One of four Group 1s on the fittingly titled Champions Day, the British Champions Sprint Stakes is the shortest race of the day and crowns the best sprinter of the season over 6f. The contest usually attracts a strong and significant field, and the 2026 renewal looks set to be no different.

Sixteen runners have been declared for the 2026 British Champions Sprint Stakes at 2.05pm on Saturday 17th October. You can see the full field, with their jockeys, trainers and latest odds, in the racecard below.

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 the Top Three Favourites to Win this Year’s British Champions Sprint Stakes?

These are the three horses at the head of the betting for the 2026 British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Almeraq

A dual Group 1 winner this season, Almeraq won the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over this course and distance at Royal Ascot and then stormed clear in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. He is the top-rated runner on 123 for William Haggas and Tom Marquand.

Kind Of Blue

Kind Of Blue won this race in 2024 for James Fanshawe, who has won it twice in the last ten years. Billy Loughnane rides, and Kind Of Blue would be the first horse to win the race twice in that time.

Division

A three-year-old for William Haggas, Division is rated 117 and is one of six members of the Classic generation in the field. James Doyle takes the ride.

Our tip for the British Champions Sprint Stakes is below, with the best odds available.

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

Almeraq

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

British Champions Sprint Stakes Horse Entries & Selections

This is a rare Group race in which the maximum field size is regularly threatened. The maximum 20 was filled in 2015 and 2021, since it became a Group 1, with  no running bearing fewer than 12 runners in that time either.

Horses aged three and upwards are eligible and all ages between three and six have claimed this race in the last nine years. It is truly a race which gives all its competitors a chance.

Which Trainers Have Historically Had the Most Success in the British Champions Sprint Stakes?

This race was run for its first 65 renewals as the Diadem Stakes, before a name change in 2011 and a class upgrade in 2015. It is worth looking at the race both as a whole, and in more minuscule recent form.

Overall, the top trainers in the race sent out their winners many decades ago. Walter Nightingall was the early specialist in the contest, sending out two winners who claimed a brace in the race during the 1950s. In the 1970s, it was Vincent O’Brien who levelled the score, claiming the contest four times between 1971-1975.

Since the British Champions Sprint underwent its change of guise, only one trainer, James Fanshawe, has won it more than once, one of those being since the Group 1 upgrade. As such, nine different trainers have won the nine top tier renewals of the race.

Runners & Riders Past Winners