Following on from the Derby and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, this is the final showdown in the British Champions Series Middle Distance category.
The race originated at Newmarket, where it was run from its inception in 1877 until 2010.
With an injection of cash upon its move to Ascot, it became one of the main highlights of the new QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot and still thrives as a contest today.
The Contenders
William Haggas has ruled out a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with his Irish Champion Stakes hero Economics (6/4), who will round off his season instead in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
An impressive winner of the Dante Stakes at York in May, Economics sidestepped the Derby but returned from three months away with a Group Two victory at Deauville in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano.
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The Night Of Thunder-colt stepped up to Group One level for the first time at Leopardstown in September and showed immense talent to fend off Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes.
I personally thought he would be an Arc contender this season (next year they say), but now he becomes the horse they will all have to beat at Ascot.
Calandagan (5/2 in our online betting) sent such a seismic wave through the European Pattern Committee members and their associates when lifting the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, that there have been calls in some quarters to allow geldings to run in the Arc.
The result of that discussion is years away, however in the immediate term Calandagan will be Ascot’s gain this autumn and Francis Graffard’s three-year-old holds a live chance of landing the spoils in the Champion Stakes.
Second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International at York, a form line like that is very difficult to trump and many punters will make him the bet of the day on the Champions Day card.
At the time of writing Opera Singer (14/1 in the horse racing odds) is considered a prominent contender for the Arc on the back of her Nassau Stakes victory.
After making all she battled on bravely in the closing stages to narrowly hold off the fast-finishing See The Fire.
I can’t see those kind of tactics coming off in an Arc and she holds a much better chance in a race such as this. Whatever the target, Aidan O’Brien will have the three-year-old Justify-filly finely tuned on the day.
Iresine (20/1) would have been well worth his place in the Arc field given his career record of 15 wins from 22 starts in France where he has never finished out of the top four places.
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However, he’s not eligible to race so connections could well focus their attentions on this UK race instead.
Jean-Pierre Gauvin’s seven-year-old would be a welcome addition to the race and the Manduro-gelding can run a big each-way race if lining up.
Champion Stakes tip: Calandagan (WIN)
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
