About the race
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is run over a mile and a half (2,400 metres) on turf at Ascot on the Saturday of King George Weekend in July, and is open to three-year-olds and upwards. Ascot says the race was first run in 1951. It was worth £1.5 million in 2025 and £2 million in 2026, which Ascot said made it Britain’s richest race, and on 20 July 2026 Ascot announced that the 2027 running will be worth £2.5 million. The next running is on Saturday 24 July 2027.
The 75th running, on 26 July 2025, was won by Calandagan for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and jockey Mickael Barzalona, the trainer’s second consecutive win in the race after Goliath in 2024, with Kalpana second. Ascot reports that the IFHA ranked it the fourth-best race in the world in 2025. In 2026 Kalpana won for Juddmonte, Andrew Balding and Colin Keane, with Calandagan second.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 July 2025 | Calandagan | Mickael Barzalona | Francis-Henri Graffard | Aga Khan Studs SCEA |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 July 2026 | Kalpana | Colin Keane | Andrew Balding | Juddmonte |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Race day
- King George Day, Saturday 24 July 2027 (King George Weekend, 23 and 24 July 2027)
- Prize money announced for 2027
- £2.5 million (announced by Ascot on 20 July 2026)
- Prize money in 2025
- £1.5 million
- IFHA ranking for 2025
- Fourth in the world, race rating 125.00
Questions readers ask
When is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run?
At Ascot on the Saturday of King George Weekend in late July. Ascot lists the next running for Saturday 24 July 2027.
What is the prize fund of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes?
£2 million in 2026. Ascot has announced that the 2027 running will be worth £2.5 million.
Who won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2025?
Calandagan, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, won on 26 July 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- King George Day, Ascot Racecourse
- King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes to be run for £2.5 million in 2027, Ascot Racecourse
- The King George: 75 years of memorable moments, Ascot Racecourse
- King George Weekend racing roundup 2026, Ascot Racecourse
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes result, 26 July 2025, Sporting Life