Ascot Champions Day tips 2025: Best bets, odds & race previews

Racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge gives his insights in Saturday’s Champions Day racecard at Ascot

(Adam Davy/PA Wire)

Saturday’s Racing Tips

• Montassib (Ascot, 14.05) – 0.5pts each-way @ 6/1 (William Hill)
• Kalpana (Ascot, 14.45) – 2pts win @ 11/4 (William Hill)
• Fallen Angel (Ascot, 15.25) – 1pt each-way @ 15/2 (Ladbrokes)
• Ombudsman (Ascot, 16.05) – 3pts win @ 2/1 (William Hill)
• Cerulean Bay (Ascot, 16.40) – 0.5pts each-way @ 14/1 (PricedUp)

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As the Flat season begins to draw towards its close, there’s a fantastic Champions Day card at Ascot on Saturday with no fewer than five Group 1 races on the slate. Our Saturday racing tips focus entirely on the standout meeting, with five selections to follow on betting sites.

Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Ascot, 14.05)

We start our look at Champions Day with this Group 1 sprint over 6f.

So far this season, it’s proved impossible to name Britain’s champion sprinter, with all the major prizes being shared. Should Lazzat win this, then he could be the one, following his C&D success in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

He’s one of three in the top five in the ante-post market on horse racing betting sites that sports the blue and gold of Wathnan Racing, who won this race last year with Kind Of Blue, who is turning up to defend his crown.

Flora Of Bermuda is the third of the Wathnan trio and you would not be surprised if any of them, or indeed the Group 1 Sprint Cup winner, Big Mojo, proved good enough this time. However, due to a setback in the spring, MONTASSIB has yet to dine at the top table in 2025 and this is his chance to do so.

He won the Super Sprint at Haydock last year before ending his campaign in this race, when fifth of 20 behind Kind Of Blue. He’s fairly fresh after just one run, when he was a running on third in a Newbury Group 3 last month (5f, good to soft).

That should have put him spot on, the return to this trip is positive and he will be well suited by a sound or slower surface. He could be overpriced and can be backed each-way, with the win a distinct possibility.

Saturday racing tip 1: Montassib (Ascot, 14.05) – 0.5pts each-way @ 6/1 (William Hill)

Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Ascot, 14.45)

There were only two places separating Kalpana and Quisisana in seventh and ninth behind Daryz in the Prix de ‘Arc de Triomphe and Quisisana might, at first glance, appear to be the better value option going into this latest 1m4f Group 1 contest.

Francis Henri Graffard did us a big favour that day as the selection Daryz came up with the goods under Mickael Barzalona and their representative in this race can probably get back on track and finish much closer.

However, despite being the ante-post favourite, KALPANA still looks the better value on betting apps at the time of writing. Andrew Balding’s filly won this race comfortably last year and she’s done everything but add another win in 2025.

Her one length second to Calandagan in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes over C&D in July is the strongest piece of form in this field. She was trapped out three wide in the Arc last time and was never able to get properly into that contest, so I wouldn’t place much stock by her seven-length seventh.

Back on a forecast sound surface, she can prove to be a cut above her nine declared opponents.

Saturday racing tip 2: Kalpana (Ascot, 14.45) – 2pts win @ 3/1 (William Hill)

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Ascot, 15.25)

Field Of Gold is very much the pick of the field here and can surely only be as big as 2/1 because of what happened when he was turned over at odds-on in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in July.

His performance over C&D when winning the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot was quite brilliant and, if he is over whatever ailed him (he finished lame) in Sussex, then he is very much the one to beat.

However, nothing in this sport is guaranteed and we’re going to take him on with the in-form FALLEN ANGEL, whose season has been one of improvement. She comes here off the back of a career-best when winning the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket recently, when she scored decisively.

There’s no reason why the daughter of Too Darn Hot can’t take another step up on that and if she does, she could ask some serious questions of the favourite. Our old friend Rosallion, whom I tipped each-way in the Sussex Stakes and ran a fine race in second, is another strong opponent and a hugely reliable yardstick but there looks still to be more potential improvement in Fallen Angel and I’m going to side with her.

She is a decent each-way price in relation to her chance, and a good day could see her win it.

Saturday racing tip 3: Fallen Angel (Ascot, 15.25) – 1pt each-way @ 15/2 (Ladbrokes)

Qipco Champion Stakes (Ascot, 16.05)

The day’s main event is another mouthwatering Group 1 contest, which sees OMBUDSMAN, Calandagan and Delacroix join battle with some other genuine elite level performers also involved.

Those with long memories may recall that we took on Ombudsman with Delacroix in Sandown’s Eclipse Stakes in July and came up trumps on that occasion. John and Thady Gosden’s representative then reversed those placings in emphatic fashion when he won the Juddmonte International impressively at York last time.

Decisive though that was, the selection’s career-best effort came over C&D in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, when he bettered Anmaat by two lengths, in one of the best middle distance performances by any horse in Britain and Ireland this season.

That augurs well for a return here, while he is also adaptable with regard to underhoof conditions. He’s the best horse in this race and I expect him to prove himself as a champion.

Saturday racing tip 4: Ombudsman (Ascot, 16.05) – 3pts win @ 15/8 (William Hill)

Balmoral Handicap (16.40)

There’s a huge pot up for grabs here and, after his latest win there is no doubt that Native Warrior deserves his place at the head of the market. However, only one favourite has won this race in the past decade and there has to be some each-way value on offer.

I think that value comes in the form of CERULEAN BAY. David O’Meara’s four-year-old is seeking a hat-trick after back-to-back wins at Goodwood.

Admittedly, this is a stronger contest than either of those but he is unexposed, he still looks well treated under his penalty and he acts on any going. He also has a decent draw here in stall five, while his trainer knows how to lay one out for this race, having won it three times in the past decade. We’ll play each-way to small stakes on horse racing betting apps.

Saturday racing tip 5: Cerulean Bay (Ascot, 16.40) – 0.5pts each-way @ 14/1 (PricedUp)

Ascot free bet offer

Each Saturday, LiveScore Bet run a money-back offer relating to one of the races being shown on ITV Racing that day. This week, that race is the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (14.45) at Ascot.

I’ve picked out Kalpana as one to follow in that race and if you were to back Andrew Balding’s filly on LiveScore Bet in that race and she finished second, third or fourth, you’d receive your stake back in free bets.

There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection places, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.

Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to LiveScore Bet punters.

Please gamble responsibly

If you’re having a bet on British Champions Day at Ascot, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive, and it’s important to stay in control of your gambling, whether you’re using the best betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, bingo sites or any other gambling platform.

Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control.

Try not to get carried away by free bets or casino bonuses, which are widely available on gambling apps.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

• NHS Help
• GamCare
• Gamblers Anonymous

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