Saturday 18th October 2025
QIPCO British Champions Day
12.55 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Class 1) (Group 1)
We get things underway on Champions Day at Ascot with the 12.55, and this is the Group 1 Long Distance Cup, which is contested over a distance of two miles. I find it hard to see past Trawlerman here for the team of John & Thady Gosden, who’s once again the mount of William Buick. He’s taken all before him this season, winning the Gold Cup here at the Royal Meeting in June, before following up in the Lonsdale Cup at York, when dropped down in trip. It should take a big performance to stop him from adding another Group 1 success to his CV.
Trawlerman – 8/15 (Win)
1.30 Ascot: British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes (Class 2)
The second race of the afternoon is the 1.30, and this is a Class 2 conditions event for two-year-olds, and contested over six furlongs. Charlie Appleby looks to hold the key to this race with Words Of Truth, who’s another big chance for William Buick. He looks to have a significant amount in hand here, running off level weights, and is an exciting-looking prospect. He’s won his last three starts, with his most recent success coming at Newbury when taking the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes. A repeat of that level of performance could be more than enough here, and he should give Buick a fine chance of an early double on the card.
Words Of Truth – Evs (Win) (NAP)
2.05 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Class 1) (Group 1)
Next up is the 2.05, and we’re back into Group 1 company with the Champion Sprint Stakes over six furlongs. This is significantly more competitive, as a case could be made for nearly all of the nineteen-runner field. I’ve come down on Montassib, though, who represents William Haggas, and is the mount of Cieren Fallon. He was a Group 1 winner last season when winning the Sprint Cup at Haydock, and returned from a near year-long lay off to finish a very encouraging staying on third of eleven in Group 3 company at Newbury last month, with that effort coming over five furlongs. He should improve significantly following that outing, and I suspect we could see a bold showing now he’s back up to six furlongs here, should he get a clear passage.
Montassib – 5/1 (Each-Way) (4 places – Several firms)
2.45 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares (Class 1) (Group 1)
We move on to the 2.45 now, and this is the Group 1 Champions Fillies & Mares event, which is to be ridden over a distance of a mile and four furlongs. I’m taking a chance on a potential improver here, and that’s Waardah for Owen Burrows and Callum Rodriguez. She’s got a bit to find on official ratings against the more proven Group 1 fillies here; however, she could well still have a significant amount of improvement to come. She comes into the race having won her last two races within Listed and Group 3 company, both coming at Goodwood, and both on ground with cut in it. That raises a slight question about the ground here, but it shouldn’t be fast ground, and I think she could go well.
Waardah – 6/1 (Each-Way)
3.25 Ascot: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Class 1) (Group 1)
It’s the QEII up next, and this is more Group 1 action and is contested among some of the best milers in the world. In this year’s renewal, I think that the Gosdens could have the answer with Field Of Gold, who’s set to be ridden by Colin Keane. He suffered a shock defeat last time out at Goodwood when heavily odds on for the Sussex Stakes, which I think could well have been due to a busy start to his campaign, as prior to that he took all before him, winning both the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes. He’s been given a break following his Goodwood effort in August, and if he returns to his early-season form, he’s very much the one they all have to beat.
Field Of Gold – 2/1 (Win) (Treble)
4.05 Ascot: Qipco Champion Stakes (Class 1) (Group 1)
The race, which is seen as the feature of the day, comes up at 4.05, and this is the Group 1 Champions Stakes, which is contested over a distance of a mile and two furlongs. Following a similar trend from our previous race, I think that this could well be another big one for the Gosdens, as I believe that Ombudsman is the best horse in the race here, who’s the mount of William Buick. The race looks to be a cracker with Delacroix and Calandagan set to take their place, and whilst they are too fantastic horses in their own right, I think that Ombudsman could prove to be a slight cut above. He firmly put Delacroix in his place in the Juddmonte International at York last time out, and I think it’ll be hard for the O’Brien charge to reverse that form. He’s also got the course form from earlier this term, having won the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal Meeting. Hopefully, the race lives up to its billing, as it looks like a fine renewal, and I’m siding with the Gosden charge to come out on top.
Ombudsman – 15/8 (Win) (NB)
4.40 Ascot: Balmoral Handicap (Class 2)
Signing us off for the day will be the 4.40, and this is the Balmoral Handicap, which is a Class 2 event over the straight mile. I’m going to take a chance on one at a big price here, as this is extremely competitive, and this is Oliver Show for George Boughey and Billy Loughnane. He’s been giving his running in several big-field competitive handicaps throughout the summer, and I think that the step back up to a mile could be what he’s after here, given how he’s been running on over shorter trips. He’s also only a pound higher here than when finishing a nose second of twenty-two in the Lincoln at Doncaster back in March, and that race was also over a mile. I think he could well outrun his big price here.
Oliver Show – 20/1 (Each-Way) (6 places – Sky Bet, Paddy Power)
