Champion Stakes Runners & Riders  

The culmination of the all-age Group 1 season is the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October. The race is the inspiration for British Champions Day, a six-race extravaganza at the Berkshire venue that brings a rounded conclusion to the flat season in earnest.

The runners and riders for the 2024 Champion Stakes are listed below:

Runners and riders to follow

Who are the Top Three Favourites to Win this Year’s Champion Stakes?

For horses aged three and older, the Champion Stakes is a defining moment for a number of horses’ seasons. Run over 1m2f, it is the end of season target for so many top class horses, with reputations on the line.

Three horses stand out in the current market for the race based on their performances during 2024.

City Of Troy

The golden boy of Aidan O’Brien’s stable, City Of Troy has met with defeat just once in his already storied career. Five wins have already been recorded with three at Group 1 level, including an imperious success in the Epsom Derby in June.

Thereafter, he had to battle to victory in the Eclipse at Sandown over the same 1m2f trip as the Champion Stakes. At the time, there were plenty of critics for that performance. However, since then, the runner-up Al Riffa has scored comfortably at the top level in Germany, while the fourth, See The Fire, was narrowly beaten in the Nassau Stakes.

Ultimately, even when doubts arise, City Of Troy has answered them, so while this might not be his best trip, he is versatile and not ground dependent. O’Brien will be determined for him to end the season on a high and cement his reputation as a modern great.

White Birch

As a son of Ulysses, White Birch always possessed a profile which suggested he would get better with age, and so it is proving. He demonstrated significant talent at three, winning the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes before finishing third in the Derby, but his form has gone to a new level in 2024.

He has gradually stepped up through the grades at the Curragh since John Joseph Murphy first turned him out for the year. A gutsy success in the Alleged Stakes preceded a much more routine victory in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes. Then, when faced with his Epsom conqueror in Auguste Rodin, he bolted up in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

That performance was one of the best of the flat season in Great Britain and Ireland. He has already overcome one Ballydoyle Derby winner, now can he upset a second?

Calandagan

Francis-Henri Graffard has enjoyed a superb season with his raids on the British flat season. His Goliath stormed to a convincing success in the King George and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot at the top level in July, and may also run in this race, though Calandagan is another contender having won at the royal meeting.

Running in the famous colours of the Aga Khan, Calandagan has recorded four wins from six starts, but made his name when winning the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in sensational style, kicking clear by six lengths.

He would have to prove himself as capable at this shorter trip, but given the success his yard have had on these shores, it would be no surprise if he proved up to the task once again.

Champion Stakes Horse Entries & Selections

Horses in the Champion Stakes must be aged three or older in order to take part, with the Classic generation receiving a 4lb allowance from their elders and fillies and mares getting 3lb. A maximum field of 16 can go to post, but only one renewal in the past decade has seen more than ten line up at the start.

Once we know the field in greater detail, GG’s selections will be revealed. These will include the top tips of our leading names in Andrew Mount and Matty Sutcliffe.

Which Trainers Have Historically Had the Most Success in the Champion Stakes?

Having been established in 1877, the Champion Stakes has a long and illustrious history. The leading trainer was the fabled Alec Taylor Jr, a master of his craft in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He sent out eight winners of the contest, including the great Sceptre in 1903.

Among more recent trainers, the late Sir Henry Cecil claimed the race on five occasions, including memorably in 2012 in his final full year as a trainer when Frankel, the apple of his eye, concluded his unbeaten career with victory at Ascot. His widow Lady Jane Cecil secured an equally emotional triumph two years later with Noble Mission.

Aidan O’Brien has only ever won the race once when Magical scored in 2019.

Runners & Riders Past Winners

Year	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
2023	King Of Steel	Roger Varian	Frankie Dettori	3/1F
2022	Bay Bridge	Sir Michael Stoute	Richard Kingscote	10/1
2021	Sealiway	Cedric Rossi	Mickael Barzalona	12/1
2020	Addeybb	William Haggas	Tom Marquand	9/1
2019	Magical	Aidan O’Brien	Donnacha O’Brien	EvsF
2018	Cracksman	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori	5/6F
2017	Cracksman	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori	13/8F
2016	Almanzor	Jean-Claude Rouget	Christophe Soumillon	11/8F
2015	Fascinating Rock	Dermot Weld	Pat Smullen	10/1
2014	Noble Mission	Lady Cecil	James Doyle	7/1