The King George Weekend at Ascot races takes place on Friday, 25 and Saturday, 26 July this year. A two-day fixture that always has a loaded card around the Group 1 feature contest over a mile-and-a-half in Berkshire ensures plenty of interest in the meeting.
Friday is a low-key beginning with the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes the best of the bunch. Supported by handicaps, Group races follow on Saturday. In the build-up to the King George, fillies of different ages run in the Princess Margaret Stakes and Valiant Stakes respectively.
As for the big race itself, just five feature among final declarations. Three of those have won over the course and distance in at least Group 2 company since the Royal meeting last season. Those with Ascot form here are French raider Calandagan, Juddmonte filly Kalpana and Godolphin gelding Rebel’s Romance.
Taking those on are two over from Ireland and the Aidan O’Brien yard. Representing Ballydoyle in the big one on King George Weekend from Ascot are Jan Brueghel and likely pacemaker Continuous. In and around that, punters can expect more handicaps to have a flutter on.
While the leading online horse racing bookies don’t have many to price up in the King George itself, there are bigger fields elsewhere. We set our experts on the trail of some value from the best of the weekend’s action as they assess form and odds for readers.
That traditional mix of Pattern races and Flat handicaps ranging from sprints to long-distance events across the meeting ensures variety. Without further ado, let’s see what our horse racing experts put forward and why
Friday of King George Weekend from Ascot Races Preview for 25 July
2:25 – Listed 7f Pat Eddery Stakes
One of four as yet undefeated runners in the line-up, he made a promising racecourse debut around Nottingham and then all the running at Carlisle. As the yard often sends its best juveniles to the Cumbria track, Reciprocated must be held in high regard. The way he shaped despite hanging right suggests an extra furlong shouldn’t be an issue.
Clive Cox’s unbeaten A Bit Of Spirit and Godolphin entrant Time To Turn are obvious threats to Reciprocated. Also yet to taste defeat on the track are Cape Ashizuri for the Quinns and Hugo Palmer runner Tricky Tell. Meanwhile, Italica has won his last two, but looks relatively exposed
3:00 – 2m Class 3 Brown Jack Handicap (0-90)
How are the nerves after that?! BLAZEON FIVE just holds on from TEMPORIZE in the John Guest Racing Brown Jack Handicap – two wins from two at Ascot, she must like it here 😏 congratulations to @RogerTealRacing @MitchellJack77 and Calne Engineering Ltd! pic.twitter.com/TYoCF7vGul
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 28, 2023
Three-year-olds have a good recent record in this long-distance handicap on King George Weekend at Ascot with five wins since 2017, so Many Men could be a big threat receiving a whole stone in weight for age from the field. However, Alan King saddles a horse unbeaten over course and distance in BLAZEON FIVE.
Although now a seven-year-old, this mare by Indian Haven could do with more rain, but she’s 2lb below the mark she won this race off for Roger Teal in 2023. Both of Blazeon Five’s turf wins have come around Ascot, so she clearly likes it here. Joint-topweights Blindedbythelights and Contacto don’t exactly look thrown in off 10st 2lb, meanwhile.
The latter, representing the Andrew Balding stable that won this race 12 months ago, swerved a similar but better race at Newbury last weekend because rain didn’t arrive in time. Softer going looks important to the Study Of Man gelding. Sir Mark Prescott saddles Blindedbythelights under a welter burden too, but he has a number of seconds in his form figures.
Similar comments apply to Dylan Cunha’s Fireblade. William Buick rides Tailorman for Ian Williams, who has saddled the winner of this more than once before. With wins around Ripon, Kempton and Chelmsford, however, he’s no form on a more galloping track.
3:35 – 1m4f Class 2 Royal Ascot Winning Breeders’ Handicap (0-105)
Even with 5lb more on his back for not staying 1m 6f in the Queen’s Vase, this looks a nice opportunity for handicap debutant PINHOLE to get back on track. He returns to Berkshire for the King George Weekend at Ascot races, Ralph Beckett’s three-year-old avails himself of 11lb weight for age all-round and still isn’t fully exposed.
If he takes to first-time cheekpieces, then Pinhole should perform well for Juddmonte against opposition that isn’t exactly in good form. Best of the rest looks to be David Simcock runner Assail, who has a win over course and distance to his name. Lucy Wadham’s Arqoob has placed efforts around Ascot too, but aged seven has plenty of miles on the clock.
As in the Brown Jack, Buick gets the leg-up from Williams on Dream Harder. He’s no spring chicken as a six-year-old either. Charlie Johnston quickly turns out Ludo’s Landing, meanwhile, after the bottom weight didn’t handle a softer surface in the Ripon Bell-Ringer last weekend.
Saturday of King George Weekend from Ascot Races Preview for 26 July
1:40 – 6f Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes
Flowerhead ran a blinder at massive odds when runner-up in the Queen Mary for rookie trainer Charlie Clover and the form has been franked. Among those advertising that race since has been STAYA, who clearly needs further than the flying five furlongs. George Scott’s filly got up by a head on Sandown’s uphill sprint course last time.
Staya has a dam who won a Listed race over seven furlongs, so she can only improve for going up in trip. Fitzella must find more than she did when fourth in the Albany Stakes, meanwhile. Of the others, Arugam Bay seeks her hat-trick having scored over this trip at Fairyhouse and then made all down in distance around Tipperary.
2:20 – 1m Group 3 Valiant Stakes
Classy performance
The Andrew Balding-trained Blue Bolt captures the Listed @Coral Distaff 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/PadVFiYntT
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) July 5, 2025
CAJOLE ran well in defeat in Listed company around Sandown last time, but left the winner loose on the frontend. If ridden closer to the pace, John & Thady Gosden’s charge should go well. Cajole also ran a blinder here in the Sandringham on the Straight Mile last month, but proved she’s fine going around a bend last time out.
Of the older females, Royal Dress got her career back on track with Listed success at Pontefract. James Tate now steps her up in grade, but she stays further. Even more interesting is Jancis over from Ireland. Willie McCreery’s filly now has calmer waters after running is some hot races at home in the Emerald Isle.
3:00 – 7f Moet & Chandon International Handicap (Heritage Handicap)
Although meeting Aalto off 1lb worse terms, Billyjoh stood out and ran well here off his current mark when runner-up during the Royal meeting last term. He was only tenth in this race 12 months ago, however, when Northern Express prevailed. Michael Dods’ charge is 2lb lower now and the stable going better than earlier in the campaign.
Fresh was third in this last year, but aged eight is surely vulnerable to younger legs for James Fanshawe. David O’Meara is mob-handed with five runners, meanwhile, and the pick of them is Akkadian Thunder, who looked to have draw bias against him in the Bunbury Cup. Similar risks exist now, but he’s better than that Newmarket outing.
If treated on his Doncaster win over Billyjoh or course and distance second to subsequent Group 2 Summer Mile scorer Never So Brave, Akkadian Thunder has a big chance. Appleby’s other entrant Kodi Lion has won here before, so can’t be entirely discounted. Sandown specialist Classic is 2lb well-in, but needs to prove he acts as well away from Esher for Richard Hannon.
3:35 – 1m Class 2 Betfred Handicap (0-105)
HICKORY takes a three-way photo finish in The @SchweppesGB Victoria Cup for @OsborneSaffie and @osbornejamie! pic.twitter.com/Ggr9nHms8l
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) May 10, 2025
Away from in-form Jamie Osborne’s course specialist Hickory, who is unexposed over this far, those placed in the Royal Hunt Cup or Britannia Stakes head the dangers. Chief among those is topweight Bullet Point for William Haggas. Horses carrying welter burdens are no strangers to success in this mile handicap on King George Weekend at Ascot races.
Old rivals Bopedro and Sisyphean take one another one again for the Yorkshire stables of O’Meara and Kevin Ryan. Clive Cox’s Fearnot fared best of those re-opposing from the Britannia as third home, meanwhile, with Supido running a massive race in fifth. Teroomm got no run that day, however, and is definitely capable of better for Roger Varian.
From the remainder, Mythical Guest represents connections who like runners and sponsor races here, and has placed on both his Ascot starts. Off 1lb lower, and with George Margarson booking 5lb claimer Warren Fentiman taking more weight off, he looks well-treated on his second to Royal Hunt Cup hero My Cloud earlier in the campaign.
4:10 – 1m 4f Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Despite the presence of three course and distance winners in the line-up, the feature contest from King George Weekend at Ascot races should set up nicely for JAN BRUEGHEL. O’Brien has a pacemaker to ensure this is an honest gallop and test of stamina. Jan Brueghel beat subsequent Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud scorer and impressive 2024 King Edward VII winner Calandagan fair and square in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
Francis-Henri Graffard’s cross-Channel raider had every chance to go past in that encounter and wouldn’t. A King George demands more from Calandagan, who had his Saint-Cloud success fall into his lap somewhat when Goliath didn’t turn up. A bigger threat could be Kalpana stepping back up in trip.
The Balding filly would prefer more rain, so if any arrives then that will enhance her chances, but her ready course and distance success over fellow females on British Champions Day suggests she’s smart and can definitively hang with the boys after racing over too sharp a trip since.
Rebel’s Romance only managed third in this race 12 months ago, but quickly bounced back. Splitting him and Goliath that day was subsequent Arc heroine Bluestocking, so it wasn’t as bad a run as it seemed at the time. Appleby has also seen the form of his Hardwicke Stakes winner franked by Al Riffa landing the Curragh Cup last weekend. Rebel’s Romance isn’t out of this, but does look vulnerable to some talented four-year-olds.
5:15 – 5f Class 2 Whispering Angel Handicap
A tight finish sees @DarraghKeenan7 take the @LKBennettLondon Butterfly Mark Heritage Handicap Stakes on board ALZAHIR for @JCandlishracing. pic.twitter.com/35PPauxxr4
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 12, 2025
After hitting the frame in a second sprint handicap over course and distance a fortnight ago, MESAAFI appeals as each-way value to at least do so again. Ross Burdon’s charge seems to like it here and runs on King George Weekend from Ascot off just 1lb higher than the last day. Despite Tom Marquand taking the ride, Mesaafi has major competition from the top of the weights, however.
Ryan Moore rides Aramram for the Hannon stable and he’s been a progressive type in these sprints this season. Perhaps an even bigger danger is Tropical Storm with Balding pitching his three-year-old into a handicap for the first time. He won a Listed race up at York in the spring and finished runner-up over course and distance in the Norfolk Stakes last season.
Tropical Storm has far less on his plate than the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes that was just too hot. Cover Up and Vintage Clarets are standing dishes in races like these, meanwhile, and it could be their turn. Also of interest is Glamorous Breeze, who was just behind Mesaafi in fifth two weeks ago. Fellow seven-year–old Emperor Spirit completes the shortlist.
