Qatar Racing British Champions Day always delivers plenty of thrills and spills and we’re hoping to make this year’s renewal a memorable one for punters with our ITV racing tips for Saturday.
There are five Group One contests on a magnificent seven-race card, which could also go a long way towards deciding who will claim the 2026 Flat trainers’ title.
Our NAP is Kalpana at 6/4, who goes for a third straight win in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.
12:55 Tip
12:55 Ascot – Victory Gold @ 16/1
Saeed bin Suroor’s Victory Gold has enough form in the book to give him each-way claims in the opening British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, having won last time out at Sandown and run with credit to finish 2nd at Newbury on his previous outing.
13:30 Tip
13:30 Ascot – Highwayman @ 3/1
With Gold Cup hero Scandinavia an absentee, the Long Distance Cup is a bit of a puzzle. Everything should really point to Caballo De Mar, but he has had a long – if successful – campaign and the St Leger winner Highwayman, trained by Joseph O’Brien, might outspeed him late on.
14:05 Tip
14:05 Ascot – Almeraq @ EVS
The William Haggas -trained Royal Ascot winner has never looked better than when running away with the Sprint Cup at Haydock and is hard to oppose in the British Champions Sprint. Almeraq’s only disappointment this year was on ground deemed too quick for him in the July Cup, but a bit of rain this week should ease any such worries on this occasion.
14:40 Tip
14:40 Ascot – Kalpana (NAP) @ 6/4
No horse has been able to get the better of Andrew Balding’s star in the last two runnings of the Fillies & Mares Stakes and it is hard to envisage anything stopping her hat-trick bid.
She looks the strongest bet on the card, as she absolutely loves Ascot and was hardly disgraced when finishing fifth in the Arc following two more Group One triumphs in the King George and the Yorkshire Oaks. If Kalpana is anywhere near her best – and connections clearly think she is – she can raise the roof.
15:20 Tip
15:20 Ascot – Gstaad @ 3/1
Aidan O’Brien’s colt has had to play second best to Bow Echo pretty much all year, finishing directly behind George Boughey’s now-retired champion three times – in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Gstaad had his deserved day in the sun at the Curragh in the Irish Guineas, though, and while he was only third in the Prix du Moulin last month, he might have needed it having been off since suffering a nasty cut at the end of July. O’Brien had talked about going up in trip for the Champion Stakes but has elected to stick at what is a stiff mile on ground perfect for him in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
16:00 Tip
16:00 Ascot – Calandagan @ 2/1
This popular French raider looks the safest proposition in the Champion Stakes, as he seeks to defend his crown against top-class opposition, all of whom have questions to answer.
The globetrotting gelding had only Kalpana in front of him when trying to win the King George for the second time and has been kept fresh for an end-of-season campaign that is likely to include another crack at the Japan Cup. His trainer Francis-Henri Graffard takes some stopping these days in the top races and Calandagan is preferred to Arc runner-up Bay City Roller, Ombudsman, Constitution River and Almaqam.
16:35 Tip
16:35 Ascot – Hickory @ 12/1
Jamie Osborne’s valiant veteran Hickory has appeared an incredible 15 times at Ascot, getting his head in front on four occasions at a course the trainer’s daughter Saffie Osborne rides as well as anyone, so each-way backers will be tempted by double-figure odds.
Betting Tips
Saturday ITV Racing Betting Tips
12:55 Ascot – Victory Gold @ 16/1
13:30 Ascot – Highwayman @ 3/1
14:40 Ascot – Kalpana (NAP) @ 6/4
16:00 Ascot – Calandagan @ 2/1
Simply click/tap on the above betting tips to add to your betslip.
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