Kalpana back in action in Aston Park bid
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Fri 15 May 2026
Connections of Kalpana are confident she can take a step forward as she makes her seasonal reappearance in the Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
The five-year-old has been off the track since winning the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day for a second time and trainer Andrew Balding believes the mare has grown in stature during her winter off.
She will carry a 7lb penalty as she bids to blow off the cobwebs, with the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes her primary target.
Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: “It will be lovely to see her back, she’s been a star for the last two seasons and Andrew actually thinks she’s better this year – he thought she was a lot stronger this year than last year and she’s training well.
“This very much is her first start of the year, she might need it, she has to give plenty of weight away and we’re obviously working back from targets later in the season.
“She’s ready to run and hopefully she’s fit enough to do herself justice. It’s a lovely starting point and we’re looking forward to seeing her.”
She will face four rivals, with William Haggas saddling Arabian Force, John and Thady Gosden running French Master, Simon and Ed Crisford represented by West Wind Blows and Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane completing the field.
Aidan O’Brien’s Albert Einstein is an eyecatching participant on the card as he drops back to six furlongs in the Listed Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes.
The Wootton Bassett colt will look to get back on track after disappointing this term in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh and then the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, both over seven furlongs.
Royal Fixation makes her debut for Karl Burke after switching from the care of Ed Walker in what looks a red-hot renewal.
She was beaten just a neck by Venetian Sun in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes before going on to win the Lowther Stakes and was only a length and three-quarters away when third to True Love in the Cheveley Park Stakes.
She returns from 231 days off the track and Paul Curran, racing and bloodstock manager for owners Forz Europe Ltd, is confident she can pick up from where she left off last season.
Curran said: “We’re looking forward to seeing how she can go.
“She’s doing well, so fingers crossed. It’s a strong race and I think it’s better than Listed class. You’ve got the Middle Park winner (Wise Approach) in there and Albert Einstein who’s back at six furlongs.
“But she’s a good filly herself, obviously, from her form last year and we’re looking to see how well she can go, we were toying with the possibility she could have gone a mile but we changed the plan and went back to six.”
The King and Queen’s Golden Orbit will bid to keep her unbeaten record intact in the Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes.
The daughter of Sea The Stars has not been seen since winning a Newmarket maiden in September and this could potentially be a stepping stone for the English or Irish Oaks for the Ralph Beckett-trained filly.
Beckett will also be represented by Allaire, who bids to better two runner-up finishes behind two potential top-notch performers in the shape of I’m The One and Felicitas.
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