Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1) – Ascot

Ascot

16:05

Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1)

Date 2025-10-18

Distance 1m1f212y

Class Class 1

Going Good

Type Flat

Surface Turf

Age Band 3yo+

Prize £803,864

Winning Time 2m 3.19s (fast by 1.21s)

Result

Pos	Horse	SP	Btn
1st	Calandagan (IRE) Mickael Barzalona · F-H Graffard	15/8	Won
2nd	Ombudsman (IRE) William Buick · John & Thady Gosden	13/8F	2.25
3rd	Almaqam (GB) Kieran Shoemark · Ed Walker	28/1	1.75
4th	Delacroix (IRE) Christophe Soumillon · A P O'Brien	11/2	0.05
5th	First Look (IRE) James Doyle · A Fabre	33/1	3
6th	Fox Legacy (GB) P J McDonald · Andrew Balding	28/1	1.5
7th	Devil's Advocate (GB) Robert Havlin · John & Thady Gosden	66/1	1.25
8th	Economics (GB) Tom Marquand · William Haggas	12/1	0.2
9th	Almeric (GB) Oisin Murphy · Andrew Balding	18/1	3.5
10th	Prague (IRE) Benoit De La Sayette · Dylan Cunha	80/1	5.5
11th	Mount Kilimanjaro (FR) Wayne Lordan · A P O'Brien	50/1	1

Runners (11)

EW Terms: 3 places, ¼ odds (standard bookmaker terms — may vary)

#	Horse	Jockey / Trainer	Wt	Gear	Form	OR	RPR	TS	Last	Crs	Dst	Val	Scr	EW	Odds
6 (9)	Ombudsman Bay J:William Buick T:John & Thady Gosden	J:William Buick T:John & Thady Gosden	133	—	1-2121	128	138	117	59d	—	—	+5	36.5	0.41/1	13/8 38%
Successful in the Prince of Wales's Stakes and Juddmonte International; top on ratings
2 (7)	Calandagan Bay J:Mickael Barzalona T:F-H Graffard	J:Mickael Barzalona T:F-H Graffard	133	—	2-2211	125	134	120	84d	—	—	+2	31.1	0.53/1	85/40 32%
Close second in this contest last year; won the King George most recently; major contender
9 (4)	Delacroix Bay J:Christophe Soumillon T:A P O'Brien	J:Christophe Soumillon T:A P O'Brien	129	—	119121	126	134	109	35d	—	—	+29	43.9	1.13/1	9/2 18%
Record of 11121 at 1m2f features wins in the Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes; big player
3 (10)	Economics Chestnut J:Tom Marquand T:William Haggas	J:Tom Marquand T:William Haggas	133	—	11116-	123	131	113	364d	—	—	+32	36.6	4.00/1	16/1 6%
Very progressive until his defeat (bled from nose) in this race last year; absent since
8 (6)	Almeric Grey J:Oisin Murphy T:Andrew Balding	J:Oisin Murphy T:Andrew Balding	129	—	41-11	117	128	110	28d	—	—	+13	18	4.50/1	18/1 5%
Record reads 4111; progressing very nicely and his granddam won this race twice
1 (1)	Almaqam Bay J:Kieran Shoemark T:Ed Walker	J:Kieran Shoemark T:Ed Walker	133	—	2-3123	117	129	120	41d	—	—	+18	21.1	8.25/1	33/1 3%
Could go well but is unlikely to confirm spring Group 3 placings with Ombudsman
4 (5)	First Look Chestnut J:James Doyle T:A Fabre	J:James Doyle T:A Fabre	133	—	-23111	117	125	96	14d	—	—	+39	41.4	8.25/1	33/1 3%
French 4yo who is better than ever; won Group 2 last time; could acquit himself well
5 (2)	Fox Legacy Bay J:P J McDonald T:Andrew Balding	J:P J McDonald T:Andrew Balding	133	—	4-1611	116	125	108	78d	—	—	+14	17.3	10.00/1	40/1 2%
Record of 3-4 this term for new yard; impressive at Glorious Goodwood on last outing
10 (11)	Devil's Advocate Bay J:Robert Havlin T:John & Thady Gosden	J:Robert Havlin T:John & Thady Gosden	129	p	-64041	109	120	97	37d	—	—	+23	25.2	20.00/1	80/1 1%
No slouch but he's well short of G1 standard and is in here as pacemaker for Ombudsman
7 (3)	Prague Bay J:Benoit De La Sayette T:Dylan Cunha	J:Benoit De La Sayette T:Dylan Cunha	133	t	-54554	107	119	104	22d	—	—	+13	14.6	25.00/1	100/1 1%
Not crying out for step back up to 1m2f and doesn't look good enough anyway
11 (8)	Mount Kilimanjaro Bay J:Wayne Lordan T:A P O'Brien	J:Wayne Lordan T:A P O'Brien	129	—	2-3168	108	117	104	35d	—	—	+17	18.4	25.00/1	100/1 1%
Relegated to pacemaking duties for Delacroix last time; set to adopt the same role

Horse	bet365	William Hill	Boyle Sports	Ladbrokes	Unibet
Ombudsman	13/8	13/8	13/8	13/8	13/8
Calandagan	15/8	15/8	15/8	15/8	85/40
Delacroix	9/2	4/1	9/2	9/2	9/2
Economics	16/1	16/1	16/1	16/1	16/1
Almeric	18/1	16/1	18/1	18/1	16/1
Almaqam	33/1	28/1	28/1	33/1	25/1
First Look	33/1	33/1	33/1	33/1	33/1
Fox Legacy	40/1	33/1	33/1	33/1	33/1
Devil's Advocate	80/1	40/1	66/1	50/1	50/1
Prague	100/1	66/1	80/1	80/1	80/1
Mount Kilimanjaro	100/1	80/1	80/1	66/1	80/1

Predictor

Scored on Official Rating (max 30), Recent Form (max 25), and Market Odds (max 20). Max score: 75.

1st

Delacroix

43.9

OR: 19 Form: 20.5 Odds: 4.4

9/2

2nd

First Look

41.4

OR: 16.8 Form: 23.9 Odds: 0.8

33/1

3rd

Economics

36.6

OR: 18.3 Form: 17 Odds: 1.4

16/1

Ombudsman

36.5

OR: 19.5 Form: 7 Odds: 10

13/8

Calandagan

31.1

OR: 18.8 Form: 3.5 Odds: 8.9

85/40

Devil's Advocate

25.2

OR: 14.8 Form: 10 Odds: 0.5

80/1

Almaqam

21.1

OR: 16.8 Form: 3.5 Odds: 0.9

33/1

Mount Kilimanjaro

18.4

OR: 14.5 Form: 3.5 Odds: 0.4

100/1

Almeric

OR: 16.8 Form: 0 Odds: 1.3

18/1

Fox Legacy

17.3

OR: 16.5 Form: 0 Odds: 0.8

40/1

Prague

14.6

OR: 14.3 Form: 0 Odds: 0.4

100/1

Ratings

Horse	OR	RPR	TS
Ombudsman	128	138	117
Delacroix	126	134	109
Calandagan	125	134	120
Economics	123	131	113
Almeric	117	128	110
Almaqam	117	129	120
First Look	117	125	96
Fox Legacy	116	125	108
Devil's Advocate	109	120	97
Mount Kilimanjaro	108	117	104
Prague	107	119	104

Last Run

Horse	Last Run	Status
First Look	14d ago	Fit
Prague	22d ago	Fit
Almeric	28d ago	Fit
Delacroix	35d ago	Fit
Mount Kilimanjaro	35d ago	Fit
Devil's Advocate	37d ago	Fit
Almaqam	41d ago	Fit
Ombudsman	59d ago	Fresh
Fox Legacy	78d ago	Fresh
Calandagan	84d ago	Fresh
Economics	364d ago	Long break