The autumn sun cast a golden glow over Ascot as anticipation builds for QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday, 18th October. Racing fans across the nation are brimming with excitement, as Europe’s finest thoroughbreds prepare to converge for what promises to be a spectacular finale to the British Flat season.
At the heart of the excitement is the £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes, where last year’s hero Anmaat bids to etch his name in history by becoming the first back-to-back winner since Cracksman. But victory will not come easily. Ombudsman, victor of both the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International, and Coral-Eclipse winner Delacroix, bring their own intense rivalry into the fray, with the series currently locked at one win apiece. Adding further intrigue is King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes champion Calandagan, alongside last year’s Irish Champion Stakes winner Economics and dual Group 1 star Goliath. Twenty-five elite horses remain in contention for what could be one of the season’s defining clashes.
In the £1.1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Field Of Gold returns to challenge 26 rivals after an impressive early season that saw him claim the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St. James’s Palace Stakes. Docklands, fresh from a scintillating Queen Anne Stakes triumph, and consistent performers Rosallion and Facteur Cheval, all promise a tactical, edge-of-your-seat mile contest. Delacroix may even drop back in trip, having campaigned exclusively over further distances this season.
Sprint fans will be captivated by the £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes, featuring 30 contenders in a wide-open contest. Last year’s winner Kind Of Blue leads Wathnan Racing’s charge, joined by July Cup heroine No Half Measures and Commonwealth Cup Trial victor Big Mojo. Flora Of Bermuda, third in last year’s sprint, also remains in the mix.
The £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes offers more drama, with 24 fillies and mares still in play. Aidan O’Brien fields seven possible entries, including Ribblesdale Stakes winner Garden Of Eden and Prix Vermeille third Bedtime Story. Last year’s champion Kalpana will instead run at Longchamp, while Owen Burrows’ improving Waardah could play spoiler after her Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes victory over fellow contender Danielle.
In the staying division, Trawlerman aims to assert dominance in the £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup. The seven-year-old Godolphin-owned star broke the track record in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and seeks a second Long Distance Cup victory after triumphing in 2023. Scandinavia, Gold Cup runner-up Illinois, Jan Brueghel, and Group 1 Preis von Europa winner Sibayan round out a stellar 16-horse field. This year marks the race’s elevation to Group 1 status, bringing the total number of Group 1 contests on British Champions Day to five.
For the first time, the day’s card opens with the £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for juveniles. The event concludes with the £200,000 Balmoral Handicap, ensuring fans of every discipline witness top-tier competition.
Tickets are on sale now, promising a day of world-class racing, excitement, and history in the making at Ascot.
Read the full preview on RaceBuzz.
