The British Champions Sprint concludes the flat season for the most exhilarating division, as the best sprinters in Britain and Ireland, and sometimes further afield, contest one last Group 1 prize over 6f. As with every British Champions Day spectacle, it is run at Ascot in October, and with a big field expected, here is how the market currently stands for the race.

The 2026 British Champions Sprint Stakes is run at 2.05pm on Saturday 17th October at Ascot. Compare the latest British Champions Sprint Stakes odds in the racecard below, along with the leading contenders in the betting.

2026 British Champions Sprint Stakes Odds

14:05 Ascot

Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1)

• Going Good
• Distance 0m 6f 0y
• Class Class 1
• Race Type Flat Turf
• Surface Turf
• Runners 16
• Win Time 1m 12s

Prize Money

• 1st £283,550
• 2nd £107,500
• 3rd £53,800
• 4th £26,800
• 5th £13,450
• 6th £6,750

GG Edge Standard Compact

Win% is implied from the betting forecast

1st 1 (8) 9 tips Almeraq OUR TIP W: 9st 4lb Age: 4 yo Colt

11/10 (Won)

J: Tom Marquand T: William Haggas

OR: 123 RPR: 132 Form: F-1191

GG Racing Score 91% Ability 10/10 Draw — Jockey 6.7/10 Trainer 8.7/10 Course 10/10 Distance 9.3/10

2nd 9 (1) 1 tip Paborus W: 9st 4lb Age: 5 yo Gelding

18/1

J: Daniel Tudhope T: Edward Bethell

OR: 113 RPR: 124 Form: 13-182

GG Racing Score 45% Ability 4.3/10 Draw — Jockey 4.3/10 Trainer 4.7/10 Course — Distance 5/10

3rd 12 (12) Division W: 9st 3lb Age: 3 yo Colt

17/2

J: James Doyle T: William Haggas

OR: 117 RPR: 126 Form: 323524

GG Racing Score 67% Ability 7.7/10 Draw — Jockey 8.7/10 Trainer 8.7/10 Course 0/10 Distance 7.3/10

4th 11 (5) 3 tips Coppull W: 9st 3lb Age: 3 yo Colt

11/1

J: Rossa Ryan T: Clive Cox

OR: 115 RPR: 125 Form: -18417

GG Racing Score 58% Ability 6/10 Draw — Jockey 6/10 Trainer 2/10 Course 8.8/10 Distance 6/10

5th 10 (6) Prince Of India W: 9st 4lb Age: 4 yo Colt

16/1

J: Pat Dobbs T: Marco Botti

OR: 111 RPR: 126 Form: 246212

GG Racing Score 70% Ability 7.7/10 Draw — Jockey 1/10 Trainer 10/10 Course 8.8/10 Distance 6.7/10

6th 14 (4) Power Blue W: 9st 3lb Age: 3 yo Colt

33/1

J: David Egan T: Robson De Aguiar

OR: 110 RPR: 124 Form: 744103

GG Racing Score 26% Ability 4.3/10 Draw — Jockey 0/10 Trainer 0.7/10 Course 2.9/10 Distance 3.3/10

7th 13 (3) Poatan W: 9st 3lb Age: 3 yo Colt

40/1

J: Rowan Scott T: George Scott

OR: 104 RPR: 117 Form: 13-371

GG Racing Score 19% Ability 0.7/10 Draw — Jockey 3/10 Trainer 0/10 Course — Distance 5/10

8th 3 (9) Great Wish W: 9st 4lb Age: 5 yo Horse

12/1

J: William Buick T: Bent Olsen

OR: 112 RPR: 126 Form: 147611

GG Racing Score 57% Ability 7.7/10 Draw — Jockey 7.3/10 Trainer 5.3/10 Course 5.4/10 Distance 1/10

9th 15 (15) 1 tip Samangan W: 9st 3lb Age: 3 yo Colt

22/1

J: Christophe Soumillon T: F-H Graffard

OR: 118 RPR: 126 Form: 246415

GG Racing Score 54% Ability 7.7/10 Draw — Jockey 4.3/10 Trainer 6/10 Course 5.4/10 Distance 1/10

10th 6 (10) Kind Of Blue W: 9st 4lb Age: 5 yo Colt

14/1

J: Billy Loughnane T: James Fanshawe

OR: 111 RPR: 124 Form: 0-2051

GG Racing Score 61% Ability 4.3/10 Draw — Jockey 9.3/10 Trainer 3.3/10 Course 7.5/10 Distance 8/10

11th 4 (16) Jamess Delight W: 9st 4lb Age: 5 yo Gelding

66/1

J: Dylan Browne McMonagle T: Clive Cox

OR: 106 RPR: 117 Form: 0-6334

GG Racing Score 30% Ability 0.7/10 Draw — Jockey 3/10 Trainer 2/10 Course 2.9/10 Distance 8.7/10

12th 2 (14) 1 tip Binhareer W: 9st 4lb Age: 4 yo Gelding

33/1

J: Cieren Fallon T: William Haggas

OR: 102 RPR: 119 Form: -26494

GG Racing Score 34% Ability 2/10 Draw — Jockey 1/10 Trainer 8.7/10 Course 2.9/10 Distance 4/10

13th 16 (7) Soul Love W: 9st 0lb Age: 3 yo Filly

20/1

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin T: K R Burke

OR: 104 RPR: 124 Form: 913121

GG Racing Score 61% Ability 4.3/10 Draw — Jockey 8/10 Trainer 4/10 Course — Distance 10/10

14th 5 (11) Jasour W: 9st 4lb Age: 5 yo Colt

66/1

J: Hector Crouch T: Clive Cox

OR: 99 RPR: 117 Form: 660506

GG Racing Score 24% Ability 0.7/10 Draw — Jockey 2/10 Trainer 2/10 Course 6.7/10 Distance 2.3/10

15th 7 (13) Marvelman W: 9st 4lb Age: 4 yo Colt

18/1

J: Oisin Murphy T: Andrew Balding

OR: 116 RPR: 128 Form: 926384

GG Racing Score 57% Ability 9.3/10 Draw — Jockey 5.3/10 Trainer 7.3/10 Course 2.9/10 Distance 0/10

16th 8 (2) Mitbaahy W: 9st 4lb Age: 7 yo Colt

33/1

J: Saffie Osborne T: Charles Hills

OR: 106 RPR: 122 Form: 052392

GG Racing Score 42% Ability 2.7/10 Draw — Jockey 10/10 Trainer 6.7/10 Course 0.8/10 Distance 2.3/10

Non-runners

Royal Bay Cen

+o+e Betting Returns

	Payout
Exacta	£22.50
Straight Forecast	£20.36
Tricast	£132.61
Trifecta	£131.90

Selections

D Express:

Almeraq

Daily Mail:

Binhareer

Daily Mirror:

Coppull

Daily Record:

Almeraq

LAMBOURN:

Coppull

NEWMARKET:

Almeraq

POSTDATA:

Almeraq

RP RATINGS:

Almeraq

SPOTLIGHT:

Almeraq

TOPSPEED:

Almeraq

Telegraph:

Paborus

The Guardian:

Coppull

The Star:

Almeraq

The Sun:

Almeraq

The Times:

Samangan

Who are This Year’s British Champions Sprint Stakes Favourites?

Almeraq is a short-priced favourite after his Group 1 double in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and the Sprint Cup. He has the best form in the race by some distance and is top-rated on 123.

Kind Of Blue, the 2024 winner, and the three-year-olds Division and Coppull are next in the betting.

Our tip for the race is below, with the best odds available.

14:05 Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1)

Almeraq

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

Who are This Year’s British Champions Sprint Stakes Underdogs?

French raider Samangan won the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest in August and is a big danger at a price. Danish-trained Great Wish and Sprint Cup runner-up Paborus are others who could outrun their odds in a race where shocks are common.

Last Year’s British Champions Sprint Stakes Odds

The 2025 British Champions Sprint produced one of the biggest shocks in the race’s history, as Powerful Glory won at 200/1.

Betting Strategies for the British Champions Sprint Stakes

If you are looking for different angles, or even the simplest ways to bet on the British Champions Sprint at Ascot, consider all of the following markets and pointers.

Outright Winner

It is difficult to simply pinpoint the winner of a race such as the British Champions Sprint, but betting “on the nose” can always gain you a greater margin of profit than doing so each-way.

Each Way

However, even though Art Power was successful at 40/1 in 2023, other big-priced outsiders have come up just short, and would only have rewarded each-way backers. They include Run To Freedom at 150/1 in second in 2022, and Brando in second at 80/1 in 2020.

Draw Biases

Despite being on opposite sides of the track, the last three runnings of the British Champions Sprint have suggested there is somewhat of a bias at Ascot come the day. Kinross was drawn in stall 17 of 18 in 2022, Kind Of Blue the same draw out of 20 last year, while Art Power was drawn in number 1 in 2023.

British Champions Sprint Stakes Odds of Past 10 Winners

Just one of the last ten favourites has won the British Champions Sprint (Kinross in 2022), and seven of the last ten winners started at 10/1 or bigger, including last year’s 200/1 winner Powerful Glory.