British Champions Day at Ascot is now billed as the finale of the European Flat racing season and has been running for eight years. It is the richest raceday in the British racing calendar and some of the finest horses around battle it out at the Berkshire track.

As the culmination of the QIPCO British Champions Series, this raceday features the end-of-season championship races for five racing divisions: Ten-furlong horses (The Champion Stakes), Milers (The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes), Sprinters (six furlongs), Long distance horses (two miles) and Fillies and Mares (one mile and four furlongs).

Here is a brief guide to what you can expect on the afternoon of October 20th:

QIPCO Long Distance Cup

The staying stars are the first to take to the track in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup. In 2017 Order of St George gave Aidan O’Brien his second victory in the race.

Owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen has confirmed his million pound star Stradivarius will line up in the race as long as the conditions are not too testing.

Joining him in the line up could be Aidan O'Brien's Irish Leger winner Flag Of Honour after he was recently pulled out of the Arc.

13/15 – Raced within the last 5 weeks
12/15 – Won at Listed or better class previously
12/15 – Winning distance – 1 ¼ lengths or less
11/15 – Aged 5 or older

 

QIPCO Champions Sprint Stakes

The sprinters take centre stage in the £600,000 Champions Day Sprint, one of the most hotly contested races on the card. Last year Librisa Breeze flew home to take home the spoils under Robert Winston and is an 8/1 shot with us to do so again this time around.

In fact, the past two winners of the Champions Sprint, The Tin Man and Librisa Breeze both feature among the remaining entries for the race.

Other possible contenders Brando, Limato, Tasleet, and the recent ParisLongchamp scorer, Mabs Cross.

15/15 – Won over 6f previously
14/15 –  Raced within the last 6 weeks
14/15 – Raced at least 4 times that season
14/15 – Returned 12/1 or shorter

 

QIPCO Champion Fillies And Mares Stakes

The top female stars of the turf will battle it out here for the £600,000 end-of-season climax.

The first three home in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes from last year – Hydrangea, Bateel and Coronet – remain on course to meet again.

St Leger runner-up, Lah Ti Dar is the current market leader, with horse racing odds of 6/4.

6/9 – Rated 110 or higher
5/9 – Favourites placed
5/9 – Aged 3 years-old
5/9 – Won their last race

 

QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Some of the best horses in training line up to contest Europe’s richest mile race, with an impressive roll of honour which includes Solow, Minding and Frankel.

French trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias is hoping that his stable star Recoletos can follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Solow and score another Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory for France.

The Karl Burke-trained Laurens holds an entry in the Champion Stakes but is very likely to be supplemented into this race.

The daughter of Siyouni will be bidding for her fifth Group One success of the season.

15/15 – Returned 7/1 or shorter
15/15 – Raced at least 3 times that season
15/15 – Aged 3 or 5 years-old
14/15 – Had won a Group 1 or 2 race previously

 

QIPCO Champion Stakes

Europe's richest ten furlong race was won in scintillating fashion by Cracksman in 2017. Can the son of Frankel win again in 2018? We make him a 2/1 chance to do so again.

Just edging out Cracksman in the horse racing betting is Roaring Lion who has enjoyed a magnificent campaign, completing a Group One hat-trick with victories in the Coral-Eclipse, the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes.

The race looks like being the one of the showdowns of the season.

14/15 – Finished in the top 3 in their latest race
13/15 – Won over 1m2f previously
13/15 – Won a Group 1 or 2 race previously
11/15 – Raced within the last 6 weeks

 

Balmoral Handicap

The £250,000 Balmoral Handicap brings down the curtain on QIPCO British Champions Day and always attracts a bumper entry.

A maximum field of 20 will line up for the Ascot finale which is Europe’s richest mile handicap. Last year all bar three of the runners had an official rating of at least 100 so it certainly attracts some top-rated horses.

Raising Sand, who finished eighth of 33 in the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket and recently won at Ascot, has been installed as the ante-post favourite at 8/1.

Despite hanging left on his last run, he quickened nicely to beat Ripp Orf, who is also in the field and is rated a 12/1 chance.

David O’Meara, who trained Lord Glitters to win the race last year, is likely to be represented by Waarif, Firmament, eighth and third in the past two runnings of the Balmoral Handicap, and Escobar.

Just 4 previous runnings
3 x 5-year-olds, 1 x 4-year-old have won
All 4 previous winners draw 10 or lower
3 previous winners ran at Newmarket last time out and one at Ascot

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.