Saturday’s Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot will be a rematch between Aidan O’Brien’s Jan Brueghel and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Calandagan, who finished one-two in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom.

Although Aidan O'Brien's runner came out on top on that occasion, it was deemed the unusual camber of Epsom Downs was not suited to Francis-Henri Graffard's gelding and he has since recorded a landmark first Group 1 success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Jan Brueghel continues to go from strength to strength since his Group 1 St Leger win at Doncaster in September, appearing an improved horse as a four-year-old. He will be joined by stablemate Continuous, winner of the 2024 Group 1 St Leger.

Yet it is unlikely to be a two-horse race, with five contenders remaining at the forty-eight hour declaration stage. Although all three-year-old representation was removed on Thursday, the quintet represent some of the top older horses in the division across the world.

Charlie Appleby's globetrotting gelding Rebel's Romance stood his ground, and could be underestimated despite a glittering CV.

A seven-time winner of Group/Graded events across the world, the son of Dubawi recorded a second success in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar in November.

He has been kept to domestic soil in recent months, trying his stamina with a victory in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup before an emotional victory over the King George course and distance in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The colts and geldings are joined by the sole filly Kalpana, trained by Andrew Balding. The Juddmonte-owned filly progressed throughout her three-year-old campaign and achieved a landmark Group 1 success in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October. Although beaten on her two runs in Group 1 company in Ireland this year, she has been far from disgraced in defeat behind Los Angeles and Whirl.