Steve Ryder previews the Champion Stakes 2026 at Ascot on Saturday and picks out his best bet.
Champion StakesSee All Odds
The Champion Stakes was transferred to Ascot in 2011 as part of the newly formed British Champions Day and it is a Group 1 over 1m2f. Currently there are 11 entries for the race run at Ascot on Saturday 17th October at 4:00.
Champion Stakes Winners, Trends & Stats
Tristan won this race for three successive years between 1882 and 1884 but the likes of Brigadier Gerard (1971 and 1972), Triptych (1986 and 1987), Alborada (1998 and 1999), Twice Over (2009 and 2010) and Cracksman (2017 and 2018) have won this race twice.
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11 of the previous 12 winners had a rating of 117 or higher
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11 of the previous 12 winners had at least 1 win that season
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10 of the previous 12 winners had won either a Group 1 or Group 2
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10 of the previous 12 winners had at least 1 win over 1m2f
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8 of the previous 12 winners were aged 4 or older
Champion Stakes 2026 Odds
Champion Stakes 2026 Runners Guide
OMBUDSMAN
John & Thady Gosden trained five-year-old who has won four Group 1s in his career including twice in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot over this course and distance. He could only finish 2nd behind Calandagan in this race last season and was only 4th in the Juddmonte International at York when last seen.
CALANDAGAN
Six-time Group 1 winner who has form figures of 12112 at Ascot in his career including a 2 ¼ length defeat of Ombudsman in this race last season. A disappointing run at Epsom on ground softer than ideal was followed by a victory in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before finishing 2nd behind Kalpana in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 1m4f here last time.
BAY CITY ROLLER
An impressive 10 length winner of the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, the George Scott trained four-year-old has finished 2nd behind Daryz on his previous two starts including in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe from a wide draw last time.
ALMAQAM
Ed Walker trained five-year-old who beat Bay City Roller in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May before finishing a head 2nd in the Juddmonte International at York when Ombudsman was behind him in 4th. He wasn’t as good in the Irish Champion Stakes last time when only 4th but he did finish 3rd in this race behind Calandagan last year.
GSTAAD
Irish 2000 Guineas winner who finished a narrow 2nd behind Bow Echo in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. He was below form when last seen in the Prix du Moulin and could now step up in trip to 1m2f for the first time in his career.
CONSTITUTION RIVER
French Derby winner who followed up with an impressive three-length success in the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on his next start. He has only finished 3rd in both the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes on his previous two starts and Aidan O’Brien has discussed dropping him in trip for the QEII instead.
HOTAZHELL
Jessie Harrington trained four-year-old who defied odds of 50/1 to win the Irish Champion Stakes last time by a nose. He had previously won a Group 1 in Germany over this 1m2f trip and looks set to run at Ascot for the first time in his career.
Champion Stakes Trainers & Jockeys To Watch
No trainer has won this race more than two times in recent years since Cracksman won two years in a row between 2017 and 2018 for John Gosden.
Mickael Barzalona has won this race twice recently on Sealiway (2021) and Calandagan (2025).
Champion Stakes 2026 Tips
Despite regular jockey Mickael Barzalona missing the ride on CALANDAGAN (best priced at 9/4) because of a whip offence on Arc weekend, the Francis Graffard gelding looks the one to beat in this race. Form figures of 12112 at the track, including a win in this contest last year and a narrow 2nd the year before, shows he copes well with the demands of Ascot.
Christophe Soumillon, who won this race on Cirrus Des Aigles in 2011 and Almanzor in 2016, has been booked for the ride and I expect him to confirm his superiority over Ombudsman.
