Calandagan and Economics clash in QIPCO British Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday sees a big clash between Calandagan and Economics, but who will come out on top?
The QIPCO British Champion Stakes is the most valuable race on British Champions Day, worth £737,230 to the winner, and this year’s renewal looks a cracker, with two potentially top-class three-year-olds in Calandagan and Economics set to go head to head for the first time.
There isn’t much between them on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, Calandagan coming out on top on 135p, with Economics not far behind on 132p. Both were lightly raced as juveniles but have made giant strides so far this season.
Calandagan was beaten by Bright Picture on his return in March in a heavy-ground Listed event at Saint-Cloud, but he comfortably reversed that form in the Group 3 Prix Noailles on soft ground at Longchamp the following month, overcoming some trouble in running and asserting in good style.
That form worked out well, with the second, third, fifth and sixth all winning next time, and Calandagan didn’t need to improve to follow up in another Group 3 back at Longchamp on his next start in May.
It was at Royal Ascot where Calandagan really announced himself as an exciting prospect, though, when winning the King Edward VII Stakes in emphatic fashion. He won by six lengths that day, producing one of the best performances in the race this century by Timeform’s standards, and the excellent timefigure he recorded gave the visual impression he created proper substance.
Calandagan progressed further in defeat when runner-up to City of Troy in the Juddmonte International at York, confirming the improvement he had made at Royal Ascot and having no problem dropping back to a mile and a quarter, either.
That performance can be marked up even further when taking sectionals into account, Calandagan recording the fastest closing sectional (final three furlongs) in the field and also covering that distance nearly half a second quicker than City of Troy.
Track position played a big part, City of Troy making most of the running, while Calandagan was asked to come from further back in the field, the only horse to make any impact from the rear third of the field and confirming himself a bona-fide Group 1 horse.
The William Haggas-trained Economics has enjoyed a similar meteoric rise through the ranks this season, also, landing the odds on his return over a mile at Newbury to open his account, and looking something out of the ordinary when following up in the Dante Stakes at York.
There was plenty to like about the manner of that performance, still looking pretty raw once in front but storming away from his rivals in the closing stages, looking all over a future top-level winner. He returned with blood in his nose afterwards, but it was deemed that he banged his head on the stalls.
Economics wasn’t supplemented for the Derby but the patient approach has paid dividends so far, recording another Group 2 success in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville in August, comfortably defeating Jayarebe – who has since won a Group 2 on Arc weekend – before making the breakthrough in Group 1 company in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown (replay below).
Economics became the first horse since Pentire in 1995 to win the Irish Champion Stakes having not previously won at Group 1 level, and he had to show a different side to his game to come out on top, too, battling really well to fend off the persistent challenge of 2023 winner Auguste Rodin.
Calandagan and Economics are the ones to beat on form in this year’s Champion Stakes but, the latter in particular will have to prove himself on what is likely to be soft or heavy ground. Economics made his debut on soft ground last year, where he finished fourth over seven furlongs at Newmarket, though he was very green on that occasion and is clearly a different model this season. He also has an action which suggests he won't be bothered about any ease in the ground.
Calandagan has form in testing conditions, including two wins on soft ground at Group 3 level, so he has more experience on the sort of ground he will face on Saturday, but in the same breath, you can’t overlook the fact that his two best efforts to date have come on ground that Timeform described as good to firm at Royal Ascot and York.
Calandagan also has course form on his side and you shouldn’t forget how impressive he was in the King Edward, while he also showed he’s equally effective at a mile and a quarter at York. The likely ground will also bring stamina into play, which is assured from the French raider, but it is worth remembering that William Haggas had reservations about Economics going any further this season following his romp in the Dante.
It really is a tough match to call, and the fact that they are very closely matched in the betting mirrors that. You can see Calandagan shortening further as we get closer to race time, just because conditions will likely favour him more and, on what both horses have achieved on the figures thus far, you could argue that he should have been installed favourite.
I'd probably be edging towards Calandagan over Economics at the current prices.
Since 2012, only four horses have achieved a Timeform performance rating of 130 or better in the Champion Stakes – Frankel (139), Farhh (130), Almanzor (132) and Cracksman (136, 136) – a figure which marks a horse out as a top-class performer.
Both Calandagan and Economics have the potential to break through that barrier on Saturday and hopefully they will bring out the best in each other to produce a race to savour.
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