Benvenuto Cellini Faces Elders in Stellar King George

Aidan O'Brien has declared Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) and Minnie Hauk (IRE) among his team of four for one of the biggest races of the flat season in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) July 25 at Ascot Racecourse. Benvenuto Cellini, the mount of Ryan Moore, arrives on the back of a first group 1 win in the Irish Derby (G1), having been controversially deemed a non-runner by stewards following a stall incident in the Epsom Derby (G1) before that. He will bid to become just the third 3-year-old to win the £2 million race in the last decade, a feat only achieved by Epsom Oaks (G1) scorer Enable (GB) in 2017 and Derby hero Adayar (IRE) in 2021. Wayne Lordan rides Minnie Hauk, who finished second to Ombudsman (IRE) in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. She racked up three group 1 wins in the Oaks, Irish Oaks (G1), and Yorkshire Oaks (G1) last year before finishing second to Daryz (FR) in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1). Benvenuto Cellini has been drawn widest in stall 9, with Minnie Hauk in stall 1. William Buick will bid for his first winner in Britain for O'Brien on his 20th ride on Lambourn (IRE), who won the Derby and Irish Derby last year, while Sean Levey partners fellow outsider Action (IRE). Francis-Henri Graffard saddles the last two winners of the race in Calandagan (IRE), who heads the betting at 8-5 and is the mount of Mickael Barzalona, and the Christophe Soumillon-ridden Goliath (GER) in the nine-runner field. Calandagan was crowned the world's best racehorse last year, but has failed to hit the same heights this season despite winning two of his three starts in group 1s. He was beaten 42 lengths when failing to fire on easy ground in the Coronation Cup Stakes (G1) at Epsom Downs Racecourse last month and justified long odds-on favoritism by just a neck in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) this month. Enable is the only horse this century to record back-to-back wins in the race when successful as a 5- and 6-year-old in 2019 and 2020. Goliath beat subsequent Arc winner Bluestocking (GB) in the 2024 King George and added a second group 1 to his CV in the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) last year. He ran with plenty of credit when third in the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) at the royal meeting, particularly given Soumillon's right foot slipped out of the iron in the final furlong. Japan is doubly represented, chiefly by the Christophe Lemaire-ridden Masquerade Ball (JPN). The Takahisa Tezuka-trained 4-year-old is closely matched with Calandagan having finished a head second to that rival in the Japan Cup (G1T) in November. Oisin Murphy rides Wurttemberg (JPN), who is an outsider for trainer Hiroshi Miyamoto despite a nose second to Croix du Nord (JPN) in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1T) at Kyoto Racecourse last time. Kalpana (GB) is the sole British-trained runner. Colin Keane's mount finished a place in front of Goliath when beaten a short head by Giavellotto (IRE) in the Hardwicke. She finished second to Calandagan in this race last year for Andrew Balding and has twice won the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (G1) at this track. The King George is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In event with a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.