King George 2025: Trends-Based Runner Analysis

The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes has long been a race shaped by patterns. Over the past two decades, standout winners have usually checked several important boxes: Group 1 or Group 2 class form, experience at or close to the 1m4f trip, recent placed form, and proven performance this season. Add to that a trend toward younger horses—particularly three- and four-year-olds—and those with previous Ascot experience, and a clear profile begins to emerge. Here's how each contender stacks up in narrative form:

Calandagan
Calandagan brings one of the most complete trend profiles into this race. A Group 1 winner already this season in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, he's not only proven at the 1m4f trip but is also a course-and-distance winner at Ascot, having taken the King Edward VII Stakes last year. He’s been active this season with multiple runs and comes in off a win, which historically bodes well. At four years old, he fits perfectly into the age profile, and his place near the head of the market only strengthens his statistical case. Quite simply, he hits every traditional metric associated with past King George winners.

Jan Brueghel
Another with a strong statistical profile is Jan Brueghel. He landed the Coronation Cup at Epsom last time out, stamping his authority as a legitimate Group 1 performer. He has winning form over 1m4f and, like Calandagan, is four years old with a progressive profile. The one notable absence is a previous run at Ascot, which has historically been a helpful—if not essential—prep for this race. Even so, his strong form and suitability for the trip mark him as a standout from a trends perspective.

Kalpana
Kalpana ticks most of the right boxes, even if some require a more nuanced interpretation. She’s a Group 1 winner already, having taken the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over a near-identical distance and track. While that was just shy of a true 1m4f, she shapes like a stayer and has been keeping high-class company. She placed last time out in the Pretty Polly Stakes, has had two solid runs this season, and brings Ascot-winning form to the table. As a four-year-old filly, she gets a weight allowance and fits the age profile nicely. The only potential gap is the absence of a clear-cut 12-furlong win, but that may prove more technical than meaningful.

Rebel’s Romance
Rebel’s Romance is one of the most accomplished in the field from a global perspective, with multiple Group 1 wins abroad and a recent victory in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. That said, his profile clashes with one of the strongest King George trends: age. At seven, he would be breaking a significant historical barrier—no horse older than six has won this race in modern memory. He does, however, bring proven form over 1m4f, course experience, and comes into the race in excellent shape off a recent win. Statistically, he's an anomaly, but a dangerous one.

Continuous
Continuous has spent most of this season as a pacemaker for Ballydoyle runners and is in here again to set the fractions for his stablemate Jan Brueghel.

Final Trends-Based Verdict

Strongest profiles: Calandagan and Jan Brueghel lead the field from a trends perspective, with Kalpana close behind despite a minor technicality around distance.
Biggest red flags: Rebel’s Romance due to age.