Kalpana taking things easy before big autumn targets

Kalpana will take a well-trodden path to Paris after she ignited dreams of back-to-back wins in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for owners Juddmonte when second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Andrew Balding’s star filly found just French raider Calandagan too good in Ascot’s mid-summer showpiece, replicating the effort of Juddmonte’s Bluestocking 12 months ago, who would go on to score in both the Prix Vermeille and Europe’s richest middle-distance prize in the autumn.

Kalpana is set for a short break to recover from her Ascot exertions, but as a general 7-1 favourite for the Arc could follow the ‘Bluestocking route’ to the French capital with the Vermeille a possibility for her return.

Kempton’s Unibet September Stakes on September 6, a race the daughter of Study Of Man won last season before landing Group One success on British Champions Day – and used by the great Enable to tee-up Arc glory in 2018, is another option at her disposal.

“She ran huge and the handicapper put her official rating up again which shows she ran a career best,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon, reflecting on her Ascot second.

“She’s so genuine and just always tries her heart out and Andrew is going to give her a little break now just to freshen her up with the autumn in mind.

“What that will look like we’re not quite sure yet, but we’ve got the Prix Vermeille and September Stakes as the two races we will look at and hopefully, ultimately it is the Arc in October.

“Both races have lead us to Arc glory in the past so the owners will sit down with Andrew in a few weeks time and see which way they want to go.”

Prior to her second to Calandagan, Kalpana has also performed with credit in two appearances at the Curragh when third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup after an interrupted passage, then runner-up to Whirl in a thrilling renewal of the Pretty Polly Stakes.

Buoyed by those fine efforts in defeat on quicker going over the summer months, the Kalpana team are now excited about what could come when encountering envisaged easier conditions in the second half of the season when combined with her preferred mile and a half distance.

Mahon added: “She’ll be ready to go in the autumn and hopefully there will be a little bit more juice in the ground which we know she likes and will suit her. She’s shown such a high level of form on good and good to firm that we feel there is a bit more to come on softer ground.

“She’s favourite for the Arc and I don’t know if that indicates much or not but it is one of Europe’s premier middle-distance races and definitely the type of races Juddmonte want to be competing in.”