The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 metres), and it is scheduled to take place as part of British Champions Day each year in October. In 2025 the total race purse is just under £1.5m, with the winner set to take home over £800,000.
The Racecard
Previous Winners
Key Trends of the Last 10 Races:
- 8 of the winners have been aged 3 or 4
- 50% have been won by the SP favourite
- 4 winners have come at odds of 10/1 or bigger, with 3 of those coming in the past 4 editions
- 8 out of 10 have had an official rating of at least 120
- 6 out of 10 have had a top speed rating of at least 100
- No currently active jockey in the UK has one this more than once in the past decade
- Only John Gosden has trained more than one winner in the last 10
The Breakdown
ALMAQAM
Solid, consistent performer and did beat the favourite Ombudsman earlier in the season, but has struggled to find improvement in top class company. Likely an outsider at best here who may pick up a place if he brings his A-game. Distance winner.
CALANDAGAN
Calandagan brings a strong French staying pedigree and is coming in with momentum after a big win in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot earlier. The step back to a mile & a quarter should suit, given his stamina profile. He has a serious chance if he runs to form and the ground remains good. Course and distance winner.
ECONOMICS
Lightly raced in this company and returns after an absence (not seen since this race last year, in which he bled). He has shown class but will need to pick up where he left off before this race last year and hit peak form. In a race of this calibre, freshness can be a plus or a liability. Interesting but questions marks remain. Distance winner.
FIRST LOOK
French Gelding who is in great form coming off the back of a hattrick of wins, last time out in a Group 2. This is however a massive step up in class, not to write him off though because if he continues to find improvement he could well outrun his price. Distance winner.
FOX LEGACY
Impressive record of 3-4 this season, although these wins came in lower class, lesser competition than he will face here. Decent price if he can continue finding improvement under this new yard but may be outclassed if no improvement is found.
OMBUDSMAN
Ombudsman is the standout on paper—widely regarded as the leading performer of the season, with victories in the Juddmonte International Stakes and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Top rated here, his turn of foot and proven form at Ascot give him every right to be favourite. If the pace is strong and he can avoid traffic, he should be very hard to beat. Likely to employ the services of a pacemaker (much like in the Juddmonte) here with Devil’s Advocate. Course and distance winner.
PRAGUE
Worst form of the field and taking a step up in his usual trip, this looks too much an ask and is maybe just a filler for this race. Rank outsider and its clear to see why. Distance winners
ALMERIC
One of the younger contenders, stepping up in company here but has shown strong potential this season and won impressively over this sort of trip. He lacks the big-race track‐record of some rivals but his rapid improvement makes him an intriguing outsider. Great pedigree for this race and Oisin Murphy on board are both positives. Big step up here but could be an interesting watch. Distance winner.
DELACROIX
Delacroix has been building a consistent high-level record this year; he defeated Ombudsman earlier in the season and has the air of a colt with unfinished business. The 3-year-old allowance gives him a slight edge. He may be slightly behind Ombudsman on raw form, but his improvement curve and smart connections make him a live threat. May be employing the services of his own pacemaker with Mount Kilimanjaro. Distance winner.
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE
Unlikely to be anything more than a pacemaker for Ombudsman, though this tactic did result in Birr Castle picking up 3rd in the Juddmonte when pacemaking for Ombudsman. Distance winner.
MOUNT KILIMANJARO
Coolmore’s answer to Godolphin, again unlikely to be anything more than a pacemaker for Delacroix. Distance winner.
My Thoughts
This race is more often than not very difficult to predict, and the market here points towards a three-horse race between Ombudsman, Delacroix and Calandagan. It appears a tactical battle is on the cards between Godolphin and Coolmore, both looking to use pacemakers to their advantage. This could be a benefit or disadvantage to Calandagan, depending on whether the tactics of the others pays off, or if the race turns messy the French based horse may be able to pick up the pieces. I do really like Calandagan and think without the tactical aspect he may well be the classiest, however I feel this race will come down to the strategy employed in favour of Ombudsman or Delacroix, with preference for Godolphin’s colt. Of the bigger prices, Almeric and Economics are both interesting. Almeric appears an exciting 3-year-old who I think will either go close in the places or be completely outclassed by the higher competition. Economics has had an entire year off, so will be interesting to see if he is still the class horse he once was. Worth noting he was 2/1 for this race last year.
