British Champion Stakes betting with William Hill

The British Champion Stakes is one of the most prestigious 10-furlong races in the world and the richest in Europe. The race was originally staged at Newmarket before moving to its current home of Ascot in 2011. British Champion Stakes betting is the climax of British Champions Day in October.

Famous winners of the British Champion Stakes include Brigadier Gerard (1971, 1972), Pebbles (1985), Frankel (2012) and Cracksman (2017, 2018).

British Champion Stakes betting tips

Most Champion Stakes winners had won on their previous outing and almost all had finished in the first three.

The majority had raced within the six weeks prior to the race, although Farhh (2013) and Cracksman (2018) both won after a significant absence. Very few horses tackle a race of this magnitude without having previous winning form over 10 furlongs.

Many British Champion Stakes winners had already won at least one Group 1 or Group 2 race. Notable French-trained winners include Flying Water (1977), Hatoof (1993), Cirrus Des Aigles (2011) and Almanzor (2016).

Ireland has won the race in recent times with New Approach (2008) and Fascinating Rock (2015), trained by Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld respectively.

There is rarely a large field for this race so there are few excuses for beaten horses. Ascot is a very fair track but does provide a stiff test of stamina when the ground is soft.

British Champion Stakes betting trends

Favourites have a modest record in this race in the modern era, but Almanzor (2016) and Cracksman (2017 and 2018) have helped to redress the balance.

They were very popular British Champion Stakes bets and provided three successive winning favourites. Most winners have had an official rating of 120 or higher going into the race.

One British Champion Stakes tip is to concentrate on runners aged five and under. Six-year-old Pride (2006) was the oldest British Champion Stakes winner since Bendigo in 1887.

Three-year-olds have gone through spells of domination, notably 1973 to 1984 when they won all bar one of the 12 renewals. There has been more of an even spread between ages three to five in recent years.

British Champion Stakes betting - ante-post pointers

The form races for winners of the British Champion Stakes have come from a wide variety of sources.

Cracksman won the Prix Niel before winning here in 2017, usually a trial for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In 2018 he overcame a 122-day absence since the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Farhh (2013) overcame an even longer absence, having not raced since winning the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May. Almanzor (2016) won the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Frankel came here via the International Stakes at York in 2012.

The British Champion Stakes is the final start of the season for most winners, and racing careers in several recent cases. New Approach (2008), Frankel (2012), Farhh (2013), Noble Mission (2014) and Cracksman (2018) were all retired immediately after winning.

Twice Over (2009) and Cirrus Des Aigles (2011) did race again in their winning seasons. Twice Over finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, while Cirrus Des Aigles was fifth in the Hong Kong Cup.

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British Champion Stakes history and memorable winners

The British Champion Stakes was first run in 1877 at Newmarket and was won by Springfield. At the introduction of graded races in 1971, the Champion Stakes was immediately classed as a Group 1 event.

One of the biggest upsets in the history of the British Champion Stakes came with the shock defeat of Nijinsky in 1970.

The Triple Crown winner had been beaten in the Arc but was 4-11 favourite to resume winning ways at Newmarket. He was not able to produce his usual acceleration and was defeated by Lorenzaccio.

Prize money for the British Champion Stakes briefly dislodged the Epsom Derby as Britain’s richest horse race at £1.3 million in 2011. The Derby’s prize money was raised to reclaim top spot the following year.

The victory of Frankel on his final racecourse appearance in the British Champion Stakes 2012 was a momentous occasion for racing fans.

Frankel was the highest rated racehorse in the world. He had won all 13 races including 9 Group 1’s and was putting his unbeaten record on the line in very soft ground.

He was trained by the visibly ailing Sir Henry Cecil who was battling cancer. Ascot was sold out to capacity as 32,000 spectators gathered to see Frankel in action for the final time.

While not at his brilliant best, he did enough to beat Cirrus Des Aigles by a length and three-quarters. Frankel was the shortest ever favourite in the British Champions Stakes odds at 2-11.

Frankel’s association with the British Champion Stakes did not end there by any means. His full brother Noble Mission emulated his sibling by winning the Champion Stakes in 2014. He was trained by Lady Cecil who took over the licence of Sir Henry after he passed away in 2013.

Frankel became an instant hit at stud and sired Cracksman, placed in the English and Irish Derby before winning the Champion Stakes in 2017 and 2018.

Cracksman’s four-year-old campaign did not go completely to plan and he was wearing blinkers for the first time when defending his title. They certainly had the desired effect as he sprinted 6 lengths clear in the home straight.

British Champion Stakes betting 2019

Surprisingly, Aidan O’Brien is still seeking his elusive first British Champion Stakes victory. It is one of the few Group 1 races that are not yet on his CV. He has no obvious candidate among his older horses this year but his Classic hopefuls could easily contain a prospective Champion.

John Gosden has won this race for the last two years with Cracksman. He has another Group 1 winning son of Frankel in his yard in St. James’s Palace Stakes winner Without Parole.

He rose sharply through the ranks last summer but was beaten in his last three races. Only one of those was over 10 furlongs when finishing sixth in the International Stakes at York.

Gosden’s Too Darn Hot dominates the ante-post betting on the Classic races this season. He is not guaranteed to stay the Derby distance and could conceivably be at his best at 10 furlongs.

Farhh (2013) is the only previous British Champions Stakes winner to carry the blue silks of Godolphin.

Charlie Appleby will be in no rush with 2018 Derby winner Masar as he returns from injury. If all goes well in his chosen engagement at Royal Ascot, he could be prominent in the British Champion Stakes betting.

Godolphin have acquired a half share in the Andre Fabre-trained Persian King. He beat subsequent Futurity Stakes winner Magna Grecia in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last season and he is an exciting prospect for 2019.

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