2026 Champion Stakes Tips - Last year's form to be reversed at Ascot

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Thu 15 Oct 2026 11:38

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Odds and betting predictions for the 2026 Champion Stakes
This Group One takes place on British Champions Day on Saturday 17th October
Ombudsman is our selection at 9/4

Jockey, William Buick on Ombudsman seen leading The Prince of Wales's Stakes on the second day of Royal Ascot. (Getty)

The fourth and final Group One race staged on British Champions Day is the Champion Stakes. This ten-furlong contest has been won by many of flat racing's most famous names, and two of this season's stars are locked in a battle for favouritism for the second successive season.

Here's our free guide to the 2026 Champion Stakes, including our best betting tips.

2026 Champion Stakes Odds

Name	Odds
Calandagan	2/1
Ombudsman	9/4
Bay City Roller	4/1
Constitution River	6/1
Almaqam	15/2
Devil's Advocate	100/1

2026 Champion Stakes Entries

The top two from last year's Champion Stakes head the market for this year's renewal. Calandagan claimed the bragging rights that day and went on to land the Sheema Classic at Meydan. Ombudsman was forced to settle for second before he too scored on Dubai World Cup night in the Dubai Turf, and John and Thady Gosden's star was superb when flattening his rivals at Royal Ascot.

Both Ombudsman and Calandagan will be looking to bounce back after defeats in the Juddmonte International and the King George respectively. Bay City Roller will try to upset the market leaders, having run a screamer to finish second to Daryz in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe earlier this month.

Almaqam beat Bay City Roller to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup and finished ahead of Ombudsman when only beaten a head by Item in the Juddmonte International. Despite being supplemented for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Constitution River runs in the 10-furlong feature on Champions Day. Gosden's pacemaker, Devil's Advocate completes the field.

2026 Champion Stakes Tips

With ground conditions at Ascot verging on good-to-firm, OMBUDSMAN (9/4) has to be the bet here.

John and Thady Gosden's five-year-old bolted up in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes last season and was even more impressive in the same race this term. William Buick's mount hammered Minnie Hauk and two-time Arc winner Daryz, earning a massive RPR of 133.

John Gosden was quick to blame the rain-softened ground for his stable star's defeat in the Juddmonte International Stakes. Ballydoyle also employed Action to man-mark the odds-on favourite, which clearly got Ombudsman overracing in the early stages of the contest and would have contributed to his unusually flat finish.

The ground was genuinely good when Calandagan got the better of Ombudsman 12 months ago. However, Francis-Henri Graffard's superstar hasn't been as good during 2026 as he was during that sensational season last term, and I'd fancy Ombudsman to reverse that form this weekend.

Bay City Roller would probably like the ground to be a little softer, as would Almaqam. The decision to supplement Constitution River for the QEII, then run him here anyway, doesn't suggest that Ballydoyle are full of confidence. The betting on the day will be most interesting as far as Constitution River is concerned, but at this point, he seems to have lost his way.

For me, everything points towards another massive performance from the highest-rated colt in the sport. 9/4 could turn out to be an absolute gift.