Ascot’s Champion Stakes Draws Elite but Faces Challenge

The time when the Champion Stakes was the sole highlight of QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot is no longer, the leading race this weekend, but it is still one of the most historically significant races in the United Kingdom. It is a very prestigious event in the world of horse racing, yet the Champion Stakes has struggled to maintain a stable position among the top international races in the last few years. Since the advent of the ranking “World’s Best Horse Race” in 2015, Royal Ascot Race’s feature event has not been consistently listed among the top global races.

The system, which rates races based on the average end-of-year marks of the first four finishers, has not often favored the Champion Stakes. While the 2022 edition, won by Bay Bridge ahead of Adayar with the previously unbeaten Baaeed in fourth, finished as runner-up to Flightline’s Breeders’ Cup Classic triumph, five of the last ten runnings have missed the global top ten altogether. During that period, York’s International Champion Stakes has twice taken the crown as the world’s best race, in 2020 and again this year.

Despite past inconsistencies, Royal Ascot Race officials have reason for optimism ahead of Saturday’s renewal. At Monday’s five-day stage, three of the top twelve horses in the world rankings remained engaged for the £1.3 million contest. That comprehensive power allows the Champion Stakes to have a say once again among its global counterparts.

The top of the list is Ombudsman, a globally leading racehorse with a rating of 128 after his effortless victory at the International Champion Stakes in August. A repeat of the confrontation with Delacroix, the winner of the Eclipse Stakes where Ombudsman was beaten this season and who has since gone on to win the Irish Champion Stakes, looks like what the event has in store. Their meeting provides the narrative centerpiece for a field stacked with talent and depth.

It is, however, far from a straightforward duel. Calandagan, this year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Champion Stakes winner, returns seeking another major title. Almaqam, the only runner apart from Delacroix to have beaten Ombudsman this year, adds further intrigue. Completing the headline acts is William Haggas’s Economics, last year’s Irish Champion Stakes winner, who arrives fresh after a planned late-season campaign.

Not always, but this time the British weather seems to be on the side of the event. Predictions suggest that there will be no rain and calm situations during the days before the meeting, a good signal for those going to the race and for those watching it on TV. It is also anticipated that the race will be run over firm ground, so that the turf on Ascot’s round and straight courses will be of the same quality.

The stable conditions have also encouraged late decisions from connections. All five Group One races received supplementary entries on Monday, reflecting the confidence among trainers that the surface will hold well. One key point is that the three races on the round course are anticipated to be carried out as planned, thus the avoiding the recent inclination of changes to the hurdles circuit. There have been several instances since 2019 when the weather caused Ascot to change to the alternate layout, but it looks like there will no such interruption this time.

This year’s QIPCO British Champions Day card carries several new features. For the first time, it will include five Group One races, after the upgrade of the Long Distance Cup from Group Two level. The expanded card aims to strengthen QIPCO British Champions Day’s position as Britain’s definitive season-ending fixture. With a total prize fund exceeding £4 million, the event remains one of the most valuable single days in the sport’s calendar.

The Champion Stakes’ challenge extends beyond the track. With York’s International Stakes now twice recognized as the top-rated race in the world, Royal Ascot Race faces the task of reaffirming its flagship event’s global standing. The presence of Ombudsman, Delacroix, Calandagan, and Almaqam guarantees quality, but the international assessment depends as much on competition as it does on perception.

Success this weekend could help restore the race’s status among the elite contests of world racing. This conjunction of star names, steady weather, and a carefully designed card provides a chance to briefly evoke to onlookers that Ascot is still a key landmark worldwide the horse racing calendar.

The competitors are positioning themselves in the arena and the spectators' anticipation is tangible. The Champion Stakes has still another challenge to be found worthy of its name, not only as the headline event of the QIPCO British Champions Day, but also as one more external prestige candidate. It is going to be Saturday afternoon’s stellar action that decides everything – the first horses of the sport performing at their best and the competition being of high quality.