Key events
Calandagan victorious in Champion Stakes
Calandagan was all class to stride to a smart success in the Champion Stakes at Ascot. The 15-8 French raider, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and owned by the Aga Khan Studs, was ridden by Mickael Barzalona in a quality field of 11.
John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman was the 13-8 favourite and the two horses were at the fore in the home straight, but it was Calandagan who held the upper hand to prevail by two and a quarter lengths, upgrading last year’s second place behind Anmaat.
Ombudsman was second with 28-1 shot Almaqam a further length and three-quarters back in third.
Barzalona said afterwards: “It was a tough race but when he found his action and he was ready to go I let him go. I’m very proud to be part of the team.”
4.05 CHAMPION STAKES result
1 Calandagan 15/8
2 Ombudsman 13/8 fav
3 Almaqam28/1
4.05 CHAMPION STAKES
And they’re off … Fox Legacy leads early but Mount Kilimanjaro then takes it up … Ombudsman is last at halfway … they are on the home turn … Almaqam makes ground … Ombudsman and Calandagan fight it out and Calandagan bravely fights off his foe to win!
4.05 CHAMPION STAKES betting
Greg Wood
4.05 CHAMPION STAKES preview
There are plenty of sub-plots and potential storylines in the 15th running of the Champion Stakes since its switch from Newmarket to Ascot, from the seasonal head-to-head between Ombudsman and Delacroix to Francis-Henri Graffard’s chance to cap a remarkable season both in France and elsewhere, but form is the key factor in finding the winner and plenty of races to ponder before the field goes to post.
Delacroix landed the first blow in his match-up with Ombudsman in the Eclipse at Sandown in July, but Ombudsman turned the tables in style – once William Buick realised that the pacemaker was getting away, at any rate – in the International Stakes at York the following month. Calandagan, meanwhile, has recorded both his Group One wins at a mile-and-a-half but has an exceptional turn of foot and went down only narrowly in this race last year.
Economics has not run since finishing down the field 12 months ago but has an obvious chance on his winning form in the Irish Champion Stakes in September 2024, while Andrew Balding fields an interesting under-the-radar outsider in the three-year-old Almeric, who will be making just the fifth start of his career today after an impressive success in the Listed Doonside Cup last time out. Do not forget to give Almaqam a once-over too: Ed Walker’s colt was the first horse to finish in front of Ombudsman when he took the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May and he too is lightly-raced for his age and within striking distance of the market leaders on ratings.
SELECTION: OMBUDSMAN
Cicero’s Gift shocks in Group One QEII at 100-1
Cicero’s Gift was another shock winner on British Champions Day at Ascot with a 100-1 strike in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Trained by Charlie Hills and ridden by Jason Watson, the bay was an outsider in a field of 16 with a draw of stall one.
From there he hugged the rail throughout and began to make real progress from the two-furlong marker, hitting the front with a furlong left to run and holding off all challengers as The Lion In Winter was second and Alakazi was third.
Cicero’s Gift’s surprise win followed on from 200-1 shot Powerful Glory’s triumph in the British Champions Sprint earlier in the afternoon.
Watson, who was in tears on his returns to Group One-winning glory after a long absence from the top table, stated: “He came into this so well. My mum and dad have been great supporters and I’ve been grafting for a long time to get back into the position I know I’m capable of. My mum says you can only win it if you’re in it!”
Victorious trainer Hills said: “That’s amazing. I am so pleased for Jason and the owners have been brilliant. We were hoping for some rain as he’s not been the soundest of horses.”
3.25 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES result
1 Cicero’s Gift 100/1
2 The Lion In Winter 12/1
3 Alakazi 22/1
3.25 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES
And they’re off … Dancing Gemini and Fallen Angel are up with the leaders in the early stages … Marvelman now goes for home … Field Of Gold has a lot to do … Cicero’s Gift leads and wins for another major shock on Champions Day! And that winner returns at 100-1!!
3.25 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES betting
Greg Wood
3.25 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES preview
A big welcome back to Field Of Gold, who seemed certain to be one of the big stars of the summer when he ran out an emphatic winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes on the round course at the Royal meeting in June. He then let his supporters down in no uncertain terms when only fourth, at odds of 1-3, in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, a race that was won by his pacemaker, Qirat, at 150-1. Any assessment of today’s Group One contest revolves around the question of which Field Of Gold will turn up, and while the noises coming out of his stable are very positive, he was a real let-down last time out and had his first race of the season as long ago as mid-April, so while many punters will look at his current price of around 2-1 and think that it’s a steal, my personal inclination is to look elsewhere. Rosallion has a string of good efforts in Group Ones to his name so far this season, including close seconds in the Queen Anne over this track and trip at the Royal meeting behind Docklands, who is also in today’s field, but his habit of finding one or two too good is increasingly irksome. Never So Brave, a big improver throughout the season after joining Andrew Balding following Sir Michael Stoute’s retirement, is a big runner aftergetting off the mark at Group One level at York last time, but personal preference is for the recent Group One-winning form of Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel. The Sun Chariot Stakes often passes almost unnoticed thanks to its scheduling on the Saturday of Arc weekend in Paris, but Fallen Angel posted arguably her best performance of the year in this year’s renewal a fortnight ago. It was her fifth win at Group One level and while all five have come in races restricted to fillies and mares, she has looked much improved since finishing sixth of eight on her reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury.
SELECTION: FALLEN ANGEL
2.45 CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES result
2.45 CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES
And they’re off … Ballet Slippers has an early lead with favourite Kalpana second … Quisisana is third and Wemightakedlongway just behind … Bedtime Story is being held up … Estrange is in midfield … on the turn for home now … Kalpana goes for home … and kicks clear … and it’s all over … an easy winner!
2.45 CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES betting
Kalpana 7/4
Estrange 7/1
Quisisana 8/1
Waardah 8/1
One Look 9/1
Danielle 11/1
Wemighttakedlongway 12/1
Bedtime Story 14/1
Latakia 25/1
Ballet Slippers 66/1
Full betting vis Oddschecker here
Best backed:
Kalpana 11/4 -> 9/5
Greg Wood
2.45 CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES preview
There’s little doubt that Andrew Balding’s Kalpana will start favourite for this, despite having failed to register a win in five attempts this season. Her one-length second to Calandagan in the King George in July over this track and trip is the best individual piece of form on offer and she also ran an eye-catching race to finish a seven-length seventh in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp 13 days ago. Quisisana, another runner from the Francis-Henri Graffard stable, was also in the Arc field, finishing another couple of lengths behind Kalpana after pulling hard in the early stages, but she will be a live contender here if she can settle a little better. David O’Meara’s Estrange, the Lancashire Oaks winner in July and runner-up behind the top-class Minnie Hauk in the Yorkshire Oaks the following month, was a late absentee from the Arc but will be a serious contender if she is over whatever ailed her beforehand, while Paddy Twomey’s One Look is another runner having a quick turnaround after the Arc meeting, where she ran third in the 10-furlong Prix de l’Opera. Punters looking for a runner coming in fresh, meanwhile, may well alight on Owen Burrows’s Waardah, a Group Two winner at Glorious Goodwood in early August who is having her first start since here.
SELECTION: WAARDAH
Hats off to the Sheffield Star tipster, Fortunatus, who not only tipped that winner but made the horse his best bet of the day! In racing parlance that selection was his nap. Indeed that result means he has won the Racing Post Naps Competition on the final day. Now that’s tipping.
Powerful Glory pulls off huge shock at 200-1
Extraordinary scenes at Ascot – on the biggest day of the Flat racing season Powerful Glory has won the British Champion Sprint Stakes at the astonishing odds of 200-1. He is now officially the biggest-priced winner of a top-flight race in Europe.
Richard Fahey’s three-year-old was ridden by Jamie Spencer and completely overlooked in the market with as much as 20lb to find on the ratings with his rivals in the Group One.
Lazzat was the 2-1 favourite and looked to be charging for home under James Doyle, but Powerful Glory was making up a huge amount of ground behind him and got his head in front on the line to become the longest-priced Group One winner in Britain since the current grading system was established.
Winning rider Spencer said: “I can’t believe it. You never know in this game – it’s a fantastic sport and this means a lot. I took the pensioner’s route.”
Meanwhile, Fahey told Racing TV: “We always thought he was a nice horse- he had a little operation [after he made a bad breathing noise follwing his first run]. No one thought he would win and he looked a bit hairy in the ring beforehand. I’ve been telling the owner that he’s a decent horse and that was only the fifth run of his life. I’m delighted, and for the owner too!”
2.05 CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES result
1 Powerful Glory 200/1
2 Lazzat 2/1 fav
3 Quinault 66/1
2.05 CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES
And they’re off … this will be over pretty fast going just six furlongs up the straight … Big Mojo gets a fast start as does Art Power … Ten Bob Tony is just behind the leaders … Lazzat takes the lead … and kicks clear but Powerful Glory nabs him on the line! That is going to be a huge price … it’s 200-1!!!!
Time for the second race suggesting it is nearer good to firm than good for the races up the straight …
A bit more than fractionally, on the straight course at least, judged on 2yo time of just over 73.0s
— Simon Rowlands (@RowleyfileRRR) October 18, 2025
2.05 CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES betting
Lazzat 5/2
Kind of Blue 7/1
Flora of Bermuda 7/1
Big Mojo 17/2
Montassib 9/1
Inisherin 11/1
Rayevka 14/1
King Cuan 14/1
Witness Stand 22/1
Ten Bob Tony 25/1
BAR 28/1 – 19 Runners
Full betting via Oddschecker here
Best backed:
Lazzat 4/1 -> 5/2
Flora of Bermuda 10/1 -> 7/1
Greg Wood
2.05 CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES 6f
Six of the last eight winners of this Group One sprint have set off at double-figure odds while there has been just one successful favourite in the last decade, so it is probably a race where punters should tread with a little care. Lazzat, though, will remain a popular pick with many after his course-and-distance win at the Royal meeting in June, and while he has failed to add to his Group One tally in two subsequent starts, he was not beaten far in the Maurice du Gheet at Deauville and had a tricky draw when fifth in the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time. Big Mojo, the Sprint Cup winner, is next in on the ratings, while Kind Of Blue, last year’s 10-1 winner, is a similar price for a repeat. Further down the list, Montassib needs careful consideration as he is lightly-raced for a seven-year-old and a genuine Group One performer at his best, although he would probably prefer the softer ground that generally prevails at this meeting. Flora Of Bermuda has yet to win a Group One in six attempts but has peppered the target – her form figures at this level are 453303 with the latest placing coming in the Sprint Cup – while Francis Henri-Graffard’s filly Rayevka remains lightly-raced and her trainer’s record with his runners in Britain this year speaks for itself.
SELECTION: BIG MOJO
1.30 CHAMPIONS DAY TWO-YEAR-OLD CONDITIONS STAKES result
1 Mission Central (C Soumillon) 5-1
2 Ardisia (Tom Marquand) 18-1
3 Words Of Truth (W Buick) 11-10 Fav
1.30 CHAMPIONS DAY TWO-YEAR-OLD CONDITIONS STAKES
And they’re off … this will be quick … Siren Suit is VERY slowly away … Words Of Truth is close to the leaders … Egoli is there … Words Of Truth is challenging now … but Mission Central kicks clear up the middle of the track and beats Ardisia. That means it’s John Gosden 1 Aidan O’Brien 1 after the first two races.
1.30 CHAMPIONS DAY TWO-YEAR-OLD CONDITIONS STAKES betting
Words of Truth 11/8
Division 7/2
Mission Central 5/1
Siren Suit 10/1
Sir Albert 12/1
Ardisia 14/1
Gentle George 25/1
Egoli 28/1
Super Soldier 50/1
Watcha Snoop 66/1
Slay Queen 125/1
Full betting via Oddschecker here
55% of bets today have backed Words of Truth or Division
Greg Wood
1.30 CHAMPIONS DAY TWO-YEAR-OLD CONDITIONS STAKES preview
There is no Group-race status (as yet) for the new juvenile race on the Champions Day card, but a £250k pot has attracted a fair field, in terms of numbers at least. There is not a huge amount of strength in depth, however, and Words Of Truth, the Mill Reef Stakes winner, has 9lb in hand of the field according to Timeform’s assessment. Charlie Appleby’s colt will set off at around 6-4 to complete a four-timer, with Division, a winner at York last weekend and also successful in his last three starts, next in the list at around 7-2. William Haggas’s colt was a cosy winner on the Knavesmire but that was only a Listed contest and he has the best part of a stone to find with Words Of Truth on the bare form. Mission Central is the only runner from the Aidan O’Brien stable after the scratching of Kansas, but needs to bounce back from a below-par run when favourite for the Flying Childers at Doncaster last month, while John & Thady Gosden’s well-bred Siren Suit also has a squeak if his first win in three attempts, at Kempton 10 days ago, sees him take another step forward.
SELECTION: WORDS OF TRUTH
Well the time for the first race suggest this is going to be quick ground – even more so than. the ‘Good’ description suggests. One or two pundits think the going may be bordering on ‘Good to Firm’.
I make that a race record time for the Long Distance Cup since switching to Ascot in 2011, the majority of previous editions having been on ground softer than good.
Fractionally on the quick side of good would be my best guess after just one race.
— Simon Rowlands (@RowleyfileRRR) October 18, 2025
12.55pm CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP result
1 Trawlerman 5/6 fav
2 Sweet William 5/2
3 Al Qareem 7/1
12.55pm CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP
And they’re off … Al Qareem and Trawlerman lead the way early – but they have a circuit to go yet! Al Qareem now takes it up as they have 10 furlongs to go … Sweet William is at the back but there’s a long way to go … Stay True being pushed along … Trawlerman moves up to challenge on the home turn … Trawlerman goes clear and wins from Sweet William, who makes ground late.
As Greg Wood pointed out in his preview piece for the Champion Stakes today “there is even a little needle to add further spice, after Aidan O’Brien, the trainer of Delacroix, suggested to a media briefing on Thursday that John Gosden, who trains Ombudsman, the favourite, ‘can whinge a little bit after races, whether he wins or he loses’.
Gosden just had his say on ITV Racing … “It seems like I’ve touched a nerve with Aidan,” the Newmarket trainer said. “He’s getting a little bit irked.”
Ooooooh it’s getting more spicy!
12.55pm CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP betting
Trawlerman 1/2
Sweet William 10/3
Stay True 8/1
Al Qareem 12/1
Saratoga 33/1
69% of bets placed today through Oddschecker have backed Trawlerman
Greg Wood
12.55pm CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP preview
Shiny new Group One status for the stayers’ race on Champions Day, but a disappointing five-runner turnout for a £300,000 first prize, the smallest field in the meeting’s 15-year history. John & Thady Gosden will not be complaining, however, as their gelding Trawlerman, the Gold Cup winner at the Royal meeting here in June, has an obvious chance to add another Group One win to his tally, and he is expected to set off at around 7-4. The main rival to Trawlerman in the betting, meanwhile, is his stable companion Sweet William, the runner-up in this race 12 months ago and third home in 2023, who arrives fresh from defending the Doncaster Cup, while the lightly-raced three-year-old Stay True, who was seen as a possible Derby contender earlier in the season and finished third in last month’s St Leger, goes into bat for the title-race leading Aidan O’Brien stable. The six-year-old Al Qareem is the other runner with a realistic chance based on his recent win in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at this track and he is actually in front of Stay True on Timeform ratings, but needs to find a fair chunk of improvement to trouble Trawlerman.
SELECTION: TRAWLERMAN
With the going in mind here’s the latest official Ascot report:
The going at Ascot for QIPCO British Champions Day is Good on both the straight Course and round courses.
And here’s an update on the horses that won’t be lining up today
Ascot non-runners
1.30pm British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes
5 Kamakameleon (vet’s cert – lame)
6 Kansas (self cert – not eaten up)
2.05pm British Champions Sprint (Group 1)
19 Rosy Affair (vet’s cert – bruised foot)
As you may have noticed it’s been exceptionally dry for a few weeks now and that’s why Ascot will be racing on the normal Flat race track and not the inside jumps course which Champions Day has been switched to for this meeting when the ground on the main track gets desperate.
Of course they’ll be racing at Ascot over the sticks soon enough now and I was reminded of the forthcoming highlights this when a copy of Mark Howard’s ‘One Jump Ahead’ annual landed on my mat. Plenty to get stuck into in the 200 pages including the mouthwatering prospect of seeing 100+ Flat-rated horse The Reverend test his mettle over obstacles now he has joined Willie Mullins. Howard himself selects Judy Ball as a handicapper to follow this campaign. Keep your eyes peeled once the entries are out soon for the first big meeting at Cheltenham!
Oisin Murphy, who will be officially crowned champion jockey today, has just been on the box, talking about his rides today and all things Champions Day. In a revealing interview this week with our own Don McRae he talked about what has been a trying year despite his success riding horses. Thought it was interesting this morning that trainer Ian Balding on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme said of the rider: “He needs very little hand-holding … [pause] … on the track …”
Three of the world’s top-10 racehorses go head-to-head in the £1.4m Champion Stakes at 4.05pm, as Greg Wood highlighted here in his preview feature for today’s great Champions Day card. But the trio will have to go some to match super sprinter Ka Ying Rising, who Timeform rate the best in the world currently, and who won the Everest in Australia this morning at 6.15am UK time. Watch him strut his stuff – and look at this build-up to the race with the crowd in vocal harmony with that ubiquitous anthem ‘Sweet Caroline’.
Preamble
Greg Wood
Hello from Ascot racecourse in Royal Berkshire, where the sky is grey but the forecast is dry, the going is good on both the straight and round courses and first seven-race Champions Day card will get underway with the Long Distance Cup at 12.55pm (all times BST).
This is the 15th running of Champions Day since the card was created as an end-of-season showcase for the best of British Flat racing, and not only the first with a seven-race programme, thanks to the addition of a £250,000 juvenile contest, but also the first ever afternoon at a British track with five Group One races on the schedule.
That is thanks to an upgrade to the opener from Group Two status, while what has become a familiar run of four Group One races in a row will kick off with the Champions Sprint at 2.05pm and finish with a flourish as a top-notch field goes to post for the Champion Stakes at 4.05pm.
Calandagan, the King George winner here earlier in the season, is edging towards Ombudsman in the betting for the feature event this morning, but John Gosden’s colt seems certain to set off as the favourite at around 7-4 and his jockey, William Buick, has plenty more to look forward to besides as he is also aboard Trawlerman, odds-on for the Long Distance Cup, and Words Of Truth, the warm favourite for the Two-Year-Old race.
Quick GuideGreg Wood’s Saturday’s tips
Show
Catterick: 10.30 Trapper John; 11.00 Sierra Sands; 11.28 Secret Sonata; 11.56 Made All; 12.23 Wreck It Ryley; 12.50 Ahamoment; 1.20 Venture Capital; 1.55 Beauty Choice
Ascot: 12.55 Trawlerman; 1.30 Words Of Truth; 2.05 Big Mojo; 2.45 Waardah; 3.25 Fallen Angel (nb); 4.05 Ombudsman; 4.40 Oliver Show (nap)
Stratford-on-Avon: 1.15 Electric Eddy; 1.50 Absolutely Doyen; 2.30 Juggernaut; 3.05 Seeyouinmydreams; 3.40 Baikal; 4.25 Yorgunnabeplucky; 5.05 Prince De Juilley
Newton Abbot: 2.15 Le Soleil Reve; 2.54 Of Corse I Can; 3.35 Dance And Glance; 4.15 Diplomatie; 4.55 Blueking D’Oroux; 5.25 Jaitroplaclasse; 5.55 Soldier Reeves
Wolverhampton: 4.29 Almarada Prince; 4.59 Massimo Blue; 5.30 Bystander; 6.00 Stipulation; 6.30 Coolree; 7.00 T Or Coffey; 7.30 Invincible Crown; 8.00 Simply Blue; 8.30 Desert Emperor
The Buick treble comes out at around 9-1 and the bookies could be looking at a chunky payout if it is still alive after two legs, while Field Of Gold, a hugely impressive winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes here at the Royal meeting before blotting his copybook at Goodwood in July, will also be popular with acca-builders in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Oisin Murphy will be crowned champion jockey during the afternoon, but today’s card could conceivably have an impact on the yet-to-be-finally-decided race for the Flat trainer’s title. Aidan O’Brien has a commanding lead of around £600,000 over Andrew Balding, who is in turn around the same amount ahead of John and Thady Gosden, but the Gosdens will have hopes of a double with Field Of Gold and Ombudsman is the two most valuable races on the card, while Balding has several runners with a chance including Kalpana, the favourite for the Fillies & Mares race at 2.45pm.
This is arguably the first Champions Day that lives up to the billing as envisaged when the card was launched back in 2011 (when only the Champion Stakes and the QEII had Group One status). All seven races this afternoon will be live on ITV Racing, and you can dual-screen to your heart’s content with our liveblog, which will carry all the news, views, betting moves and results until the last runner in the Balmoral Handicap is back in its box.
