Ascot British Champions Day: Runners & Racecard

With the flat racing season of 2026 slowly approaching its end, the British horse racing community is getting ready for its end of season highlight fixture. The British Champions Day 2026 meeting will be held on Saturday, 17 October at the Ascot Racecourse.

The meeting was created by bringing together some of the races that played a feature role in many of Ascot and Newmarket’s end of season meetings. Until 2024, it was the culmination of the British Champions Series. Today it is also the richest racing day in British racing.

This year the British Champions Day will open with The Qatar Racing British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, while The Balmoral Handicap Stakes will close the entire event. The Qatar Racing Champion Stakes leads the day as its feature race.

Ascot British Champions Day Racecard

The British Champions Day 2026 will be conducted in the third week of October and last for one day. This horse racing fixture will include 7 races.

Day One: British Champions Day (17 October)

• When: Saturday, 17 October 2026
• Gate opening: 10:30 am
• First race: 12:55 pm
• Headline race: 4:00 pm
• Last race: 4:35 pm

The daily race card for the Ascot British Champions Day 2026 is as follows:

Going: tbd

Headline Races at the Ascot British Champions Day

The Ascot British Champions Day 2026 meeting includes 7 races conducted during one day of the event. Out of these seven, 5 races belong to Group 1, including the headline Champion Stakes. 

Qatar Racing Champion Stakes (Saturday, 17 October)

The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 metres).

Before moving to Ascot, it had been traditionally held at the Newmarket Racecourse since its establishment in 1877. It was classed as Group 1 when the modern classification system was introduced. In 2011, it was moved to Ascot to become the headline of the British Champions Day.

The most successful horse of the race is Tristan with 3 wins (1882, 1883, 1884). Danny Maher (Osboch 1901, Pretty Polly 1905, Polymelus 1906, Llangwm 1908, Bayardo 1909, Lemberg 1910) and Charlie Elliott (Ellangowan 1923, Asterus 1927, Goyescas 1931, Djeddah 1949, Dynamiter 1951, 1952) share the title of the most successful jockey, each with 6 wins. Alec Taylor Jr. holds the highest success rate as a trainer with 8 wins (Sceptre 1903, Bayardo 1909, Lemberg 1910, 1911, Gay Crusader 1917, My Dear 1918, Buchan 1919, Picaroon 1925).

The latest winner in 2025 was a 4 year old bay gelding Calandagan. This was his third out of four wins of the season and second win at the Ascot Racecourse after he won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July of the same year. In June 2024 he bagged another victory at the Ascot Racecourse, winning the King Edward VII Stakes. Since the beginning of the 2026 season he has already won two races. He has been declared to run in this season’s race as the defending champion. Calandagan was trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and led on the track by jockey Mickael Barzalona.

Currently, there are 45 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.

The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:

1. Almaqam (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ed Walker)
2. Bay City Roller (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer George Scott)
3. Best Secret (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Stéphane Wattel)
4. Calandagan (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
5. Cualificar (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer André Fabre)
6. Danger Bay (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Edward Bethell)
7. Daryz (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
8. Devil’s Advocate (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
9. First Look (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer André Fabre)
10. Gethin (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Owen Burrows)
11. Ghostwriter (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy)
12. Hotazhell (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Mrs John Harrington)
13. Map Of Stars (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
14. More Thunder (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer William Haggas)
15. Nahraan (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
16. Ombudsman (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
17. Pride Of Arras (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ralph Beckett)
18. Purview (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Dermot Weld)
19. Ridari (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer George Scott)
20. Royal Champion (age 8, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Karl Burke)
21. Saddadd (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Roger Varian)
22. Sallaal (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Roger Varian)
23. Tornado Alert (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Saeed bin Suroor)
24. White Birch (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jamie Osborne)
25. Wimbledon Hawkeye (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer George Scott)
26. Zaydann (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
27. Friendly Soul (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
28. Minnie Hauk (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
29. A Boy Named Susie (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Donnacha O’Brien)
30. Action (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
31. Ancient Egypt (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charles Johnston)
32. Benvenuto Cellini (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
33. Causeway (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
34. Constitution River (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
35. Daryzan (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
36. Gstaad (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
37. Hawk Mountain (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
38. Humidity (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
39. Isaac Newton (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
40. Item (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
41. Pearled Majesty (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Mauricio Delcher Sanchez)
42. Raaheeb (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Owen Burrows)
43. Superior Choice (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
44. Diamond Necklace (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
45. Precise (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)

Other Notable Races

The race card of the British Champions Day includes several other notable races. The most prominent one is the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Saturday, 17 October)

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres).

Established in 1955, it was originally held at the Ascot Racecourse in September. In 1987 it was classed as Group 1 and in 2011 it was moved to October to become part of the British Champions Day.

The title of the most successful horse is shared by Brigadier Gerard (1971, 1972) and Rose Bowl (1975, 1976), each with 2 wins. Willie Carson has the highest number of wins as a jockey, namely 8 (Rose Bowl 1975, 1976, Trusted 1977, Homing 1978, Known Fact 1980, Teleprompter 1984, Lahib 1992, Bahri 1995). Saeed bin Suroor leads the trainers with 5 wins (Mark of Esteem 1996, Dubai Millennium 1999, Summoner 2001, Ramonti 2007, Poet’s Voice 2010).

The latest winner in 2025 was a 5 year old bay gelding Cicero’s Gift. This was his second and last win of the season. He previously won the Sporting Times Sri Lanka Fortune Stakes at the Sandown Park Racecourse in September. Since the beginning of the 2026 season, he has participated in three races. He has been declared to run in this season’s race as the defending champion. Cicero’s Gift was trained by Charles Hills and led on the track by jockey Jason Watson.

Currently, there are 25 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.

The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:

1. Cicero’s Gift (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charles Hills)
2. Dancing Gemini (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Roger Teal)
3. Docklands (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Harry Eustace)
4. Hotazhell (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Mrs John Harrington)
5. More Thunder (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer William Haggas)
6. Native Warrior (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Karl Burke)
7. Never So Brave (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
8. Quddwah (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Simon & Ed Crisford)
9. Ridari (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer George Scott)
10. Ten Bob Tony (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ed Walker)
11. Zeus Olympios (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Karl Burke)
12. Blue Bolt (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
13. Erdenali (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
14. Gstaad (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
15. Hawk Mountain (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
16. Needle Match (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer William J Haggas)
17. Power Blue (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Robson Aguiar)
18. Puerto Rico (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
19. Rayif (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
20. Zavateri (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton)
21. Diamond Necklace (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
22. Evolutionist (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Karl Burke)
23. Precise (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
24. Timeforshowcasing (age 3, Charles Johnston)
25. True Love (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)

Betting at Ascot British Champions Day

At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets both for domestic and international events.

Please note that odds for the Ascot British Champions Day 2026 will be available closer to the event date.

Betting at the Ascot British Champions Day 2026 includes various horse betting markets, with some of the most popular ones being:

• Win: This betting market allows you to bet on the outcome of the race. You place your wager on a horse that you think has the highest chances to win. If you predict the outcome correctly, you will be eligible for a payout proportional to the offered odds and your stake size. This bet is recommended for beginners to learn how odds work.
• Place: In this betting market you are trying to predict whether a horse will come to the finish line within the winning top. This can be between top two and top four, depending on the number of runners participating in the race and the race conditions. You don’t have to predict the exact place the horse will take within the winning top, which reduces your risks.
• Each Way: For this betting market you can place two different bets on the same horse in the same race. One bet is for the horse to win the race. The other is for the same horse to be placed in that race. Your stake will double, but if your horse wins the race, you will get payouts on both wagers. If the horse finishes within the winning top, you will lose the win bet but will receive a payout on the place bet. 
• Forecast/Tricast: For this betting market, you are trying to predict the first two (forecast) or the first three (tricast) horses to finish the race. Your stake doesn’t increase because in both cases all horses are considered as one stake. For the straight version of both bets you need to predict the exact order in which the horses will come to the finish line. For the reverse forecast or combination tricast, you only need to predict all horses correctly, as the order in which they finish the race doesn’t matter as long as they all are in the winning top. In both cases, if a horse falls behind, you will lose, even if the others finish the race as predicted.

Always remember to gamble responsibly and treat betting as a form of entertainment and not means for financial gain.

Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org