The 2025 Qipco British Champions Day runners, ahead of Saturday’s big Ascot card, are starting to take shape – so we list the entries after the latest declaration stage, plus showcase the betting and look back at the winners of last year’s Group One races.
Qipco British Champions Day Runners 2025: Ascot Entries For All Five Group One Races
Twelve months ago, Qipco British Champions Day saw three winning favourites from the six races and this year there’s an extra race with a Two-Year-Old Conditions contest added as the opening race.
This has turned the 2025 meeting into a seven-race card – getting underway at 12:55pm, with the last race at 4:40pm.
Horse racing fans are also starting to get a better picture of the Champions Day runners after the latest declaration stage has also included several supplemented horses for certain races (see below).
The big headline race is always the Champion Stakes (4:05pm) and this year’s renewal is set to be one of the best in modern times with European middle-distance heavyweights Ombudsman, Delacroix and Calandagan set to do battle over the 1m2f trip.
With all seven races set to be shown on the ITV Racing schedule we are set for a bumper afternoon of action on Saturday.
12:55 – Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 2m ITV
No Kyprios to deal with this year, so the 2023 Long Distance Cup winner Trawlerman will be all the rage to win the first Group One on the card for a second time.
The race has seen five winning favourites since 2017 and Trawlerman’s trainer John Gosden has a fine record with four wins.
He also trains likely second favorite Sweet William, so will be a warm order to move one step closer to the record haul of Barry Hills (7 wins).
- Trawlerman 4/7
- Stay True (supplemented) 7/2
- Sweet William 7/1
- Al Qareem 10/1
- Saratoga 66/1
🏆2024 Winner: KYPRIOS (8/11 fav)
2:05 – Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 6f ITV
Likely to be the most competitive of the Champions Day Group One races – and we’ve actually got both the last two winners back for more.
Art Power won this in 2023 and bounced back to form last time when winning the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh.
While 12 months ago, the James Fanshawe-trained Kind Of Blue landed the spoils on soft ground – giving the yard their third success in this race.
The Champion Sprint has only seen one winning favourite since 2016, while six of the last seven winners were aged either 3 or 6.
- Lazzat 3/1
- Big Mojo 5/1
- Kind Of Blue 6/1
- Montassib 6/1
- Rayevka (supplemented) 10/1
- Flora Of Bermuda 11/1
- Inisherin 16/1
- Art Power 20/1
- King Cuan 20/1
- Witness Stand 20/1
- No Half Measures 25/1
- Rosy Affair (supplemented) 33/1
- Ten Bob Tony 33/1
- Iberian 50/1
- Spy Chief 50/1
- King’s Gamble 50/1
- Quinault 50/1
- James’s Delight 50/1
- Run To Freedom 50/1
- Powerful Glory 100/1
🏆2024 Winner: KIND OF BLUE (10/1)
2:45 – Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m4f ITV
We’ve yet another past winner returning in the Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes – as the Andrew Balding-trained Kalpana goes again.
However, she’s not actually won a race since landing this prize 12 months ago and was last seen only a few weeks ago when 7th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.
Therefore, she’s got a bit to prove but was an excellent second in the King George here in July and her overall Ascot form reads well 3-1-2.
She could have most to fear from Estrange, who was a late withdrawal from the Arc – but is rated 10lbs inferior to last year’s winner.
- Kalpana 5/2
- Estrange 4/1
- Waardah 5/1
- Quisisana 7/1
- Bedtime Story 10/1
- Wemighttakedlongway 10/1
- Danielle 12/1
- Latakia 14/1
- One Look (supplemented) 14/1
- Ballet Slippers 25/1
🏆2024 Winner: KALPANA (100/30 fav)
3:25 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qipco) (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m ITV
A top renewal of the QEII Stakes, if the main players stand their ground.
With all eyes on Irish 2000 Guineas hero and easy St James’s Palace Stake winner Field Of Gold.
But he needs to bounce back from being a beaten odds-on jolly in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time out, where after the race he was said to be lame.
He’ll be looking to give trainer John Gosden a fifth win in the race – which would move him level with Saeed Bin Suroor, who is the winning-most handler in the race.
2024 St James’s Palace Stakes winner Rosallion and the rejuvenated Fallen Angel, who has won three Group Ones this season, look the main threats.
- Field Of Gold 7/4
- Rosallion 4/1
- Fallen Angel 8/1
- The Lion In Winter 8/1
- Never So Brave 12/1
- Docklands 14/1
- Facteur Cheval 16/1
- Alakazi 25/1
- Marvelman (supplemented) 20/1
- Dancing Gemini 25/1
- January 33/1
- Tamfana 33/1
- Carl Spackler 50/1
- Quddwah 50/1
- Exactly 50/1
- Cicero’s Gift 100/1
🏆2024 Winner: CHARYN (13/8 fav)
4:05 – Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m2f ITV
Onto the main course from a star-studded 2025 Qipco Champions Day 2025 – as we get the chance to see Delacroix vs Ombudsman III.
It stands at one win each, after Delacroix took the Coral-Eclipse and Ombusdman the Juddmonte International – but it’s certainly not just a two-horse race with King George hero Calandagan, who was runner-up last year back for more.
Calandagan will be looking to give the famous Aga Khan racing silks a record extending seventh success in this race.
While Ombusdman’s trainer John Gosden has two wins (both Cracksman) and slightly surprisingly Aidan O’Brien has only won this once – Magical (2019).
Get the popcorn ready as this one looks a crackerjack, with Ombusdman heading the market with the best horse racing betting sites.
- Ombudsman 2/1
- Delacroix 5/2
- Calandagan 5/2
- Economics 11/1
- Almaqam 14/1
- Almeric 18/1
- Fox Legacy 22/1
- First Look (supplemented) 22/1
- Prague 100/1
- Mount Kilimanjaro 150/1
- Devil’s Advocate (supplemented) 150/1
🏆2024 Winner: ANMAAT (40/1)
Note: The final 2025 Champions Day runners and entries will be declared on Thursday 16th October and odds listed are subject to change.
