Big-race preview & tip: QIPCO Champion Stakes

3.55 Ascot - QIPCO Champion Stakes

Timeform view:

Progressive 3-y-os CALANDAGAN and Economics do need to prove themselves fully effective on deep ground but they are clear on form and have the potential for even better. The former had 11 others, including Arc winner Bluestocking, well behind him when chasing home City of Troy in a strong renewal of the International at York and is narrowly preferred. Los Angeles, Iresine and Royal Rhyme can fight it out for third.

Timeform Top Rated

Economics - 3lb clear

Timeform Pace Guide

Pace Forecast : Even

Draw Bias : Favours High

Specific Pace Hint : Those that race prominently here aren’t generally favoured but in view of the expected gallop CALANDAGAN (IRE) will probably end up more poorly positioned than LOS ANGELES (IRE).

Individual Price Hint : CALANDAGAN (IRE) hit an in-running low of 25% or less of his starting Betfair SP when beaten last time.

What the connections say

Calandagan and Economics will engage in what promises to be a captivating clash for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

It is a measure of the strength of the final all-aged Group One of the British Flat season that Irish Derby hero and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe third Los Angeles is only third best in a market dominated by Francis-Henri Graffard’s French raider and a horse William Haggas holds in the highest regard.

Calandagan edges it on official ratings, having backed up his brilliant victory in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot by finishing best of the rest behind City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International.

The Aga Khan-owned gelding has enjoyed a short break since that late-August effort and Graffard is delighted with his condition as he looks to follow in the hoofprints of recent French-trained Champion Stakes victors Cirrus Des Aigles (2011), Almanzor (2016) and Sealiway (2021).

“I’m very happy with Calandagan, he’s in very good form and ready to defend his chance on Saturday,” said Graffard

“The soft ground shouldn’t be an issue for him and I couldn’t be happier with him, so now we need a bit of luck in running.”

Calandagan is owned by the Aga Khan, who has previously won the race with Vayrann (1981) and Kalanisi (2000).

“We’re looking forward to it and Calandagan is very well,” said Georges Rimaud, manager of the Aga Khan Studs in France.

“It’s good to give them a break and I believe he has come back well and has worked very well, so we are very happy and we’ll see what will happen.

“I understand they have moved the course to the track with the smaller straight, so it’s going to be acceptable ground I believe.

“Of course, Economics is a very good horse, but it’s a Champion Stakes and you’ve got to be a champion (to win it), so it’s a good thing that there are good horses in there.”

Behind City Of Troy, Economics has been the breakout star of the 2024 Flat season.

Unbeaten in all four runs, he has won the Dante, a Group Two in France and confirmed his place at the top table when beating Auguste Rodin and Los Angeles in the Irish Champion Stakes.

Haggas resisted the temptation to run him in the Derby, despite his six-length win in the key trial at York, and in landing the Irish Champion Stakes – sponsored by the owner of Economics – it is hard to say the decision has not been vindicated.

The trainer said: “I think he’ll be OK on the ground because I think he’s very versatile, but it will be on the top of the list of excuses if it all goes wrong, I suppose.

“As hard as it is to miss the Derby, the relief of winning the Bahrain race on Champions Day in Ireland meant that possibly we had made the right decision.

“It was a very tough race and a very strong race. It’s a very complicated track is Leopardstown and I thought Tom (Marquand) was exceptional. He came in and said he’s a tough horse, as it was very messy. He asked a lot of him at various times and the horse didn’t let him down.”

While the Newmarket handler has no doubt his new stable star will stay a mile and a half in time, there was no great urge to run him in this year’s Arc.

“Only a fool would run him over anything else at the moment,” he said. “He’s run four times (this season) and three times over 10 furlongs – and he’s done very well.

“I think everyone who has watched him has come to the conclusion he might be just as effective over a mile and a half in time, he’ll go over that next year.

“Calandagan is obviously a very good horse and will be a danger to everyone. He has won over a mile and a half and I think he’ll need every inch of the trip, I think it will be very interesting.

“He’s a very smart horse, let’s hope they both get there and what will be, will be. He was very impressive at Ascot. I fancied our horse (Space Legend) in that race very much and he was binoculars away in second.”

Los Angeles looking to shrug off Arc exertions

Los Angeles will bid to give his successful season a Hollywood ending when he lines up in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Camelot made a winning return at Leopardstown in May, before finding only stablemate City Of Troy and James Fanshawe’s Ambiente Friendly too good in the Derby at Epsom.

With no City Of Troy standing in his way on his next start, he turned the tables on Ambiente Friendly to scoop Classic honours in the Irish Derby and then added to his tally when bravely landing the Great Voltigeur at York.

His winning run was snapped when only a length and a quarter behind the reopposing Economics in the Irish Champion Stakes and since Leopardstown, Los Angeles attempted to make all in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, putting up a bold show in third.

He now returns to the track less than two weeks later to face off against the might of William Haggas’ Economics and French raider Calandagan, seeking a fourth victory of the season.

“He ran a good race in the Arc, we were happy with him. Ideally, we’d have preferred not to have to make the running with him, but that’s the way it fell,” explained O’Brien.

“It probably wasn’t ideal for him but he ran well and he seems to have come out of it well. He ran well against Economics at Leopardstown but we know he is a very good horse, obviously.”

Remarkably, O’Brien has only won the Qipco British Champions Day feature once, with Magical in 2019, and Los Angeles will be joined in the race by Continuous, another to take part in the Arc at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.

O’Brien continued: “Continuous ran in the Arc too, but it was a bit of a non-event, as he ran into the horse that was injured coming down the hill.

“Christophe (Soumillon) said we could put a line through it, and he rides again. He’s had an easy season and his action suggests he’ll handle the ground, even though he handles fast ground as well.”

Prior to running in the Arc, Continuous finished the best part of three lengths adrift of Iresine in the Prix Foy, with Jean-Pierre Gauvin’s seven-year-old a part of the powerful French raiding party.

Iresine will be partnered by regular pilot Marie Velon, who returns to Ascot after being part of the winning team in the Shergar Cup in August.

She said: “I’m very excited to be returning to Ascot. My first experience of it was amazing. I didn’t win, but my team did!

“To ride in the Champion Stakes on Iresine is a dream, as he is the best horse of my life. We grew up together, so to run in this big race is unbelievable, for both me and the team. Calandagan and Economics are the best horses of the season, but I will count on Iresine’s experience to beat them.

“It’s a beautiful challenge and we will do our best. He is in great form, better than last time. He will be 100 per cent for Saturday and the ground will be perfect for him.”

Another horse returning to the track swiftly following an appearance on Arc weekend is Owen Burrows’ Anmaat, who misfired in the Prix Dollar but is given the chance to quickly bounce back to his best.

“That’s the first time he’s run a bad race. We’ve no real excuse for that, but the race was run at a very slow tempo, which probably wouldn’t have suited him,” explained his jockey Jim Crowley.

“He has to take a big step up on even his best form, but he’s a Group One winner and he likes cut in the ground.”

Oisin Murphy will be crowned champion jockey for the fourth time prior to racing and he has picked up the ride on Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit, who has been knocking on the door at group level since winning the London Gold Cup in May.

Charlton said: “His form has been solid all year – second to Jayarebe in the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot and third to Arc third Los Angeles at York – and coming back to 10 furlongs after York will suit. He fully deserves his chance and I don’t think he will be far away.”

John and Thady Gosden’s Nashwa returns to 10 furlongs having blown away the cobwebs in the Sun Chariot Stakes, while one sure to appreciate underfoot conditions is Karl Burke’s Royal Rhyme.

The four-year-old thrives when the mud flies and has some smart form figures to his name.

“He is in great form and I am praying the ground is soft or even heavier,” said Burke.

“On faster ground, he was only three lengths behind them in the Irish Champion. On soft ground, I’d be very hopeful of turning around that form. He is getting better and stronger with every race.”

Royal Rhyme’s jockey Clifford Lee agrees and added: “He will love the ground and has been running on the wrong ground all year. He has good form on soft ground and will really enjoy it.”

Key Video Form

Economics - Won Irish Champion Stakes

Calandagan - 2nd Juddmonte International

Los Angeles & King's Gambit - 1st & 3rd Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes

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