The Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes has assembled a field worthy of its position as one of the great weight-for-age contests on the international calendar.
Run over 2400 metres at Ascot this Saturday, the £2 million feature brings together established champions, Classic winners and two fascinating Japanese challengers in what shapes as the strongest middle-distance race staged this season.
Defending champion Calandagan will attempt to win the race for a second consecutive year, while 2024 winner Goliath and last year’s runner-up Kalpana bring proven Ascot form in the contest.
The younger generation is also well represented. Last season’s Derby winner Lambourn and Oaks winner Minnie Hauk are among the major names, while Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini receives an important weight advantage against the older horses.
However, much of the international attention will fall on Japanese star Masquerade Ball, who has made the long journey from Tokyo to Newmarket alongside fellow Japanese contender Wurttemberg.
Masquerade Ball has been based at James Horton’s Beech Hurst Stables after travelling to Britain through Alaska and Amsterdam. Trainer Takahisa Tezuka has reported that the entire journey went smoothly and that his stable star has settled into his new surroundings better than expected.
The four-year-old has been seen exercising on Newmarket’s Long Hill and appears to have handled the change in environment without any concern.
Tezuka believes Masquerade Ball has made significant physical and mental progress since his three-year-old season. The trainer has described him as considerably bigger and stronger and feels there may still be further improvement to come.
That assessment makes his return to 2400 metres particularly interesting.
Masquerade Ball recorded his biggest victory in the 2000-metre Tenno Sho Autumn before producing a memorable performance in last November’s Japan Cup. He went down by only a head to Calandagan after the pair separated themselves from the field in a thrilling finish.
That performance earned both horses a rating of 128, placing them among the highest-rated racehorses in the world during 2025.
Masquerade Ball has raced only once this season, finishing one length behind Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in the Group One FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin in April. Tezuka was encouraged by how well the horse recovered from that performance, particularly after he had shown signs of fatigue following his demanding Japan Cup campaign.
The trainer has indicated that Masquerade Ball continued to thrive after Hong Kong and believes he is now better equipped to handle 2400 metres. While Tezuka previously considered 2000 metres his ideal distance, the horse’s continued development has given the stable confidence that a mile and a half may now be even more suitable.
Ascot will present a very different challenge to the generally flatter racecourses found in Japan. The undulating track, downhill sections and demanding run to the finish will test Masquerade Ball’s balance and stamina, but his connections believe he has the ability to overcome those obstacles.
Regular rider Christophe Lemaire will again take the mount as Masquerade Ball attempts to reverse the narrow Japan Cup result with Calandagan.
Although that rematch provides one of the major storylines, Tezuka is under no illusion about the overall strength of the race. The trainer has stressed that the challenge extends well beyond Calandagan, with several Group One winners capable of producing a performance good enough to win.
Masquerade Ball’s owner Teruya Yoshida has long held an ambition to have a runner at Ascot and encouraged the stable to target the King George following the horse’s performances last season.
Tezuka regards Masquerade Ball as the best horse he has trained, placing him ahead of former stable star and multiple Group One winner Fierement. More importantly, he believes the colt may still have another level to reach despite already establishing himself among the world’s leading performers.
The King George will be the biggest test of his career, but it also provides Japanese racing with another opportunity to claim one of the few major international prizes that has so far remained out of reach.
With former winners, Classic champions and elite visitors from Japan all converging on Ascot, Saturday’s feature has all the ingredients to become one of the defining races of the season.
By Scott Bailey – iRACE
