Ascot’s showpiece race on Saturday is the Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, scheduled for 3.35pm, with nine horses set to contest Britain’s most prestigious all-age Flat race.
Defending champion Calandagan returns to Ascot looking to become a back-to-back winner of one of the most coveted prizes in European racing.
The five-year-old, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, claimed victory in this contest 12 months ago as the second of five consecutive Group One wins, keeping on well from the re-opposing Kalpana.
Three further top-level victories followed that King George success before Calandagan encountered difficulties on slow ground in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June.
He bounced back emphatically with a Group One win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud the following month, underlining that his Epsom defeat was a surface-related blip rather than a decline in ability.
Now he faces both a defence of his title and a rematch with Japanese star Masquerade Ball, who he narrowly edged out in the Japan Cup last November.
Trained by Takahisa Tezuka, Masquerade Ball reappeared in 2026 with a fine second behind Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin, and could benefit from this step up in trip.
Nevertheless, with perfect conditions expected and his familiarity with the Ascot track already proven, Calandagan remains the one to be with in the Win market through World Pool.
Earlier on the card, the International Handicap at 2.55pm features Extremely Zain, a William Haggas-trained three-year-old who arrives unbeaten after three impressive outings.
Extremely Zain made a successful handicap debut overcoming traffic problems to land a big-field seven-furlong contest at York last month, adding to an already progressive profile.
Akkadian Thunder also demands respect, having gone close over the King George course and distance when runner-up in the Buckingham Palace Stakes earlier in his career.
Although Akkadian Thunder finished fifth over 1400 metres at Doncaster last week, he was repeatedly short of room in the closing stages and appears to be running into form at just the right time.
The admirably consistent Back In Black rounds out the Quinella selection, having finished in the first four in seven of his last eight races heading into Saturday.
That record includes a second-place finish behind Aalto in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket two weeks ago, another fine effort suggesting he will be firmly in contention once again.
World Pool operates across all eight races at Ascot on Saturday, meaning the exotic markets could offer excellent value for those willing to look beyond the straightforward win bet.