The time honoured ‘King George’ has been rejuvenated this year with a boost in prizemoney to £2 million and the result was a super competitive 1m4f race that attracted seven Group I winners from four different countries, including two challengers from Japan.
Last year it was Aga Khan vs Juddmonte with the best staying gelding in the world Calandagan winning from progressive four year-old mare Kalpana and this year they went around in a much hyped rematch.
The Andrew Balding trained Kalpana closed out last year winning the Group I British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes for the second year in a row and was having her third run of 2026 in the King George and her first this year back at G1 level.
Ridden by Colin Keane, Kalpana swept to the lead after turning for home and held off the challenge of the favourite Calandagan to win by a length and a half with Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini a gallant third.
“Kalpana is a special mare. As the year goes on, you often see her improving from run to run. I thought she'd have to put up a personal best today to even be placed, but to go and do that is amazing,” said Colin Keane.
“You couldn't get a more straightforward filly to ride. She was brilliant out of the gates, you can put her anywhere and she just relaxes. She makes my job so easy. Obviously we were waiting for Calandagan to come, he always comes fast and late. I thought we got a lovely pitch in the middle and controlled it to some degree. She'll only ever do enough when she gets there, but she's very game.”
With eight wins and eight placings from 17 starts, Kalpana has only ever finished unplaced once in her life which was in the Arc last year.
Andrew Balding was pleased Juddmonte decided to keep the daughter of Study of Man in training as a five year-old, a decision that has been vindicated.
Kalpana is the best of 11 stakes-winners for Study of Man, a Group I Prix du Jockey Club winner by Japanese super sire Deep Impact. He stands at Lanwades Stud at a fee of £35,000.
She is also the best of six winners from stakes-winning Dansili mare Zero Gravity, a full sister to Group I winner Zambezi Sun with the family packed with Black Type winners all down the page.
