Architect Tips provides his runners guide for Saturday's Champion Stakes on British Champions Day at Ascot.
Champion Stakes
With the Flat season drawing to an epic conclusion on Champions Day at Ascot this weekend, the highlight of the day is the traditional Champion Stakes, and what a treat we have.
Economics and Calandagan will go head-to-head in what should turn out to be a race of the ages. Below you can find my guide and tips for the contest.
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Champion Stakes Runners Guide
Anmaat (33/1)
High-class horse with a good strike rate that reads eight wins from 14 starts. Unbeaten in three starts in 2022 and landed a Group 1 success in France last year before returning from over a year off the track with victory in the Group 3 win at Haydock. Despite not being at his best last time out when only fifth, he’s another who could outrun his odds.
Continuous (66/1)
Last year’s St Leger winner picked up a Group 3 race in August but has been below his best the last two times and looks out of his depth. Others are preferred.
Iresine (14/1)
Smart French raider with two Group 1 wins to his name. He picked up a Group 2 last time out and is a very interesting candidate, but this will be the hottest race he’s ever contested, and a place might be the best he can hope for. Not for me.
Royal Rhyme (50/1)
Winner of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes earlier in the season but has been found out at the highest level on numerous occasions, and that’s unlikely to change in this race. Impossible to fancy.
Nashwa (66/1)
Classy mare with three Group 1 wins on her CV along with a host of in-the-frame efforts at the same level. However, she’s been well beaten on her last couple of starts, and this would be a monumental turnaround if she were to succeed at huge odds. Too much to prove at the moment.
Novus (100/1)
Smart filly when conditions are soft and picked up a Listed race on her penultimate start. She was disappointing in a Group 3 race last time out, though, and is a big price for a reason.
Calandagan (13/8)
Top-class French participant and will return to the scene of his wide-margin win in the King Edward VII Stakes at the royal meeting here in June.
Backed that up with an excellent second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International at York's Ebor meeting, doing best of those held up and he is improving with each start. He bids to become the fifth French winner of the contest since the turn of the century, and his claims are solid. Big, big player.
Economics (13/8)
A winner of his last four starts and followed up his pair of Group 2 victories with a game top-flight success in the Irish Champion Stakes last time out.
Auguste Rodin had every chance to beat him, but this son of Night Of Thunder showed great tenacity and heart to get the job done in a photo finish. He’s improving with each start and will not go down without a fight if this becomes a battle. Obvious chance.
King’s Gambit (20/1)
Largely consistent and has narrowly been denied on his last three starts between Group 3 and Group 3 level. A huge step forward is undoubtedly needed in this grade, though, and he’s another who will need a few others to run below form to get seriously involved. That being said, he may outrun his double-figure odds.
Los Angeles (8/1)
Produced another solid effort in defeat when third in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last time out. However, that was probably a substandard renewal compared to other years, and he was behind a couple of these in the Irish Championship Stakes. I’m not sure where he can find the improvement to do that, so it’s best to look elsewhere from a win stance.
Persica (66/1)
Turned in a career-best performance when winning the Doonside Cup Stakes last time out but was well beaten on his last start here in a handicap, and he’s flying too high in this grade.
See The Fire (66/1)
Impressive winner of the Strensall Stakes on her penultimate outing and wasn’t discredited when third to Tamfana in the Sun Chariot Stakes last time out. Is that form good enough to win this? I doubt it. She’s a likeable filly, but there’s very little reasoning to suggest she will cause a shock.
2024 Champion Stakes Tips
Economics did very well to claim the Irish version last time out and has more to come, but the third has let the form down in the Arc since, so the form looks slightly questionable. Instead, preference is for the Francis Graffard-trained CALANDAGAN (tipped at 2/1).
His one-length second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International is a standout piece of form, as the pair pulled well clear of the third, with subsequent Arc winner Bluestocking well held in fourth. I loved the way he travelled into the contest and looked like beating the Derby winner until the latter found more.
That was an outstanding effort in defeat, considering the ground he made up, plus he returns to the scene of his dominant victory at the Royal meeting earlier this season. His turn of foot can prove the deciding factor in the outcome of this weekend’s feature.
