British Champions Day Preview
The flat racing season is coming to a close, which means the richest day in British racing is coming to Ascot. Four million pounds is up for grabs across six races at the thoroughbred racecourse for the culmination of the British Champion Series. It features the finals across five divisions in group races, ending with a lucrative one-mile handicap race.
Four Group 1 races follow the Group 2 opener with the final two presenting the most exciting races on the flat calendar. We have horse racing predictions for the most exciting trips with a look at the biggest runners in these races:
- British Champions Long Distance Cup – 1:20 pm
- British Champion Sprint Stakes – 1:55 pm
- British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes – 2:35 pm
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes – 3:15 pm
- Champion Stakes – 3:55 pm
British Champion Long Distance Cup Preview
This Group 2 race serves as the opener for the meeting with a £300k purse. As the name suggests, it is the longest distance at the meeting with a 2m trip. Several runners reappear in this race from last year, including Trawlerman and Kyprios. The former defeated Aiden O’Brien’s 11/10 charge by a neck here in 2023.
Kyprios reappears as favourite once again after gaining revenge on Trawlerman, beating him by a length in the Gold Cup here in June. He is 8/11, for anyone looking to bet online, to win an incredible ninth Group 1 after a victory at Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp.
O’Brien also enters Continuous, Grosvenor Square, Illinois, The Euphrates, and Point Lonsdale in this race. Illinois looks to have the best chance of those. Sweet William had a successful season with a second and third-placed finish behind Kyprios. John & Thady Gosden’s second charge arrives following a 1L win ahead of Trueshan in Doncaster in September.
British Champion Long Distance Cup Betting Tips and Predictions
Kyprios has become the odds-on favourite for anyone looking to bet on horse racing as he remains unbeaten this season. That includes his victory over second-favourite Trawlerman in the Gold Cup and a 4L victory over Sweet William in July. O’Brien’s charges make up nearly half of the field and Kyprios is the best of them all. He appeared as a 1/5 last time out at Longchamp and could come in closer to that price again as we edge closer to race day.
We think Kyprios will win the race, but there is still some value in Sweet William’s price. The Doncaster Cup winner is worth an each-way bet before the odds come in.
British Champions Sprint Stakes Preview
From the longest trip to the shortest, the British Champions Sprint Stakes is the only race on the meeting that goes under a mile. It welcomes the top sprinters of the season with a £600k purse.
Art Power reappears after his 40/1 triumph here last year, but there has not been a back-to-back winner of this race since the 1950s. He beat 5/4 favourite Kinross by a neck who had won this race the previous year. Ralph Beckett’s seven-year-old has had an inconsistent season, most recently beaten as a 19/10 favourite by 3L to Ramatuelle at Longchamp.
Montassib’s switch to a sprinter has paid off handsomely this year, most notably beating Kinross by ¾L and winning the Sprint Cup ahead of Kind Of Blue. Beauvatier has four third-placed finishes in a row heading into this race. Unequal Love and Mill Stream have a pair of wins this season, though only the former has won on course and distance.
British Champions Sprint Stakes Betting Tips and Predictions
Kinross enters as the favourite for this renewal but has performed poorly over 6f this season. Montassib, Mill Stream, Swingalong, and Art Power have all finished ahead of him over this trip in 2024 and his only victory has come over a furlong further. Montassib is the most interesting of those, entering at 5/1 here with a first-place finish over this trip in front of Ralph Beckett’s horse.
Our eyes are turned to Beauvatier for a place bet. He can still fulfil his juvenile potential and has placed in all his meetings this year. We like an each-way bet on Yann Barberot’s three-year-old.
British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes Preview
This Group 1 race is the second longest trip of the day at 1m 4f with a £550k purse. Open to fillies and mares aged three and over, older horses give up 6lbs at 9st 5lb. Favourite Kalpana has been lightly raced since July but boasts wins in four of her seven meetings and places in the rest. She had emphatic victories in the Glasgow and September Stakes, but this is likely to be her toughest test so far.
Aiden O’Brien’s Content finished runner-up in the Irish Oaks before winning the Yorkshire Oaks but fell well short at Longchamp. However, 1m 4f is undoubtedly her trip.
Queen Of The Pride had a shocker in the Yorkshire Oaks but defeated Tiffany handily in July in the Lancashire. Fellow Emily Upjohn stablemate Danielle enjoys the mud but has looked poor over this trip. She has finished sixth and ninth in back-to-back races. Time Lock is another to have been lightly raced this season before an impressive win at Newmarket last month. However, she failed to perform in this race last year after a victory in that same meeting.
British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes Betting Tips and Predictions
Kalpana’s form looks to be the strongest, but not enough to open under 2/1. Instead, we look at Content. She can be forgiven for her shocker in her last meeting and is worth 10/1 here. Many of the runners have had those this season and the first-time hood may have hindered her in the Prix de L’Opera. Jockey booking will tell us more as Ryan Moore is preferred after riding her to her best two finishes. O’Brien’s filly is worth enough for at least an each-way bet and if Moore is booked he can match his Yorkshire Oaks triumph.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Preview
The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is the second most lucrative race of the day with a huge £1.1m purse. This Group 1 is run over 1m with horses aged 4+ giving up weight to three-year-olds.
Charyn has been incredible this season, winning the Doncaster Mile, bet365 Mile, Queen Anne, and Jacques le Marois. He is the favourite for the QEII at 5/4. He will give up 6lbs to Tamfana. David Menuisier’s filly has gone from strength to strength this term, recording back-to-back wins in her two most recent races, including a 2L triumph over Inspiral and Nashwa at the Sun Chariot Stakes.
Facteur Cheval finished second to Big Rock in this meeting last year but has been disappointing in his two most recent runs. That includes a sixth-place finish at the Queen Anne in June, 8½L behind Charyn.
Prague has been excellent since leaving Ballydoyle and was most recently seen triumphing over Poker Face in the Dubai Joel Stakes. This is his first run in Group 1 company and the competition may prove too stiff. Metropolitan was well-beaten by Charyn in Deauville in August but was still an impressive second. Quddwah is 2/2 at over this course and distance and this slower ground seems to suit him.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Betting Tips and Predictions
Charyn looks the best runner on paper in this race but there are concerns over his exposure. Silvestre De Sousa’s ride has five Group 1 races this term and nine more career runs than the excellent filly Tamfana. Leading champion jockey Oisin Murphy is booked and she looks more attractive as a 6/1 second favourite.
Quddwah has great form at Ascot and the fast ground in his fourth-place finish behind Charyn in the Jacques le Marois worked against him. He remains an option for betting each way at 16/1.
Champion Stakes Preview
The biggest race of the meeting comes at the Champion Stakes with an incredible £1.3m purse. This will be the highlight of the day, with several excellent runners from Ireland, England, and France. Economics took it to another level in his most recent outing when he beat Auguste Rodin by a neck in the Irish Champion Stakes. William Haggas’s entry is unproven on soft ground but has won all of his appearances this term with just one coming at less than 1½L.
Calandagan stormed the King Edward VII Stakes over this course in June before being beaten by a length by the excellent City Of Troy in the Juddmonte. He showed enough to win that race, had Stephane Pasquier released him sooner.
Los Angeles won the Irish Derby in June and followed up with a Great Voltigeur Stakes victory in August. He had no extra in the final 50 yards in his third-place finish in the Arc ahead of Al Riffa two weeks ago and could welcome this shorter trip. King’s Gambit finished a narrow ½L behind Los Angeles in the Voltigeur, but this is a huge step forward, having figured mostly in Group 3 company.
Champions Stakes Betting Tips and Predictions
Calandagan is our main player at 2/1 and he could plausibly come in closer to evens as a joint favourite with Economics by Saturday. His win in the royal meeting here in June was one of his most impressive and had he not been held up he may have had the beating of City Of Troy. Francis Henri Graffard’s charge has gone from strength to strength this term.
The booking of Oisin Murphy on King’s Gambit comes with intrigue despite this step up in competition. He would need his rub of the green from other runners but a double-figure price makes him worth an each-way bet at 16/1.
British Champions Day Details
The straight and inner flat at Ascot is currently Soft, while the round is Heavy to Soft in places. Some rain is expected until then and the going will probably remain the same up to the first off.
British Champions Day is the culmination of a season of flat running and the most exciting meeting of the flat calendar. Millions are up for grabs and tens of thousands will flock to Ascot to watch. Whether you are attending in person or watching at home, you can back your runners with our online bookmaker and bet at a reduced risk by signing up with our welcome bonus.