Champion Stakes 2026
Saturday, 17 October 2026. Qatar Racing British Champions Day at Ascot is a seven-race card with five Group 1s, including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at 3.20pm and the Champion Stakes at 4pm.
The middle-distance championship of British Champions Day, a Group 1 over 1m 2f for three-year-olds and up. First run at Newmarket in 1877, it moved to Ascot in 2011 and shares the card with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Also that day: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 2026 guide · British Champions Day 2026 guide
| Date | Saturday 17 October 2026 (4pm) |
|---|---|
| Course | Ascot |
| Race | Group 1, three-year-olds and up |
| Distance | 1m 2f |
| Prize money | £1.3 million |
| Field | 45 entries, with confirmations by noon on Monday 12 October and declarations on Thursday 15 October |
| Sponsor | Qatar Racing |
| Also on the card | The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1, 1m) at 3.20pm |
The Champions Day card
| Race (time) | Grade | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 12.55 Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes | Class 2 | 6f |
| 1.30 Long Distance Cup | Group 1 | 2m |
| 2.05 British Champions Sprint | Group 1 | 6f |
| 2.40 Fillies & Mares Stakes | Group 1 | 1m 4f |
| 3.20 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes | Group 1 | 1m |
| 4.00 Champion Stakes | Group 1 | 1m 2f |
| 4.35 Balmoral Handicap | Class 2 Handicap | 1m |
Recent Champion Stakes winners
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Calandagan | Francis-Henri Graffard | Mickael Barzalona |
| 2024 | Anmaat | Owen Burrows | Jim Crowley |
| 2023 | King of Steel | Roger Varian | Frankie Dettori |
Recent Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winners
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Cicero's Gift 100-1 | Charlie Hills | Jason Watson |
| 2024 | Charyn | Roger Varian | Silvestre de Sousa |
| 2023 | Big Rock | Christopher Head | Aurelien Lemaitre |
- Prices as of Monday 5 October: Ombudsman is favourite for the Champion Stakes, with Calandagan the 7/2 second favourite and Bay City Roller a 4/1 third favourite with most bookmakers.
- Calandagan won the race last year, but his main target is the Japan Cup on 29 November and he may miss Ascot depending on the ground.
- Mickael Barzalona, who rode Calandagan to victory last year, has a two-day whip ban from Longchamp that falls on 17 and 18 October.
- Ombudsman, best of the rest behind Calandagan in this race last year, is due to run only if the ground stays quick, otherwise connections plan to go straight to the Breeders' Cup.
- Bay City Roller finished second to Daryz in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on 4 October, and trainer George Scott said Ascot was always the plan after Longchamp.
- Daryz, who won a second successive Arc on 4 October, was still among the 45 Champion Stakes entries in mid-September.
- The Champion Stakes was first run at Newmarket in 1877 and moved to Ascot in 2011 when British Champions Day was created.
- Tristan holds the race record with three wins, in 1882, 1883 and 1884.
Our full record: +220.2 points from 780 bets since October 2025 (2,128 points staked), every one published. See every result or join for £25 a month.
Our record at Ascot
Every single we've tipped at Ascot since October 2025, settled against the official result. Winners and losers. Every Ascot tip and the course guide →
| Date | Race | Selection | Price | Result | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct | 3 Oct · 3.35 Ascot | Thunder Call | 6/1 | lost | −4.00 |
| 3 Oct | 3 Oct · 2.25 Ascot | Tenability | 6/5 | lost | −3.00 |
| 4 Sep | 4 Sep · 2.30 Ascot | Shimmering Shadow | 4/1 | lost | −3.00 |
| 25 Jul | 25 Jul · 2.55 Ascot | Extremely Zain | 3/1 | lost | −3.00 |
| 25 Jul | 25 Jul · 1.45 Ascot | Alta Regina | 9/2 | lost | −2.00 |
| 11 Jul | 11 Jul · 1.55 Ascot | Behike | 4/1 | placed | 0.00 |
Our tips for Champion Stakes
Members get our selections in Telegram on the day, each with a price and a stake. When we give a tip away it goes on the free tip page, on X @The_Gallop_uk and to our email list.
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Race details checked against the racecourse's own site. Fixtures can change because of the weather; check before you travel or bet.