Taking place in mid October every year, the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot is the showcase on what is effectively the final day of the flat racing season. It is the climax of an enthralling season over middle distances, with the race taking place over 1m2f at the Berkshire track.

For 133 years, the race was run at Newmarket until the forming of British Champions Day at Ascot. Subsequently it has been held as a triumphant conclusion to the season with magnificent winners such as Frankel, Almanzor and Cracksman.

The 2026 Champion Stakes takes place at Ascot on Saturday 17th October at 4.00pm. Here is our tip for the race, along with the full racecard, the key trends and the latest betting offers.

2026 Champion Stakes Tips

John & Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman is our tip to reverse last year’s placings with Calandagan. He is the top-rated runner in the race on 132 and has won the Dubai Turf and a second Prince of Wales’s Stakes this year, the latter by four lengths. He was below his best when fourth in the Juddmonte International, but has been freshened up since and William Buick rides.

16:00 Qatar Racing Champion Stakes (Group 1)

Ombudsman

J: William Buick

T: John & Thady Gosden

Result

1st 5/4

Qipco Champion Stakes Favourites Runners & Form

Only six go to post for the 2026 Champion Stakes, but it is a rematch of last year’s first two, Calandagan and Ombudsman.

Calandagan beat Ombudsman by two and a quarter lengths 12 months ago and has won the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud this year. Coronation Cup winner Bay City Roller comes here 13 days after finishing second in the Arc, while Coral-Eclipse winner Constitution River is the only three-year-old. Ed Walker’s Almaqam and the Gosdens’ Devil’s Advocate complete the field.

Check out the runners, riders and latest odds for the 2026 Champion Stakes below.

16:00 Ascot

Qatar Racing Champion Stakes (Group 1)

• Going Good
• Distance 1m 1f 212y
• Class Class 1
• Race Type Flat Turf
• Surface Turf
• Runners 6
• Win Time 2m 4s

Prize Money

• 1st £737,230
• 2nd £279,500
• 3rd £139,880
• 4th £69,680
• 5th £34,970
• 6th £17,550

GG Edge Standard Compact

Win% is implied from the betting forecast

1st 5 (2) 4 tips Ombudsman OUR TIP W: 9st 7lb Age: 5 yo Colt

5/4 (Won)

J: William Buick T: John & Thady Gosden

OR: 132 RPR: 140 Form: 2-1114

GG Racing Score 83% Ability 10/10 Draw — Jockey 6/10 Trainer 7/10 Course 6.7/10 Distance 10/10

2nd 3 (4) 8 tips Calandagan W: 9st 7lb Age: 5 yo Gelding

5/2

J: Christophe Soumillon T: F-H Graffard

OR: 127 RPR: 138 Form: 1-1412

GG Racing Score 60% Ability 8/10 Draw — Jockey 2/10 Trainer 4/10 Course 10/10 Distance 4/10

3rd 2 (5) 1 tip Bay City Roller W: 9st 7lb Age: 4 yo Colt

17/2

J: Oisin Murphy T: George Scott

OR: 124 RPR: 132 Form: -22122

GG Racing Score 16% Ability 2/10 Draw — Jockey 4/10 Trainer 0/10 Course — Distance 0/10

4th 1 (1) 1 tip Almaqam W: 9st 7lb Age: 5 yo Colt

12/1

J: Kieran Shoemark T: Ed Walker

OR: 124 RPR: 134 Form: 3-1424

GG Racing Score 23% Ability 4/10 Draw — Jockey 0/10 Trainer 2/10 Course 1.7/10 Distance 2/10

5th 6 (3) Constitution River W: 9st 3lb Age: 3 yo Colt

9/2

J: Ryan Moore T: A P O’Brien

OR: 123 RPR: 135 Form: -11133

GG Racing Score 80% Ability 6/10 Draw — Jockey 10/10 Trainer 10/10 Course — Distance 8/10

6th 4 (6) Devils Advocate W: 9st 7lb Age: 4 yo Gelding

80/1

J: Robert Havlin T: John & Thady Gosden

OR: 109 RPR: 120 Form: 7-2477

GG Racing Score 38% Ability 0/10 Draw — Jockey 8/10 Trainer 7/10 Course 1.7/10 Distance 6/10

Non-runners

Best Secret

+o+e Betting Returns

	Payout
Exacta	£4.00
Straight Forecast	£4.42
Trifecta	£13.50

Selections

D Express:

Calandagan

Daily Mail:

Calandagan

Daily Mirror:

Calandagan

Daily Record:

Calandagan

NEWMARKET:

Ombudsman

POSTDATA:

Almaqam

RP RATINGS:

Ombudsman

SPOTLIGHT:

Ombudsman

TOPSPEED:

Bay City Roller

Telegraph:

Ombudsman

The Guardian:

Calandagan

The Star:

Calandagan

The Sun:

Calandagan

The Times:

Calandagan

Champion Stakes Racecourse 

The Champion Stakes takes place during the eponymous Champions Day at Ascot in mid-October. Despite its name, it is only the second biggest meeting at the track after its Royal festival in June, though this race would be at home within any racecard.

1m2f as a distance at Ascot incorporates one early sweeping bend round Swinley Bottom, before a thin stretch in which positioning is key. The sharp bend into the straight comes just under 3f from the finish line, from which it can be difficult to extricate yourself from a position towards the inside.

The draw is not vital for picking a winner of the race though. King Of Steel emerged from stall 1 in 2023, though 2020 champion Addeybb came from the widest stall of all in 11 when he was successful.

Betting Strategies for the Champion Stakes

The Champion Stakes is not a unidimensional betting event. There are plenty of alternative markets beyond the win only ones for punters to get stuck into.

Each Way

Between 2020-2022, every winner was priced at 9/1 or upwards. Finding the each-way value is distinctly possible in this contest, though even in the four-year spell in which favourites ruled the roost, Subway Dancer placed at 66/1 in 2018, which would have provided a far greater value win to a level stake than backing the winner (Cracksman at 5/6).

Non Runner No Bet

Betting on the Champion Stakes can be done many months in advance, but with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Breeders’ Cup run at a similar part of the season, this race will not always be the chosen destination for many horses. Betting with non runner no bet (or non runner money back) terms can ensure you do not lose out.

Without the Favourite

7/1 and 5/1 runner-ups followed Cracksman and Magical home in successive years in 2018 and 2019. Although that pair (Poet’s Word and Addeybb) would have been shorter in “without the favourite” markets, they could still have ensured bettors returned with better winnings than on each-way bets.

Are There Any Specific Champion Stakes Betting Offers?

Here are the latest betting offers from our recommended bookmakers ahead of British Champions Day at Ascot.

Champion Stakes Trends & Historic Data

Here are the key Champion Stakes trends from the last ten runnings to consider before you bet.

• 5 of the last 10 favourites have won, but only King Of Steel (2023) has obliged since 2020
• French-trained horses have won 3 of the last 10 (Almanzor, Sealiway and Calandagan)
• Three- and four-year-olds have won 8 of the last 10. Almaqam, Calandagan and Ombudsman are all five
• Six of the last 10 runnings were on soft ground. This year the going is Good, as it was for Calandagan last year

Champion Stakes Past Winners