Fran Berry offers his insight on the Group 1 QIPCO British Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, while we have the Timeform predicted pace map and free video replays too.

Group 1 QIPCO Champion Stakes (4.05 Ascot)

Timeform verdict: Although OMBUDSMAN was beaten by Delacroix in the Eclipse it was a quick turnaround for Godolphin’s charge after his big performance in the Prince of Wales’s and he re-established himself as the one to beat in this division when readily seeing off the same rival at York. Aidan O’Brien’s charge has won well at Leopardstown since but it could still be that the chief threat emerges from last year’s runner-up Calandagan, who showed a sharp turn of foot to win the King George here in July.

Fran Berry Insight

The QIPCO British Champion Stakes looks like it’s going to be run on good ground for the time of year and it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out.

With OMBUDSMAN v Delacroix standing at 1-1 and plenty of fighting talk from connections over the last few months, it’s all going to come to a head here and you wouldn’t throw Calandagan out of the mix.

It looks a very good renewal and with each camp having a pacemaker in there we should get a good gallop. How hard they go from the stalls and where they all fit in at Swinley Bottom will be key to the outcome and it’s a tantalising proposition.

I can’t wait to see who will be first to strike. Perhaps Calandagan will go for home first given his proven stamina, but William Buick and Christophe Soumillon will be wise to that and I hope we get a good, clean race in the straight.

Hopefully the pacemakers don’t interfere with any of the big guns as they drop back through the field, as it can get a bit messy on that Ascot round course at times.

You couldn’t rule out any of the big three, but I have a slight preference for Ombudsman given he is the one that has been trained for this race from a long way out.

Missing the Irish Champion Stakes could be key, that might just give him the edge but it’s a marginal call.

There is a scenario where the big three jockeys could get caught ball-watching (each other), allowing something like Almaqam to slip them if he’s better positioned sitting just off the pacemakers.

You couldn’t rule something like that out, but it’s great to see all of the big guns turn up and if things go to plan Ombudsman could swoop past them all off the strong gallop in the straight.

Timeform Pace Prediction

Pace Forecast: Even

Draw Bias: Favours High

Specific Pace Hint: Hold-up horses have the better record at this trip here but there’s good reason to think that the pace will sway things against CALANDAGAN in favour of FOX LEGACY.

Free Video ReplaysOMBUDSMAN 20/08/2025

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