As the Glorious Goodwood Festival 2026 is nearing its completion, day four brings forward another eight high class races, making sure that the enthusiasm both on and off the tracks doesn’t fade away after the headline race of the meeting is over. The feature race of the fourth day is the King George Qatar Stakes. This year, it falls on Friday, 31 July.
The King George Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres). The debut edition of the race took place in 1911. It was established to commemorate the coronation of King George V who became king in May 1910 and was crowned in June 1911. Initially run over a distance of 6 furlongs, it was reduced to its present distance in 1948.
In this article we will review the list of runners declared to run in this season’s race, go over the race card for the entire fourth day, and take a closer look at some of the most promising runners and market’s favourites to compete in the race.
King George Stakes Day 2026 Racecard
The Goodwood Festival 2026 will be conducted in the last week of July and last for five days. This horse racing fixture will include 38 races, with eight races conducted on the first, third, and fourth days, and seven races on the second and fifth days of the event. King George Stakes will take place on the fourth day of the meeting as the headline race of the day.
Day Four: King George Day (31 July)
- When: Friday, 31 July 2026
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race: 1:50 pm
- Headline race: 3:35 pm
- Last race: 5:55 pm
The daily race card for the King George Day 2026 is as follows:
Going: good (good to firm in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:50 pm | THE CORAL GOODWOOD HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 2) | 2m 4f 137y | 3YO+ £75,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 2:25 pm | THE THOROUGHBRED STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 1m | 3YO £110,000.00 |
| 3:00 pm | THE CORAL GOLDEN MILE (Class 2 Heritage Handicap) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO+ £175,000.00 |
| 3:35 pm | THE KING GEORGE QATAR STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2) (CL 1) | 5f | 3YO+ £300,000.00 |
| 4:10 pm | THE REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES BENTINCK CONDITIONS STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m 1f 11y | 4YO+ £100,000.00 |
| 4:45 pm | THE HAWES & CURTIS NURSERY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 6f | 2YO £60,000.00 |
| 5:20 pm | THE HKJC WORLD POOL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 3) | 1m 3f 44y | 3YO £50,000.00 Rating 0-90 |
| 5:55 pm | THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m 1f 197y | 3YO+ £85,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
King George Stakes 2026 Runners
Though not as large scale of a race as the Goodwood Cup or the Sussex Stakes, the King George Stakes is still a desirable win in the racing career of any eligible runner. This year, its prize purse stands at £300,000. With no upper age limit for participants, it welcomes a variety of outstanding runners every season, providing horse racing enthusiasts with a magnificent spectacle on the track from start to finish.
Currently, there are 16 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Night Raider (age 5, jockey James Doyle, trainer Karl Burke)
- American Affair (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jim Goldie)
- Jakajaro (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Robert Cowell)
- Jm Jungle (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Sean Quinn)
- Lamborghini BF (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Fredrik Reuterskiold)
- Partisan Hero (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David Loughnane)
- Rumstar (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jonathan Portman)
- Asfoora (age 7, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Henry Dwyer)
- Azure Angel (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Edward Bethell)
- Miss Attitude (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jack Channon)
- Time For Sandals (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Harry Eustace)
- Aspect Island (age 3, jockey Billy Loughnane, trainer James Owen)
- Brussels (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Dickensian (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Kevin Ryan)
- Argentine Tango (age 3, jockey Tom Eaves, trainer Tim Easterby)
- Spicy Marg (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Michael Bell)
Who to Look Out for at the King George Stakes 2026
Continuing the established tradition, this year the King George Stakes has received entries for a number of outstanding runners who, together with their trainers and jockeys, will take part in the feature race of the fourth day of the Glorious Goodwood Festival. While the number of runners may change before the start of the race, audiences won’t be disappointed, as all of them bring skills and determination to win on to the tracks. As the race doesn’t impose an upper age limit on participation, several horses have run and won the race more than once in their career. One horse that stands out with the highest number of champion titles to his name is Battaash with 4 wins (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
The latest winner in 2025 was a 5 year old bay gelding Jm Jungle. This was the second of his two wins during the season. He also won the Aston Martin ‘Dash’ Handicap during the Epsom Derby Festival (Epsom Downs Racecourse, June 2025). For Jm Jungle this wasn’t his first win at Glorious Goodwood. In August 2023 he also won the World Pool Handicap. Since the start of the 2026 season, he has participated in four races. The highest outcome he has shown so far was the third place in the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes (York Racecourse, July 2026). He has been declared to participate in this year’s race. Jm Jungle was trained by John & Sean Quinn and led on the track by jockey Jason Hart.
Night Raider
- Age: 5 years old
- Sex and colour: brown gelding
- Trainer: Karl Burke
- Major achievements: 6 out of 17 wins, including William Hill Temple Stakes (May 2026) and BetUK Golden Rose Stakes (November 2024)
Night Raider opens the market as the strongest favourite. He tried to win the King George Qatar Stakes (Goodwood Racecourse, August 2025, winner Jm Jungle) in the previous edition of the race, however came in sixth. He won his very first two races, including the maiden Bet 10 Get 40 At BetMGM EBF Novice Stakes (Southwell Racecourse, December 2023). He added two more wins to his credit in 2024, ebfstallions.com Conditions Stakes (Kempton Racecourse, October 2024) and BetUK Golden Rose Stakes (Newcastle Racecourse, November 2024).
While in 2025 his highest achievement was the third place in the 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes (York Racecourse, May 2025, winner Inisherin), in 2026 Karl Burke’s charge returned to the race tracks in an excellent form, winning two races out of the three he has participated in so far, the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes at the Newmarket Racecourse in May 2026 and the William Hill Temple Stakes at the Haydock Park Racecourse in May 2026).
Rumstar
- Age: 6 years old
- Sex and colour: bay gelding
- Trainer: Jonathan Portman
- Major achievements: 7 out of 31 wins, including Coral Charge (July 2026) and Coral Charge (July 2025)
His spectacular performance and win in the Coral Charge race (Sandown Park Racecourse, July 2026) catapulted Rumstar into the top five favourites for the King George Stakes. This was reinforced by the fact that this time he was running as a defending champion, having won the Coral Charge in July 2025 too.
Jonathan Portman’s charge is not a newbie at the Goodwood Racecourse. Throughout his racing career he has already participated in four different races at the Chichester venue. This includes one win in his debut year of 2022, namely Coral Beaten-By-A-Length Free Bet Nursery (Goodwood Racecourse, July 2022) during the Glorious Goodwood Festival. He has also participated in the Coral Stewards’ Cup twice, once in August 2023 (winner Aberama Gold) and the second time in August 2024 when he came to the finish line seventh (winner Get It).
Jakajaro
- Age: 5 years old
- Sex and colour: bay gelding
- Trainer: Robert Cowell
- Major achievements: 4 out of 34 wins, including Lindum York Handicap (May 2026) and Betway 4 To Win Handicap (April 2026)
Jakajaro started the 2026 season with two notable wins, Betway 4 To Win Handicap at the Newmarket Racecourse in April 2026 and Lindum York Handicap at the York Racecourse in May 2026. Though his participation in this season’s Tulfarris Hotel And Golf Resort Sapphire Stakes (Curragh Racecourse, July 2026, winner Cover Up) only brought him the third place, he caught the attention of the market experts for his overall sprint form and performance.
Robert Cowell’s charge will be returning to the Goodwood Racecourse for the fourth time since the start of his career. In 2025 he participated in three races at the venue and was placed third in two of them (Coral Stewards’ Cup, August 2025, winner Two Tribes and LiveScoreBet Handicap, August 2025, winner Flash Harry) and sixth in one (Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap, July 2025, winner Brazen Bolt).
Jm Jungle
- Age: 6 years old
- Sex and colour: bay gelding
- Trainer: John & Sean Quinn
- Major achievements: 7 out of 43 wins, including King George Qatar Stakes (August 2025) and Aston Martin ‘Dash’ Handicap (June 2026)
Jm Jungle enters the race as the defending champion, understandably drawing the attention of both horse racing fans and experts to himself. This was his second win after he came to the finish line first in the Aston Martin ‘Dash’ Handicap during the Epsom Derby Festival (Epsom Downs Racecourse, June 2026). This year will mark his fourth run at the Goodwood Racecourse. Prior to his 2025 win, he was placed fifth in the Coral Racing Club Handicap (July 2024, winner Tatterstall) and won the World Pool Handicap (August 2023), both during the Glorious Goodwood Festival.
John & Sean Quinn’s charge has already participated in four races since the start of the 2026 season. Although his participation in the King Charles III Stakes during the Royal Ascot week (Ascot Racecourse, June 2026, winner Mission Central) wasn’t overly successful, placing him in the eleventh position, he later placed fourth in the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes at the Newmarket Racecourse in May 2026 and third in the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes at the York Racecourse in July 2026.
Asfoora
- Age: 7 years old
- Sex and colour: bay mare
- Trainer: Henry Dwyer
- Major achievements: 7 out of 27 wins, including Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (October 2025) and King Charles III Stakes (June 2024)
Asfoora may be mostly used to Australian racing tracks, however she is still a frequent guest at European and British racing events. In 2026 she has already run in four races, all of them in Britain, and placed seventh in the King Charles III Stakes during the Royal Ascot week (Ascot Racecourse, June 2026, winner Mission Central). Two years prior, in 2024 she won the same race, while in 2025 she placed fifth behind the winner American Affair.
Henry Dwyer’s charge started her racing career by winning her two very first races, the maiden Peter Lennox Mercedes at the Stawell Racecourse, Australia in January 2022 and then the Evergreen Turf at the Caulfield Racecourse, Australia later the same month. Her first British race took place in May 2024 and was the Betfred Temple Stakes at the Haydock Park Racecourse, where she placed fourth, while the win in the King Charles III Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse that she achieved a month later was only her second race on British soil.
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