Champions Day 2026: Outsiders, horses for courses and Irish raiders to watch

There’s plenty happening on Saturday but the best of the action is provided by Ascot‘s Champions Day card, which features five Group 1s. Here are some outsiders and horses with proven course records to consider. Irish trainers are sending over a strong team so we’ve assessed their best chances. Why not check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.

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Outsiders

Victory Gold (16/1, bet365) was an impressive winner of a nursery at Sandown last time out and he easily defied a mark of 87 that day. Don’t rule out further improvement and he could make the frame.

Victory Gold

Analysis

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Hawk Mountain (40/1, bet365) is likely to be employed as a pacemaker here but the talented and well bred colt stays 1m2f and if Colin Keane gets his fractions right, he could slip away from the field.

Hawk Mountain

Analysis

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Whip Cracker (28/1, bet365) is adaptable with regards to trip and he won over an extended 7f at Chester on his last handicap start. The return to handicaps is likely to help and he should be competitive.

Whip Cracker

Analysis

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Horses for courses

Almeraq landed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over course and distance on his only previous start at Ascot and having won another Group 1 last time out, he looks like the one to beat.

Almeraq

Analysis

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Three-time course and distance winner Kalpana landed the King George here in the summer and has won the last two renewals of this race. Victory seems likely once again for Andrew Balding’s mare.

Kalpana

Analysis

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Ombudsman is 2/3 here at Ascot and appears to be better than ever this season. He bolted up in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and can get the better of Calandagan this time around.

Ombudsman

Analysis

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Irish raiders

St Leger winner Highwayman should be a bit fresher than Caballo De Mar, who had a tough race up against Scandinavia in France a couple of weeks ago, and the progressive colt is going the right way.

Highwayman

Analysis

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Johanna Walsh was very below-par at York last time out and needs to bounce back but she won the Irish Oaks by four lengths before that and would have a good chance if returning to that level.

Johanna Walsh

Analysis

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Gstaad clearly wasn’t right in France last time out so you can put a line through that run but his other form this season has been excellent, so the son of Starspangledbanner deserves another chance.