As one of the crown jewels of British racing, Ascot Racecourse lays on a programme of fixtures to match the outstanding facilities. As ever, the Royal Ascot Festival provided a thrilling summer centrepiece, producing performances to live long in the memory. With the June jamboree in the books, attention now turns to the biggest and best single-day meeting of the season: Qipco British Champions Day.
Home to five Group 1 contests and offering a very, very handy £4.35 million in total prize money, the October fixture sees the 2025 season go out in style. With such riches and Group 1 prestige up for grabs, Champions Day invariably attracts runners from the leading British and Irish yards, in addition to those from further afield.
The 2025 edition is set to feature a typically strong Ballydoyle squadron and a host of formidable French challengers. However, the home team won’t go down without a fight, with the John and Thady Gosden operation likely to lead the resistance. Following a spectacular five-winner Royal Ascot, the father and son duo are taking aim at the seasonal finale with three of their biggest stars.
Field Of Gold Targets Queen Elizabeth II Crown
- Previous Wins – Observatory (2000), Raven’s Pass (2008), Persuasive (2017), Roaring Lion (2018)
After scintillating displays in the Irish 1000 Guineas and St. James’s Palace Stakes, Field Of Gold returns to Ascot for the £1.1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. If returning to the form of his 3½l romp here in June, he may take some stopping. However, he does have a slight question to answer following a lacklustre fourth in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood – a race won by 150/1 outsider Qirat.
The suspicion that all was not right at Goodwood was later confirmed when the Kingman colt was found to be lame after his 3¾l defeat. Trading as a general 7/4 favourite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, punters are happy to forgive that effort.
Those keeping the faith with the Juddmonte runner may be encouraged by the latest update from joint trainer Thady Gosden:
“He seems to have recovered well from his setback and is cantering away as usual. We’ll step him up in the next week or so, but all is well with his prep so far.”
With Delacroix likely to head into retirement or line up in the Champion Stakes, resurgent filly Fallen Angel may head the opposition.
Ombudsman on Course For Champion Stakes
- Previous Wins – Cracksman (2017, 2018)
In the seven years since Cracksman claimed his second win in this £1.3 million event, the Gosdens have failed to threaten the winner’s enclosure. However, they most certainly have an excellent chance to return to the top of the podium in 2025.
With an official rating of 128, Ombudsman is currently regarded as the most talented horse in the world, according to the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. That lofty opinion is built upon the brilliant burst of acceleration which took him to Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International victory. In between those wins, he suffered a narrow defeat to Delacroix in The Coral-Eclipse, showing he wasn’t infallible. However, he gained his revenge in fine style at York.
Having skipped a third clash with Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes, Ombudsman now heads to Ascot before major targets in Japan and the US. Last year’s first and second, Anmaat and Calandagan, lie in wait among the opposition in what promises to be a cracking renewal.
Gosden is happy with the preparation of his charge, stating:
“He’s cantering away and we’re very happy with him and looking forward to Ascot, where he has winning form over course and distance.”
Trawlerman Targets Long Distance Cup
- Previous Wins – Capal Garman (2001), Flying Officer (2015), Stradivarius (2018), Trawlerman (2023)
The retirement of Kyprios left a big hole at the head of the staying division. In the absence of the Aidan O’Brien legend, Trawlerman has admirably stepped up to the plate.
After blowing away the cobwebs in the Dubai Gold Cup, the seven-year-old returned home to win the Henry II Stakes, Ascot Gold Cup, and Goodwood Cup. He is comfortably the best of the older British stayers in training but may face a new rival in the shape of St Leger winner Scandinavia. The Irish raider will have the weight-for-age allowance on his side, but Trawlerman knows exactly what it takes to succeed, having mastered Kyprios in the 2023 edition.
Outlining the preparation of the general even money favourite, Gosden said:
“This has been his target all season and the idea was to give him one run after Royal Ascot, which was in the Lonsdale Cup at York, which he won nicely.”
With Spy Chief entered in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes, and Danielle an interesting outsider in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, the Gosdens boast as strong a hand as anyone at the last major British meeting of 2025.
