There’s a cracking card at Ascot on Champions Day as the 2025 Flat season draws to its official climax on Saturday, 18 October. Chief among five Group 1s in Berkshire are excellent editions of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Champion Stakes.
Supporting those are three more top-level races in the upgraded Long Distance Cup, Champions Sprint and Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes. Also on the card, there’s the Balmoral Handicap and a brand new juveniles only race over six furlongs. This stellar card is a fitting way for the curtain to fall on another great campaign.
Competitive races are all over Ascot Champions Day 2025 and that means potential punts in the offing. We look to our horse racing experts that have followed all the form throughout the season for their advice, then. What follows is detailed analysis at a meeting where some top thoroughbreds grace the track with their presence.
They arrive at their conclusions and Saturday selections, not just by looking at the odds on offer through online horse racing bookmakers, but also at past performances. It’s approach warranted never to fail, especially with so many runners appearing with previous course experience. Our experts don’t just tip favourites, but will also call a spade a spade.
As you can see for yourself below, they provide reasons for opposing market leaders if conditions aren’t quite. We know that every punter wants a bit of value when wagering and the obvious answers based on the market aren’t always the correct one. See who our experts like best and why for this final great gala of the Flat.
Ascot Champions Day 2025 Preview for Saturday, 18 October
12:55 – 2m Group 1 Long Distance Cup
The former is also 3lb worse off with him from their Ebor Festival encounter, but did land the Doncaster Cup subsequently. As a fresher horse, Trawlerman is the one to beat despite a prohibitive price. A distance of two miles seems to stretch the stamina of Cumberland Lodge winner Al Qareem, who finished behind the Gosden pair on home turf at York.
Aidan O’Brien, who landed this race with the likes of Kyprios, Kew Gardens and Order Of St George in recent times, runs two three-year-olds here. That younger generation receive 7lb weight for age, but have a poor record. Stay True didn’t quite get home when third in the St Leger, so an extra furlong-and-a-half isn’t necessarily what he needs. Saratoga has pacemaker duties.
1:30 – 6f Class 2 Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes
Division is a decisive winner of the @Coral Rockingham Stakes under @TomMarquand for Wathnan Racing. That’s a third win in the Listed race in the past five years for William Haggas. pic.twitter.com/AaPSeU1fdF
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) October 11, 2025
Division completed a hat-trick the last day and, while it isn’t to the same level as Mill Reef winner Words Of Truth, who began his own three-timer with course and distance success, William Haggas and Wathnan Racing have a useful horse on their hands. Five in the field have an official rating of over 100, so chances are these will fight out the major money.
Ballydoyle run both Kansas and Mission Central, but the former who wasn’t disgraced when fifth in the Middle Park last month should find this stiffer track more suitable than the All-Weather bends of Dundalk. The latter landed the Group 3 Round Tower at home in Ireland over this trip, but saw his lead reduced approaching the line.
Away from the most powerful connections, the Gosdens and Cheveley Park Stud combine with the lightly-raced Siren Suit, who scored around Kempton over further last time. His course third down over the minimum distance to Wise Approach reads well in relation to this with that one landing the Middle Park. Andrew Balding runs Sir Albert, meanwhile, who has seen the form of his close Doncaster third franked.
2:05 – 6f Group 1 Champions Sprint Stakes
Mick Appleby’s charge jumps from Stall 20 and landed the Commonwealth Cup Trial here on reappearance. Big Mojo also took the Haydock Sprint Cup with the luck of the draw. He’s not a confident selection by any means and had French filly Rayveka home in front of him at Royal Ascot, so she’s a threat off bottom weight albeit from a middling draw. They’re the best three-year-olds in the line-up.
Older horses abound, meanwhile, and each of Wathnan’s three sprinting stars Lazzat, who landed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee over course and distance; Kind Of Blue, successful here on soft ground 12 months ago; and Flora Of Bermuda, so often the bridesmaid and drawn lowest in Stall 1, all have obvious claims. William Haggas looks to have been training last year’s fifth Montassib for this ever since.
There are honourable mentions for 2023 winner Art Power, re-opposing Renaissance runner-up King Cuan, July Cup heroine No Half Measures, progressive George Boughey filly Rosy Affair, Jersey Stakes fifth Spy Chief and Jubilee fifth Iberian. The sprint division really is that wide open, so it’s difficult to rule many out.
2:45 – 1m 4f Group 1 Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes
The latter arrives at Ascot Champions Day 2025 fresh for David O’Meara, while the former hasn’t hit the heights expected of her this season by connections despite a course and distance second in the King George. Juddmonte don’t just rely on Balding’s Kalpana but also run Prix de Royallieu fifth Latakia.
Francis-Henri Graffard has Quisisana in the line-up as well, but she finished behind Kalpana in the Arc. At bigger prices, there’s some each way value in ONE LOOK, supplemented by Wathnan Racing, and Goodwood second DANIELLE. Paddy Twomey’s four-year-old is completely unexposed at a mile-and-half yet finished third in the Prix de l’Opera and arguably as strongly as any in a bunched finish, which also included Joseph O’Brien raider Wemightakedlongway.
One Look came from behind that one, though; so, despite meeting that younger rival off 1lb worse terms, she could have more to offer upped in trip. A sibling out of the same dam got a mile-and-a-half, which adds further hope for connections. Danielle represents the Gosdens, meanwhile, and meets Owen Burrows’ Waardah off 4lb better terms with less than a length between them on the Lillie Langtry run.
3:25 – 1m Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Rosallion was desperately unlucky not to land the Queen Anne over course and distance, missing out on the nod to Docklands, who loves this track. The value alternative at Ascot on Champions Day in 2025 here is FALLEN ANGEL. Karl Burke’s star filly wasn’t disgraced when third in the Duke of Cambridge on the Round Mile and has since hit a hat-trick.
Wathnan let Fallen Angel take her chance after beating fellow females in the Prix Rothschild in France, Matron Stakes across the Irish Sea and Sun Chariot at Newmarket in some style last time. She’s a filly in the form of her life right now. Progressive Balding pair Never So Brave, who landed the Summer Mile on the Round Course, and Marvelman also look interesting at bigger prices.
The Irish challenge doesn’t look that strong with The Lion In Winter disappointing this year for Aidan O’Brien. He also runs fillies January and Exactly, who haven’t delivered on their juvenile promise either. It might be Johnny Murtagh’s Alakazi, who landed the Solonaway Stakes during the Irish Champions Festival, that fares best of the Emerald Isle contingent.
4:05 – 1m 2f Group 1 Champion Stakes
Another pacemaker in Devil’s Advocate should employ similar tactics to the Knavesmire at Ascot on Champions Day 2025 as well. It might play into the hands of Graffard’s 2024 King Edward VII scorer Calandagan, though, as he seeks to avenge his own mugging in this race 12 months ago by Anmaat. His best form is at a mile-and-a-half, however.
Ed Walker needs rain for Almaqam, who beat Ombudsman at Sandown in the spring, to be seen to best effect. Long-absent Economics could hardly have a more daunting task on reappearance following a whole year off the track. Haggas’ charge is best watched as who knows if he retains all his ability following that layoff.
Balding pitches Fox Legacy into these deepest of waters following a break. Whether he can progress out of handicaps at the rate required to be a factor here asks an awful lot. The same stable also run Almeric, who needs some juice in the ground like Almaqam. Andre Fabre and Wathan supplement First Look following his Prix Dollar success on Arc Weekend a fortnight ago.
4:40 – 1m Class 2 Balmoral Handicap
🏆JONQUIL TAKES THE VIRGIN BET CELEBRATION MILE STAKES🏆
A relief for team Balding😮💨#ITVRacing | @AndrewBalding2 pic.twitter.com/i6R0t5zj9w
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 24, 2025
All three of his runners have low stalls to jump from and Cerulean Bay has hit form at just the right time. He’s the pick of the O’Meara trio, for all those recent wins were around Goodwood. Dual course 7f winner Native Warrior is 1lb well-in on future assignments, but has second topweight to the reappearing Holloway Boy, who will surely need the run.
ARISAIG could be even better treated with 2lb in hand over her current official rating, however. A low draw in Stall 4 helps Charlie Johnston’s battle-hardened filly too. Her recent placed efforts in Group 2 and Listed company suggest Arisaig should go well here. She finished in front of the 1000 Guineas fourth and Sandringham Stakes scorer the last day.
Elswhere, Ebt’s Guard, and three-year-old pair Crown Of Oaks and Shout have all won at the course this season. High and middle draws respectively could pose problems to the latter duo. Now aged five, Oliver Show might well stay this stiff mile, but he often finds trouble in-running and only has Crown Of Oaks jumping outside him.
