Calandagan and Jan Brueghel have both been declared for Saturday’s Coronation Cup and will have a highly anticipated rematch from last season.
Coronation Cup Rematch Set With Calandagan Declared
Earlier in the week, there were doubts around Calandagan’s involvement with the Coronation Cup this weekend at Epsom.
However, the superstar French horse has been declared and is set to face Jan Brueghel in a mouthwatering rematch.
The pair met in last year’s Coronation Cup and it was Jan Brueghel who got the better of Calandagan by half-a-length.
This race usually takes place on Oaks day, but has now been moved to Derby day.
WATCH: Jan Brueghel Wins 2025 Coronation Cup
St Leger hero Jan Brueghel bounces back and holds off Calandagan in a thrilling @Betfred Coronation Cup for Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien! pic.twitter.com/Q2b4RDfisS
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 6, 2025
But since that defeat at Epsom, Francis-Henri Graffard’s horse has won FIVE Group 1s in four different countries.
He bounced back from the Coronation with an easy win at Saint-Cloud, before winning the King George at Ascot. He then returned to Ascot on Champions Day to win the Champion Stakes, destroying Ombudsman.
But he wasn’t finished there, he would go to Tokyo and win the Japan Cup by just a head, getting up on the line to beat top Japanese three-year-old Masquerade Ball.
He then had a break of 118 days and went over to Meydan to win the Sheema Classic.
Those Group 1 wins over the past 12 months made him the World’s Greatest Racehorse according to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
WATCH: Calandagan Wins Sheema Classic At Meydan
What a star! 🤩
Calandagan mows them down in the Dubai Sheema Classic! 🏆@GraffardRacing | @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/Hr687V8YX5
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 28, 2026
Ground Could Still Hinder Calandagan
As already touched on, the Epsom going could be a big factor whether Calandagan runs or not.
He’s been declared, but connections were worried about the ground earlier in the week.
Aga Khan Studs manager Nemone Routh said the following a couple of days ago:
“The horse worked yesterday and is in great form, but we have always said we didn’t really want to run him in this race if the ground got too soft.”
Coronation Cup Odds 2026
- Calandagan 13/8 (Francis-Henri Graffard)
- Jan Brueghel 13/8 (Aidan O’Brien)
- Convergent 6/1 (Karl Burke)
- Lambourn 6/1 (Aidan O’Brien)
- Bay City Roller 16/1 (George Scott)
