Focus On the Flat: First look at 2026 Champions Day with three ante-post wagers

In the latest edition of his Focus On The Flat column, Races Now’s Adam Smith takes a first look at the entries and prospects for 2026 Champions Day, which will take place at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday October 17th, 2026.

Focus On The Flat: A look ahead to Ascot's Champions Day

Autumn is coming. For Flat racing fans, that means a handful of two-year-old Group Ones, a fantastic Arc Sunday and Champions Day at Ascot on 17th October.

As usual, the end-of-season Champions Day showpiece is a tread-carefully affair for me and we saw Group One winners at 200/1 and 100/1 on this day last year. Those results were clearly freakish, but this has long been a fixture that throws up a result or two.

The average SP of a Champions Day Group One winner since 2010 is over 14/1, from a sample of 57 races. Royal Ascot Group One winners at the same track in that time have an average SP of just over 8/1. On the back of a summer that has seen three heatwaves (apparently), a typically slow-ground Ascot in the middle of October could throw up even more mad results.

So, let’s take a quick look at how some of the key races are shaping up a month out.

Long Distance Cup

Starting with the Long Distance Cup which, in just its second year as a Group One, could resemble anything but a Group One-quality field on the day.

That's on the assumption that star stayer Scandinavia might well be done for the season. If he were to run he'd be long odds-on, and the current 7/4 ante-post price suggests he won't be running.

That leaves us with Jan Brueghel (2/1) as market leader, having caught the eye when third behind Scandinavia in the Irish St Leger off an 85-day break. He's still never run over two miles in his 11 career starts. Caballo De Mar went some way to getting his reputation back on track when winning the Doncaster Cup most recently, but that was a terrible renewal in a division that distinctly lacks quality away from Scandinavia.

Jan Brueghel looks the most likely winner to me but I'm in no rush to take the 2/1. A poor renewal is expected.

Champion Sprint Stakes

The Champion Sprint Stakes over six furlongs produced a 200/1 winner and 66/1 third last year and there have been winners at 40/1, 33/1 and 28/1 in the last ten years. Usually a favourites' graveyard.

This year's favourite will almost certainly be Almeraq (2/1), who absolutely scooted up in the Sprint Cup. A barometer of the lack of quality at Haydock is that only one of the next nine in the current betting behind Almeraq ran in the Sprint Cup, clearly the most obvious stepping stone for a top-level six-furlong horse en route to Champions Day.

Commanche Brave (8/1) won't be running, Thesecretadversary (14/1) has never run over six, Mission Central (33/1) is unlikely, Rayevka (33/1) is surely Abbaye-bound and the list goes on beyond that for other runners.

The three-year-old, Division, could well have a say following his short-head second in the Maurice de Gheest, though does need to improve again. All roads lead to Almeraq and he's probably too big at the current 2/1, for all that ante-post betting at 2/1 isn't my usual kind of party.

Fillies And Mares Stakes

Kalpana has won the previous two Fillies And Mares Stakes and four weeks out from raceday, she's 5/2 to bag the hat-trick

I have two problems with Kalpana for this race. Firstly, she could well have ran in the Arc thirteen days earlier. This wasn't a problem last year as she ran in both, but I don't like that method generally.

Secondly, I thought she had a very hard race in winning a pacemaker-chaos Yorkshire Oaks last time.

Wherever she runs next, I'll be wary of that run where she jinked a furlong out and was all out at the line to win. Yes, I have topped Kalpana for the Arc but that was in July before the York run and I can't do much about it now!

That's a long-winded way of saying I'm against Kalpana for Champions Day.

Sunly (5/1) is next in for the same owners but clearly the Arc could be the priority given she's French-trained. If she was to come straight here, she would be a big player. It's a big if, though.

Waardah (6/1) looked better than ever when wazzing up at Doncaster last time out. She disappointed in this last year but could be a different model with headgear applied and doesn't mind soft ground.

Minnie Hauk (12/1) has disappointed me this year but would be a player if running here. She could run at Longchamp, the Breeders' Cup or here, so is clearly not an ante-post play.

Johanna Walsh (16/1) is the most interesting runner here for me. A head second in the Ribblesdale over course and distance in June, before winning the Irish Oaks by four lengths. That might have been an average renewal but the style in which she won was taking.

She was clearly disappointing when just sixth in the Yorkshire Oaks but that was a bit of a mess (as we know), and we are always willing to forgive a poor effort at York. Joseph O'Brien is simply red hot right now.

The form book suggests she doesn't want soft ground but the breeding says it'll be OK to my eye. A bet at current price, no doubt.

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Next up is the QEII for milers and it's wide open, 5/1 the field. There is no superstar here.

French Guineas winner Rayif bagged another Group One last time out and comes from a French yard that is more reliable to run in the UK than some predecessors.

Queen Anne winner Ten Bob Tony (6/1) leads the way for the Brits and, let's be honest, he's had a cracking season for an unheralded animal. Soft ground is fine for him, too.

Zavateri (7/1) produced a career best in the Goodwood slop last time and is an intended runner. Gstaad has been second, second and third in Group Ones since his Irish Guineas win. A nearly horse or one set to pounce now his old rival Bow Echo is retired?

As usual, Aidan O'Brien has said a crack ten-furlong horse might be good enough to run over a mile. Sounds like Constitution River stallion talk to me. He said similar about Delacroix last year. Slight problem being, Constitution River doesn't appear to be in the entries as far as I could see. But I could be wrong.

Ten Bob Tony is the best bet at the moment. Likes Ascot, likes soft ground, an intended runner and no superstar in opposition. Plus, there is a shedload of names in here that simply will not run.

The only negative I could see is a busy year and he's been on the go since March. In Ed Walker we trust.

Champion Stakes

The Champion Stakes saw Calandagan beat Ombudsman and Almaqam last year. All three could run again, but they might not.

Ombudsman (4/1) has already skipped the Eclipse this year, is allergic to Ireland and doesn't want soft ground. Can he be relied upon to run? Absolutely not. For all you can put a big line through York where he was the victim of some Ballydoyle bullying.

Calandagan (6/1) hasn't been seen since July. Will he run here? He should. He would be the one to beat but the current price suggests he will concentrate on the Japan Cup instead.

Almaqam (7/1) is a horse you have to be busy with when the soft ground comes. He could well run in both the Arc and the Champion Stakes. A player for sure. An ante-post bet? Not yet.

Constitution River (10/1) just might not be as good as many thought and probably doesn't want soft.

All sorts could happen in this market. There are definite question marks over the participation of the top eight in the market for a variety of reasons. An absolute ante-post minefield.

Good job I have fancies in the other races, then!

Smido's Champions Day ante-post selections

1.5pt win – Almeraq – Champion Sprint – 2/1

0.5pt EW – Johanna Walsh – Fillies And Mares – 16/1 (3 places, 1/5 odds)

1pt win – Ten Bob Tony – QEII – 6/1

Total staked - 3.5pts