QIPCO Champions Stakes for the ages as Anmaat stuns Calandagan

The QIPCO Champion Stakes has become renowned for producing shocks in recent times as 2024’s renewal was to prove no different as the unfancied 40/1 shot Anmaat grabbed Calandagan in the shadow of the winning post.

Ballydoyle’s duo of Continuous and Los Angeles set a ferocious pace from flag-fall, testing the stamina of their nine rivals throughout the valuable ten-furlong contest. Tom Marquand was keen to sit close to the speed aboard the improving Economics as to capitalise on a strong position in the closing stages.

As the field swung into the straight, it became clear almost immediately that William Haggas’s stable star was in trouble and he weakened into a well beaten sixth. The Coolmore pair followed suit, paying for their early exertions in the closing stages.

The eye was drawn to Francis-Henri Graffard’s facile King Edward VII Stakes victor Calandagan but Stephane Pasquier had to endure a troubled passage, only seeing daylight deep inside the final two furlongs. The talented son of Gleneagles pierced through the gap between eventual third placed Royal Rhyme and the weakening Continuous to lead half a furlong from home but it was to Anmaat’s day.

Having also struggled to find daylight throughout the journey, Jim Crowley galvanised Owen Burrows’ six-year-old and he ran down the French favourite in the shadow of the winning post, prevailing by half a length.

Upon winning a first Group 1, Jim Crowley insisted that Shadwell’s son of Awtaad has always possessed a great deal of talent, stating that “he is unbelievable, he has always been talented and gone under the radar”. The experienced Crowley was delighted to return with a winner on the grandest of stages; “This year has been a bit slow for me. I’m used to having these big winners all the time, and this is my first Group 1 this year. To do it on a horse who has come back from injury, who they said would never race again, is great”.