ASCOT 16:05

All 11 ran.

Time: 2m 3.19s Closing Sectional: (3f): 36.55s (101.5%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 116%, Betfair SP 100.5%

The 2025 Champion Stakes thankfully saw normality restored on a number of counts, firstly in being run on the Flat course after 2 years of having to be moved to the inner hurdles course due to the state of the ground, resulting in messy contests; secondly in the way the race was run after pacemakers had made a mess of several Group 1s this season, the presence of one apiece from the camps of a couple of the leading contenders ensuring the race was fair to all; thirdly, and most importantly, in seeing the race living up to its billing in crowning a champion on a day when a couple of the races had somehow managed to further cloud already confusing pictures, a prolonged spell of dry weather resulting in a stacked field fitting of the race title, just the third time in a decade that a European race had been contested by a trio of horses boasting a Timeform rating of 129 or higher, following on from the 2016 renewal - the last time the ground had been good to firm for this meeting - and the 2023 Arc, like those victory going the way of the French-trained protagonist, Calandagan supplanting his year-younger stablemate Daryz to the crown of champion middle-distance horse with a thoroughly professional display.

CALANDAGAN (IRE) had got very close on a few occasions to breaking the 130 barrier on Timeform ratings - the mark of a top-class Flat horse - and smashed through it this time to supplement his King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory 12 weeks earlier, maintaining his unbeaten record on the Flat course here (the 2024 renewal had taken place on the inner hurdles course), putting to bed any lingering doubts over his attitude that had crept in following defeat to Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup, the way he turned away Ombudsman the mark of a true champion; waited with between Delacroix and Ombudsman with the 3 of them racing in single file at the back of the field, he made steady headway from 3f out, striking the front well under 2f out and soon seeing off Ombudsman's challenge before staying on well to make things very comfortable through the final 100 yds; this performance means his stable is very likely to end the year with both the highest-rated 3-y-o and older horse in Europe, keeping them apart meaning we should get regular opportunities to see both in Britain next year, while before then the prospect of trying to become the first foreign-trained Japan Cup winner since Luca Cumani sent over Alkaased in 2005 could be on his agenda.

OMBUDSMAN (IRE) ran a fine race in defeat, taking his personal record with Delacroix to 2-1 but unable to cope with the third member of the heavyweight trio that made this such a strong race; jumped out fine but soon taken right back to last from a fairly wide draw, swung widest of all into the straight while running the quickest fourth last and third last furlongs of anything in the race to put himself right into contention but couldn't sustain his effort from there as well as Calandagan.

ALMAQAM showed that he firmly belongs at this level, and connections must be left ruing the dry autumn, his defeat of a returning Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard the last time he encountered ground softer than good; led main group travelling as well as any into the straight and, while lacking the same turn of foot as the first 2, he stuck at it well to pull clear with the big 3, even pipping Delacroix for third on the head bob; there's still an air of unfinished business with him heading into 2026, and he could be a danger to all with cut in the ground, the Tattersalls Gold Cup a potential early-season aim.

DELACROIX (IRE) was much the easiest of the big 3 to back and couldn't build on his win in the Irish version last month, unable to organise himself as well as Calandagan when the tempo really began to lift and boxed in early in the straight as a result, losing momentum and conceding first run to the first 2, never able to claw them back and pipped for third on the head bob; he's a very good - if not quite brilliant - racehorse but his worth to Coolmore as an outcross to their plethora of Galileo-line mares goes way beyond his rating, particularly following the recent untimely death of Wootton Bassett.

FIRST LOOK (IRE) got warm beforehand and recouped around half of the £75,000 it cost to supplement him, a return about as good as could have been realistically hoped for given the strength of the race, running at least as well as when winning the Prix Dollar just a fortnight earlier; mid-division, forced wide early, effort when edged right around 2f out, outpaced soon after, plugged on final 1f.

FOX LEGACY has progressed really well this year and ran most creditably raised sharply in grade after 11 weeks off, even threatening briefly 2f out having been settled in touch before the big players came past, able to muster just one pace from there.

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE supplemented to help set the race up for Ombudsman, actually ran really well, comfortably outlasting the Ballydoyle pacemaker and showing he should have a future in pattern races next year; helped force pace, pressed on over 3f out and went a couple of lengths clear, headed under 2f out, no extra.

ECONOMICS hadn't been seen since a beaten favourite in this race 12 months earlier, when he'd bled, clearly a struggle to get him right this year and even a week earlier his trainer not fully committing to running, an imperfect prep to put it mildly for such a stiff assignment, and, though looking pretty fit beforehand (on his toes), he bled once again having had little go right in the race itself; soon steadied, not settle fully, short of room slightly and shuffeld back a bit after 3f, caught in a pocket and shuffled back to last under 3f out, edged left under 2f out, merely plugged on; whether he can be brought back to hit the heights of last year after this latest setback very much remains to be seen.

ALMERIC seemed found out by a combination of the steep rise in class and firmer ground than previously, any further progress next year likely to come back on softer ground and/or over longer trips; slowly into stride, mid-field, bit short of room and lost ground after 3f, outpaced under 3f out, plodded on.

PRAGUE (IRE) who sweated up beforehand, was flying too high in this grade having seemingly regressed from last year; missed the break, in touch, took strong hold, dropped away 2f out.

MOUNT KILIMANJARO (FR) very much on his toes and getting warm in the paddock, was weakening from his role as pacemaker when carrying his head a bit awkwardly 2f out.