Stars set for blockbuster QIPCO British Champions Day

QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot promises to be a top-class, thrilling day of sport with a record five Group 1 races featuring some of the best horses in the world.

We kick off at 12:55pm with the newest Group 1, the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup, run at the top-level for the first time this year. Trawlerman will be a warm order having won three races this year including the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in which he broke the track record – the seven-year-old also won this contest in 2023 and was third in it last year. Sweet William is consistent at this level and won a Group 2 last time out whilst Al Qareem has had arguably the best year of his career and arrives on the back of a dominant victory at Ascot two weeks ago. The three-year-old Stay True is the most unexposed of all the runners having had just four career starts but he has improved with every run, most recently finishing third in the St. Leger at Doncaster.

It could be a strong start to the day for Champion Owner-elect Godolphin as they will likely send out the favourite in the second race too. The QIPCO British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes at 1.30pm will see Mill Reef winner Words Of Truth, the seventh-best juvenile in Britain, look to extend his three-race winning run. He already has course experience too having been successful here in July. The most interesting challenger could be Division who has racked up a treble of his own, most recently winning a Listed contest at York. Ardisia has also won at Listed level for Hugo Palmer and certainly has experience on his side with ten runs under his belt already. Ballydoyle send out Mission Central – a Group 3 winner at the Curragh – and Group 2 runner-up Kansas.

The QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes at 2.05pm includes the last two winners of this Group 1 in the line-up. Kind Of Blue made his top-level breakthrough in this race last year and is one of three well-fancied runners for Wathnan Racing who also send out Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat and the consistent Flora Of Bermuda. Art Power, meanwhile, sprang a massive shock when victorious in 2023 and though he would again be a surprise winner, he remains in good form at the age of eight. Big Mojo and No Half Measures have won British Group 1s this year whilst Montassib was fifth in this last year and made a satisfactory comeback at Newbury last month with all paths leading towards this race.

Defending champion Kalpana will look to get her first victory of the year in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at 2.45pm. Although she is yet to win this year, she has consistently run well including two second-placed efforts in Group 1 company. Estrange was last seen finishing second behind subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Minnie Hauk and had to miss the Longchamp feature herself due to a late setback but lines up here instead. Quisisana won a Group 1 in France earlier in the year and also ran in the Arc two weeks ago whilst Waardah has been kept fresh since beating Danielle in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood at the start of August. This looks a really open contest with Bedtime Story, Latakia and One Look also having chances on the best of their form.

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) at 3.25pm features eight Group 1 winners with a total of 16 top-level victories between them. Field Of Gold makes his long-awaited return having looked a superstar when rattling off successes in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St. James’s Palace Stakes – if he can return to that level he will be hard to beat. Rosallion has finished second at Group 1 level three times this year whilst Fallen Angel has recorded a hat-trick of success against her own sex and returns to open company here. Docklands’ Ascot record is remarkable, Never So Brave has not stopped improving, and Facteur Cheval has finished second in this race the last two years, though the ground may have gone against him. It speaks to the strength in depth of this race that the likes of Alakazi and Marvelman will be relative outsiders in this field despite strong victories in Group 2 company last time out.

Three of the top ten horses in the world will contest the QIPCO Champion Stakes at 4.05pm, making this one of the best races of the year run anywhere on the planet. Ombudsman is officially the world’s best horse and won over course and distance at Royal Ascot – he has his own rivalry to settle with Delacroix with the pair trading Group 1 victories this year in the Eclipse at Sandown and the Juddmonte International at York. Calandagan was second in this race last year and made his Group 1 breakthrough in 2025 with successes in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Just like the previous race, there is tremendous depth to this field with Almaqam – victorious over Ombudsman earlier in the year – and the unexposed three-year-old Almeric both having chances. Economics hasn’t raced yet this year but was well-fancied for this contest in 2024 and is another fascinating runner. First Look has been supplemented and would be a first QIPCO British Champions Day winner for the legendary Andre Fabre. Fox Legacy has improved with every start this year and just like the majority of the field it would not be a surprise to see him involved at the finish of this truly monumental contest.

We close with the Balmoral Handicap (sponsored by QIPCO) at 4.40pm. Native Warrior has long been touted for this race after two Ascot handicap wins in his last two starts and the way he has finished his races suggests this extra furlong could suit. Crown Of Oaks and Shout too, have looked ideal candidates for this race since running away with similar events at Ascot earlier in the year. Fifth Column disappointed last time out in the Cambridgeshire but was consistent before that whilst Arisaig, Great Acclaim and Ebt’s Guard bring solid handicap form to this contest. David O’Meara has won this race three times and has three runners including the hat-trick seeking Cerulean Bay and the nine-year-old Bopedro who was fourth in this in 2023.