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Rebel’s Romance wins the Hardwicke June 21 at Ascot (Megan Coggin)
Winner Gains Automatic Berth Into 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf
Breeders’ Cup Press Release
ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND – Godolphin’s homebred Rebel’s Romance (IRE) – two-time winner of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) – will take on Calandagan (IRE) and Jan Brueghel (IRE) in a field of five on July 26 in a top-class renewal of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) over 1 1/2 miles at Ascot Racecourse – Britain’s richest all-aged contest.
The race winner will gain a guaranteed start in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, 7-year-old Rebel’s Romance comes off a 1 1/4-length victory in the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) in June at the Royal Ascot meeting, his 18th score with earnings of more than £10M in prize money, and his second consecutive Group 2 after landing the Boodles Yorkshire Cup Stakes (G2) at York in May. The globetrotting son of Dubawi (IRE) won the 2022 and 2024 editions of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, respectively, and has captured Group 1 races all over the world. He was third in the 2024 edition of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and steps back to the top level for the first time since a fourth in the April 5 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) at Meydan after winning the H.H. Amir Trophy (G1) in February in his season debut.
“Rebel’s Romance has come out of Royal Ascot well and we’ll go into the King George as a decent player,” Appleby said. “Needless to say, there are some young legs in there but a little bit like last year, he’ll always run a solid race for you. You’re going to meet some younger horses who have taken different routes to get there but the one thing about him is he’s not going to lie down easily and wherever he finishes, whoever beats him will know they’ve had a race.”
However he performs in the King George, Rebel’s Romance will open up a new frontier later this year when heading to Canada and determine his path back to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup.
“Beyond Ascot, one of his targets will be the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine,” Appleby said. “Hopefully that will give him a springboard into another crack at the Breeders’ Cup.”
The 7-4 early favorite, French-trained Calandagan, earned his first top-level score for the Aga Khan Studs SCEA in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) over 1 1/4 miles after finishing second in four consecutive top-level races. Trainer Francis Henri-Graffard is seeking back-to-back victories in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth after winning the 2024 edition with Goliath (GER) at 25-1. Four-year-old Calandagan was beaten a half-length by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup (G1) in June, but his trainer is confident he has him in the best possible form.
Henri-Graffard said: “(Calandagan) has been a very competitive horse internationally at the top level. He won his Group 1 very convincingly last time and he’s coming to Ascot in his best form. He doesn’t mind any ground. He’s very versatile and has already won on the course and distance. We won the race last year with Goliath so hopefully can do it two years in a row.”
Jan Brueghel, a Galileo colt trained by Aidan O’Brien for Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, won the St Leger, the final Classic of the season, at Doncaster in September last year and is one of four intended runners from the Ballydoyle stable, chasing their first winner in this iconic middle-distance race since Highland Reel (IRE) in 2016.
The 150-1 shot Continuous (JPN) also bears the Ballydoyle flag for owners Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg.
Juddmonte-owned Kalpana (GB) finished second in the Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) over 1 1/4 miles at The Curragh in June. Andrew Balding’s 4-year-old was third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at the same track in May. She proved herself against her own sex last season when winning the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (G1) by 2 lengths at Ascot in October, and her trainer thinks she’s in the best form possible for Saturday’s iconic race.
Balding said: “We are delighted with the way that Kalpana’s been training. Her work has been very good. We are very happy with her condition at the moment and hopefully she can be competitive in what is a very strong race but she could not be in better shape at the moment.”
The going is currently good ahead of Saturday.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20 in order to receive the rewards.
