'He's a lovely horse to ride and he has an engine and a beautiful action. Once he finds his rhythm he is never going to let you down and as a jockey you just need to put him in the right spot and let him do the rest. 'I was very confident I would get to Kalpana and this is a great result.'
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Calandagan's trainer reacts to King George win at Ascot - 'I never had any doubts'
Francis Graffard said he has always believed in his horse's will to win, as the 11-10 favourite put a run of seconds behind him in British races when landing the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes Calandagan ran straight and true in the heat of battle to give trainer Francis Graffard back-to-back triumphs in Ascot's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes. A defeat by Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom caused some onlookers to question the four-year-old's stomach for the fight. The loss had been Calandagan's fourth in a row at the highest level, a sequence that had ended with a maiden Group 1 success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud four weeks ago. When sent in pursuit of Kalpana, who had burst two lengths clear of her four opponents entering the final two furlongs of the mile-and-a-half Group 1 prize, well-backed 11-10 favourite Calandagan didn't flinch. 'I never had any doubts about his will to win,' smiled Chantilly-based Graffard after watching Mickaël Barzalona, carrying the colours of the gelding's owner-breeder, the late Aga Khan, to the front 100 yards from the winning post for a one-length margin, with Rebel's Romance repeating his third place of 12 months earlier. 'At Epsom, after the race I couldn't say it was because he doesn't want to try - and the jockey never reported that to me, either.' The 75th King George unfolded to the consternation of those who believed Aidan O'Brien's Continuous was in the line-up to make the pace for stablemate Jan Brueghel. Wayne Lordan was content to ride shotgun aboard Continuous as Ryan Moore cut out a funeral cortège gallop on last year's St Leger winner, who found a change of gear beyond him when Oisín Murphy committed Kalpana for home and completed in fourth. Barzalona, who had anchored Calandagan at the back before switching wide in the straight, admitted: 'I expected the race to go quicker. 'I was waiting to see what happened and when I saw Oisín making the move, I followed. 'These are the races you want to win. I was very young when I won the Derby [on Pour Moi in 2011] and this one is very special.' Graffard is now likely to send Calandagan to York on August 20, when he will bid to better last year's second to O'Brien's City Of Troy. 'The way he can quicken is very impressive,' he reasoned. 'He has proven in every single race that he is a very good horse.' His status as a gelding bars Calandagan from running in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October 5, for which Kalpana is now the 8-1 market leader. 'I think that is a career-best effort and we will be working back from Paris in October,' said her trainer Andrew Balding.
North Wales Chronicle
4 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Calandagan rules supreme for France in King George
Francis-Henri Graffard's gelding was bidding to keep the trophy in the Chantilly yard after Goliath prevailed 12 months ago, with his key rival seemingly Aidan O'Brien's Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel, who had edged the Aga Khan Studs-owned four-year-old at Epsom. Calandagan was the well-backed 11-10 favourite to turn the tables and after an incredibly patient ride from Mickael Barzalona he swept through to pick off all of his rivals and pass the gallant Kalpana ahead of the line for a one-length triumph. It is the fifth time the race has been won by a horse carrying the green and red silks, with Shergar the most famous of the those winners after prevailing for the fourth Aga Khan, who died in February this year at the age of 88. THE FRENCH RAIDER HAS DONE IT! 🇫🇷 CALANDAGAN WINS THE KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 26, 2025 'I am so pleased for the horse, it was a competitive race,' said Graffard. 'The tactics during the race were not what I was expecting, when I saw Continuous going very steadily it was all different. 'When the filly (Kalpana) kicked on for home my horse was still travelling well, I was hoping he was going to catch her at the end. He lengthened so strongly, he's a very good horse. 'I wanted to see my horse getting into his rhythm and lengthening his stride, when I really saw him coming I started to shout. 'He won nicely again today, he's a good horse, that's two in row now in Group Ones. 'Mickael knows him very well and he has a lot confidence in the horse. You saw the ride he gave him, he had a lot of confidence and he won – we are so happy.' Future plans could include another trip to York for the Juddmonte International, in which he was second to City Of Troy last year. Graffard said: 'We'll see how he comes out of the race, but he's in the Juddmonte International and why not, I wouldn't mind going back there. I would have no problem bringing him back to 10 furlongs, but I will discuss it with the owner. 'A mile and a half is also the perfect distance for him, but he ran really strongly in the race at York last year and if he comes back really well, why avoid the race? 'We could maybe go for the Japan Cup at the end of the season, but he will have a big target somewhere.' Jubilant rider Barzalona added: 'This means a lot and it has come at the right time for me. 'It's took a bit of time to win his Group One, but now he has won two in a row and to win a King George means a lot. 'He's a lovely horse to ride and he has an engine and a beautiful action. Once he finds his rhythm he is never going to let you down and as a jockey you just need to put him in the right spot and let him do the rest. 'I was very confident I would get to Kalpana and this is a great result.'
