Kalpana may have been the star of the 2026 £2 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Group 1), but the weekend at the storied Ascot racecourse in the UK was also a powerful showcase for the strong presence of UAE owners in British racing.
As the brilliant French mare reversed last year’s one-two by defeating red-hot favourite Calandagan in Britain’s most important two and a half mile contest, stables like Godolphin, Shadwell Estate Company Ltd. and Dubai-based owner Ahmad Alkhallafi each enjoyed important victories of their own.
Kalpana’s victory carried a sense of unfinished business. It was revenge, but it was also a major statement for the horse’s owners, the legendary thoroughbred racing and breeding operation Juddmonte Farms, founded by the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia in 1980.
Ridden by Colin Keane, a multiple Irish champion, and trained by Andrew Balding, Kalpana travelled strongly behind a trio of Coolmore runners before being produced to challenge in the straight. Once she hit the front, she showed plenty of determination to hold off the defending champion by one and a half lengths.
For Balding, it was a landmark first victory in Britain’s premier middle-distance race and a deeply personal victory as his father, the late Ian Balding, had saddled the legendary Mill Reef to win the King George in 1971.
Andrew took over the family’s historic Kingsclere stable in 2003. Fifty-five years after his father’s triumph, Balding joined him on the roll of honour in a race that instantly places Kalpana in a different category alongside legendary winners like Dancing Brave (1986), Nashwan (1989), Lammtarra (1995), Galileo (2001) and the brilliant mare Enable (2017, 2019 and 2020).
And her name suits her perfectly. ‘Kalpana’ is a Sanskrit-derived word associated with imagination, vision and creative thought. On this evidence, it would appear that the five-year-old mare has plenty of potential to create her own racing history.
The world’s biggest races now beckon along with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in France on October 4, the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on October 17 and an entry-free place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Keeneland on November 7, making the next move a fascinating decision for Juddmonte.
Calandagan, meanwhile, was by no means disgraced. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, he arrived at Ascot as a proven international star after winning the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.
His defeat by Kalpana did little to take away from a season that has already established him among the world’s leading middle-distance horses with standout wins in the Group 1 Japan Cup (Nov 30, 2015) and Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 6.
The King George weekend also showed just how important UAE owners have become to British racing.
Godolphin, the Dubai-based racing and breeding powerhouse, made an early impression when Sorrengail won the six-furlong Sports4Causes October Club EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes on the opening day.
The two-year-old, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by champion jockey Billy Loughnane, showed the professional attitude of a filly suggesting she could develop into a serious contender at a higher level.
Meanwhile, Shadwell Estate Company Ltd., the hugely important racing stable founded by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, former Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, in international racing, was represented by Al Azd, a daughter of star sire Dubawi, who produced a commanding four-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Sodexo Live! Handicap.
And then came the performance by the exciting filly, Moonrise.
Owned by Dubai-based businessman Ahmad Alkhallafi, the Andrew Balding-trained filly won the Group 3 Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes at Ascot. It was a significant success for a young horse with the potential to progress further.
Overall, the King George weekend showcased the international nature of modern thoroughbred racing. Kalpana delivered the headline act while Godolphin, Shadwell and Ahmad Alkhallafi supplied three more winners that underlined the depth of UAE involvement.
Overall, Kalpana provided the weekend’s headline victory, while runners from Godolphin, Shadwell and Ahmad Alkhallafi highlighted the impact of Emirati investment on British racing.
Source: Khaleej Times