The beautiful Berkshire venue of Ascot Racecourse is best known for the five-day Royal extravaganza which takes place in June each year. In terms of multi-day meetings, Royal Ascot takes top billing in the British Flat season, but Ascot is also home to several of the very best single-day fixtures of the year.
The pick of these arrives in October, with the annual edition of QIPCO British Champions Day. Taking place on 18th October in 2025, the event is still some way off. However, the latest round of entries has whetted the appetite for the richest single-day event of the domestic season.
As ever, the leading contenders from the British and Irish yards will target the £3.9 million in prize money on offer across the five Group 1 events. However, they look set to face stiff competition from across the Channel.
French trainers have claimed 12 British Champions Day races since 2000. With strong entries across all five Group 1 contests, our Gallic cousins are well positioned to add to that tally in 2025.
QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup
- 21st Century French-Trained Winners – Royal And Regal (2007)
With each of the past eight renewals won by Aidan O’Brien, Alan King, or the Gosden operation, French trainers haven’t had much of a look-in in the headline event for the stayers.
The John & Thady Gosden-trained Trawlerman and Aidan O’Brien’s Scandinavia dominate the market in 2025, but the French have an interesting outsider in Sibayan. Hailing from the yard of Francis-Henri Graffard – who has 10 entries across the five Group 1s at this stage – this Aga Khan Studs runner impressed on his first crack at 1m6f in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil.
QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes
- 21st Century French-Trained Winners – Crystal Castle (2002)
Graffard is also represented in this 6f contest, with last-gasp Prix Jean Prat winner Woodshauna pencilled in to make the trip to Ascot. The Yann Barberot-trained Beauvatier finished fourth in 2024 and could return for another crack at the prize, while Christopher Head’s Topgear will hope for better luck than when losing his front shoes on his only previous visit to this track.
Patrice Cottier’s Daylight and the Jérôme Reynier-trained Lazzat round out the French challenge. The former is among the rank outsiders, but the latter is likely to start as the red-hot favourite if tackling this assignment. Sporting the increasingly recognisable silks of Wathnan Racing, this four-year-old mastered Japanese star Satono Reve when claiming the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes
- 21st Century French-Trained Winners – Ashalanda (2009)
Several trainers have adopted a mob-handed approach to the big event for the fillies and mares. Aidan O’Brien has eight entries, while John & Thady Gosden have six. Graffard isn’t too far behind the Irish and British juggernauts, with four of the current field hailing from his Chantilly base.
The pick of that quartet is the three-year-old Gezora. Sired by 2016 Champion Stakes hero Almanzor, she’s nicely bred for the task at hand and has looked the part at the track. A Group 3 winner as a juvenile, she took the step up to Group 1 company in her stride when claiming the Prix de Diane in June. Away from the Graffard yard, Clément Ferland’s Aventure has every chance if returning to the form of her runner-up effort in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
- 21st Century French-Trained Winners – Charm Spirit (2014), Solow (2015), The Revenant (2020), Big Rock (2023)
With Field Of Gold, Rosallion, and Delacroix heading the market, the British and Irish could be a tough nut to crack in this £1.1 million contest. However, Graffard and Jérôme Reynier will give it their best shot.
Reynier’s Facteur Cheval is no stranger to this race, having finished second in the 2023 and 2024 editions. Still only six, he could go well at a track that clearly suits. Zabiari is more of an unknown quantity for Graffard. He’s yet to race in Group 1 company or outside his homeland but started the year in style with a quickfire hat-trick. Still green in the Group 3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines in June, there may be more to come.
QIPCO Champion Stakes
- 21st Century French-Trained Winners – Pride (2006), Literato (2007), Cirrus des Aigles (2011), Almanzor (2016), Sealiway (2021)
If there is one Champions Day contest in which British and Irish trainers should fear their French counterparts, it is the feature event of the day. With £1.3 million up for grabs, the leading French handlers understandably target the Champion Stakes – often with considerable success. The history of the race is littered with French-trained winners, including five since 2006.
Given that record, it is somewhat surprising that Francis-Henri Graffard is the only French trainer represented in 2025. Calandagan needs little introduction to British fans, having already won the King Edward VII Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at this track. Goliath also showed a liking for this part of the world when springing a 25/1 shock in the 2024 King George.
Graffard’s third entry, Daryz, has yet to venture beyond French shores. However, the Sea The Stars colt looked like a horse firmly on the up when extending his unbeaten record to four in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam. He could definitely be one to watch.
Will Le Tricolore be raised aloft on QIPCO British Champions Day? With such a talented cast of stars, the home team will need to work hard to repel the raiders in all five contests.