Qipco Champion Stakes: guide to the possible runners and tip

Timeform rating: 129. Odds: 33-1. 

He carried my cash in the Arc but he was held up by Yutaka Take, who was riding him for the first time, and never looked like getting involved. It paid to be up near the pace in a steadily-run race that day, so I’m prepared to give him a pass, and Take spared him a hard race. Al Riffa had previously won in fine style in Germany and some of his form, behind such as Ace Impact and City Of Troy, puts him firmly in the equation. Soft ground is no problem for him and Dylan Browne McMonagle will be back on board. 

Timeform rating: 124. Odds: 33-1. 

This lightly raced six-year-old has rarely disappointed when making it to the track, graduating from big handicap hero (John Smith’s Cup in 2022) to Group One winner (Prix d’Ispahan in 2023). Fluffed his lines for the first time in France two weeks ago, when finishing outside the first three for the first time in 14 races. Hard to see him taking a starring role here, even if you overlook that rare blip. 

Timeform rating: 122. Odds: 66-1. 

Last year’s St Leger winner has had an underwhelming year and beat only one home in the Arc, albeit he got badly hampered when already loitering out the back. He’s also entered in the Long Distance Cup, which would seem a better fit. 

Timeform rating: 114. Odds: 200-1. 

Ballydoyle and Coolmore have deployed him as a pacemaker in the big races this season, but he’s not always got the memo. He was unable to get to the front in either the Juddmonte International or Irish Champion Stakes. Perhaps it’s dawned on him that he’s a Frankel, and that setting the pace for others is beneath him. 

Timeform rating: 127. Odds: 14-1. 

For a horse who has won 15 of his 23 races, Iresine is slipping in very much under the radar. There has been an element of him being well placed, but he’s versatile regards trip (his two Group One wins have been over 1m 2f and the best part of 2m) and well served by the mud. He landed the Prix Foy for a second time on his latest start but you need a fairly vivid imagination to imagine him being the first seven-year-old to land this prize since 1887. 

Timeform rating: 129. Odds: 28-1. 

He’s been a Group One winner at two, three, four and five, scooping this year’s Coronation Cup under a masterful front-running ride from Ryan Moore. He again went from the front when trying to land a second Irish Champion Stakes last time, but ended up fading into sixth, albeit not being beaten far behind Economics. It’s hard to see him turning the tables, let alone anything else. 

Timeform rating: 125. Odds: 50-1. 

There was a moment last year when Royal Rhyme looked like he might win the Champion Stakes but after hitting the front two out he faded to finish fifth. He landed a woeful edition of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on his return but has since had his limitations exposed, albeit on ground probably quicker than he prefers. Timeform have assessed him as running on soft ground on four occasions, and he has won every time, but just not at this kind of level. 

Timeform rating: 131. Odds: 66-1. 

Nashwa has been a fabulous mare over the years but the past 12 months have not gone to plan. She ran lamentably in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 12 months ago and we have seen her only twice this campaign, when below-par in the Dubai Turf and Sun Chariot. It could be that Nashwa was short of peak fitness for both those runs, but she’s going to need to be better than ever to take this. 

Timeform rating: 119. Odds: 100-1. 

I wonder how often Tom Queally thinks about Frankel? His mind will surely wander towards the titan of the turf on Saturday when he partners Novus. It will be the first time he has taken part in the Champion Stakes since that day in 2012, when the greatest horse there has perhaps even been took his final bow. Novus is something of a mud monster – all four of her wins have been achieved on soft or heavy ground – but she’s out of her depth here. Her connections must be hoping this will cut up and that she might be able to swipe some blacktype. 

Timeform rating: 135p. Odds: 15-8. 

This French challenger is going to be the highest-rated horse in action on Champions Day and I fancy he will prove the number crunchers correct. Early-season wins in the mud were followed by a dazzling six-length success in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, and then came his gallant second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International, when he had subsequent Arc heroine Blustocking back in fourth. The ground he made up in the closing stages at York hinted he would have given the brilliant winner more to think about had he not sat quite so far out of his ground. Everything looks in place for him to give France a fourth win in this since 2011. 

Timeform rating: 132p. Odds: 5-4. 

He’s been one of the unexpected stars of the season, bursting onto the scene with his six-length romp in the Dante and confirming his status as one of the best horses in training with his game defeat of Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes. The form of that race has taken a couple of knocks, which William Haggas acknowledged in a media call on Thursday, but his trainer did not seem perturbed. Haggas did suggest that Economics has “needed every week” to recover from his exploits in Ireland, and that did ring a small alarm bell. After all, he did hit the pause button for three months after York. He’s raced on good ground all this season, but handled softish ground well enough in his only start as a two-year-old. 

Timeform rating: 129. Odds: 25-1. 

Aidan O’Brien has intimated he is heading for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes earlier on the card. 

Timeform rating: 122. Odds: 20-1. 

Roger Charlton used the London Gold Cup Handicap at Newbury in mid-May as a stepping stone for several of his top horses, including Al Kazeem, so it was something of a tip that King’s Gambit was the Beckhampton representative this time. He duly bolted up and was unlucky not to win the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot next time, before being placed in the Sky Bet York Stakes and Great Voltigeur. He finished behind Los Angeles in the latter, when getting 5lb, so more is clearly needed, but there may well be more to come. He coped well enough with soft ground last season and promises to be a strong stayer at the trip on Saturday. 

Timeform rating: 128. Odds: 7-1. 

He has had a fine year, winning the Irish Derby and Great Voltigeur, while also making the frame in the Derby, Irish Champion and Arc. He doesn’t seem to have the gears of the market leaders, though, and Ascot’s short straight is unlikely to be ideal. If the ground gets desperate that will be in this stayer’s favour, but his exploits in France less than two weeks ago cannot be in his favour. Aidan O’Brien has never landed this with a male horse and I just can’t see a scenario where Los Angeles breaks the mould. 

Timeform rating: 124. Odds: 66-1. 

He’s given his owners, Martin Hughes and Michael Kerr-Dineen, plenty of fun at some of the biggest meetings this year, winning handicaps on Derby day, Coral-Eclipse day and at Ayr’s Gold Cup meeting, plus he ran at Royal Ascot. He’s risen 20lb in the ratings this year and who is to say he’s reached his ceiling, but there’s nothing to suggest he’s up to this level. 

Timeform rating: 125. Odds: 50-1. 

The Yorkshire Oaks winner seems more likely to run in the Fillies & Mares Stakes, if she runs anywhere on Saturday. 

Timeform rating: 127. Odds: 66-1. 

She’s bred in the purple but is 0/6 in Group One contests and up against it here, just two weeks on from being third in the Sun Chariot. This trip probably suits the Nassau Stakes runner-up better, but others have much stronger credentials. 

Calandagan and Economics stand out, with the former getting the vote. Of those at bigger prices, Al Riffa and King’s Gambit make most appeal.