IT’S a compelling King George, with all the ingredients.

It’s a battle of the sexes as well as a battle of the generations in a contest that has a strong international dimension, a strong intercontinental dimension. Just nine runners, but collectively they represent four different countries, two different continents, four different age groups and both genders.

Of course, last year’s winner Calandagan is the logical favourite, but you can argue that this is a more open King George than suggested by the fact that there is a 13/8 favourite for it.

Francis Graffard’s globetrotter was very good in winning the race last year, and he went on from there to win the Champion Stakes back at Ascot in October, before going to Tokyo in November and famously winning the Japan Cup, just getting home by a head from Masquerade Ball.

He hasn’t reached those heights this season yet. He just got home by three parts of a length from the 107-rated West Wind Blows in an unusually-run Sheema Classic at Meydan in March, and he was beaten in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.

That was obviously on very soft ground, so you can easily allow him that, but he wasn’t impressive in winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time.

He did get the job done, and it is probable that his top-class trainer has been building him up to the defence of his King George crown. He is sure to be a big player in the race again today, but he is short.

It is brilliant that Masquerade Ball is in the line-up, the primary Japanese contender, along with his travelling companion Wurttemberg, but it is difficult to know what to do with him from a betting perspective.

There is obviously very little between him and Calandagan on their Japan Cup running, and, since then the Shadai horse has finished a length behind Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin over 10 furlongs. He should be happier back over 12 furlongs today.

But it can’t be easy, travelling so far. He has never run at Ascot, and he was beaten by Calandagan in the home leg. Also, gone are the days when the Japanese horses were put in at carefree prices. He has been priced up defensively, and he represents little value.

Benvenuto Cellini has also been priced up defensively. Again, great that he is in the race, the Irish Derby winner, the pick of the classic crop taking on his elders in a clash of the generations that is, after all, what the quintessential King George is all about.

Aidan O’Brien’s horse was good at the Curragh and he should love the fast ground at Ascot, and he will have Ryan Moore for company. But he is rated 11lb inferior to Calandagan. Of course, a progressive adolescent, he has the potential to improve again but, as with Calandagan and Masquerade Ball, his current odds look no better than fair.

By contrast, his stable companion Minnie Hauk looks over-priced. The Ballydoyle filly had a fantastic season in 2025. There was hardly an Oaks in these lands that she didn’t win. She won the Cheshire Oaks and the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks. Then she went to Longchamp and had that scrap with Daryz in the Arc, just giving best in the end with the pair of them finishing well clear of their rivals.

This season has been a slower burn so far, but she ran a big race in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.

She led the main group that day behind the two pace-setters. She was passed by Ombudsman and Daryz inside the two-furlong marker as they bridged the gap to the leaders but, while she couldn’t match Ombudsman’s turn of foot over a trip that is probably short of her best, there was a lot to like about the manner in which she battled back on the far side to wrest the runner-up spot back from her old adversary Daryz.

Her three runs this season have all been over 10 or 10 and a half furlongs. She should appreciate the step back up to a mile and a half today, and we know that she can operate at Ascot. And it is significant that Aidan O’Brien mentioned the King George for her immediately after her run at Royal Ascot.

It is probable that today’s race has been on her radar since the start of the season. It may be that she has been building up to this for the last couple of months.

Her draw in stall one is not ideal. Just because Opportunity won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes from the inside box at the Royal meeting doesn’t mean that it’s suddenly an okay draw. That said, there are only nine runners, and you can be sure that the excellent Wayne Lordan will have a plan, so hopefully the potentially negative impact of her draw will be mitigated.

Kalpana is a player, she is in the form of her life as a five-year-old, and she loves Ascot, and she proved in the Hardwicke Stakes that she can operate on fast ground. But it may be that she is still a better horse with a little bit of a cut in the ground.

Goliath had no luck in the Hardwicke Stakes, it is impossible to know how he would have fared had he not had that mishap inside the final furlong, but the suspicion remains that he will come up just short in a race that is all class.

Recommended

Minnie Hauk, 3.35 Ascot, 6/1 (generally), 1pt win

MEZCALA could be the answer to the Moet Et Chandon International Handicap earlier on the Ascot card.

A progressive three-year-old last season, Jack Channon’s horse has continued his improvement this term. An impressive winner of the Spring Mile at Doncaster in March, he coped well with an 8lb hike next time at Newbury, when he came from stall one, furthest from the stands rail, to finish third behind Classic in a strong one-mile handicap.

Raised by 1lb for that to a mark of 94, he was good last time in winning the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot. The drop back down to seven furlongs seemed to suit him well, he was able to settle nicely off the fast pace.

He had to navigate his way through traffic on the near side, and he had to engineer racing room for himself inside the final furlong, but he showed a great attitude and he finished off his race strongly to get up and win by a neck from Elarak, who ran well to finish third in the Bunbury Cup next time. The Shadwell gelding is now 2lb higher than he was then.

A 4lb hike for Mezcala was not harsh. That was just his eighth run and it was his first run over seven furlongs. He has lots of scope for progression at this trip.

He proved too last time that he could operate at Ascot, a track that suits his hold-up style of racing. A fast-run stiff seven furlongs is close to optimal for him, and his high draw is probably an advantage.

Recommended

Mezcala, 2.55 Ascot, 13/2 (generally), 1pt each-way