Champion Stakes Big Race Verdict: Back Gosden to gain revenge at Ascot

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Saturday 17th October 16:00
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All the support for Gosden star

Despite winning the race 12 months ago, the Gallic star Calandagan has not been as strong as Ombudsman at the top of the Sportsbook market with John Gosden holding the ace according to punters from the 9/43.25 into 7/42.75.

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Calandagan's win in 2025 ranks in the top five performances of the race on Timeform figures with a 130 rating, a couple of pounds behind fellow French dazzler Almanzor.

3 (4)

Calandagan (Ire)

• J: Christophe Soumillon
• T: Francis-Henri Graffard, France
• F: 1111-1412

• SBK 2/1
• EXC 11

But the weather is certainly going to aid the chances of Ombudsman who wants decent ground and the defeat at York in the Juddmonte international was the first time in his career he'd encountered some ease.

Good to soft didn't suit. Neither did the west coast defence adopted by head coach Aidan O'Brien with the ambush sacking blitz from his "big D".

Luckily for Gosden, just one runner from Ballydoyle means a potentially straightforward race.

Trio will need career bests

Outside of the top two, Bay City Roller, Constitution River and Almaqam hold similar chances on the Sportsbook with prices around 6/17.00 and 7/18.00 for the trio.

Bay City Roller has already beaten Calandagan with his 10L romp in the Coronation Cup in the summer.

2 (5)

Bay City Roller (Ire)

• J: Oisin Murphy
• T: George Scott
• F: 241-22122

• SBK 9/1
• EXC 4.6

Summer it may have been, the weather revolted, though, and the testing conditions meant Bay City Roller was a flattered 10L winner in a Group 1. Calandagan was a sorry sight some 40L behind and a performance which left the trainer to exclaim he'd never been seen on ground that bad again.

Since, Bay City Roller has held his form well with seconds in the Arc and Prix Foy. His Arc run was a monumental effort and I worry with the fairly short space of time between and just 13 days it will require a Herculean run.

Almaqam's 35-day break is three times longer than Bay City Roller's and it's hard to see him turning the tables on Ombudsman and Calandagan.

He was third in this race 12 months behind the two aforementioned, running a great race at 28/129.00, but he was firmly put in his place and 4L behind the winner and hasn't quite got the class.

Constitution River also holds him on the Irish version at Leopardstown.

Tactics crucial and Ombudsman to be suited best

Ombudsman didn't have a thing go his way last time at York but with his Ascot win in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, that's the sort of performance and tactically astute I expect more so than last year's Champion Stakes second.

Twelve months ago the pacemakers went off like a pair of Alfie Tuppers - which left Ombudsman trailing out the back with Calandagan just ahead of him going for home in the straight.

The pair churned out fast times at the end with Calandagan's final three furlongs at 11.34, 11.54 and 12.19 compared to Ombudsman's 11.28, 11.62 and 12.47. On that, especially the last time, he had to do too much racing to get into a position of strength.

Rewind to the Prince Of Wales's Stakes in July, he was ridden in similar fashion with once again the pacemakers being ignored and his final three furlongs in beating the Arc hero Daryz were 11.67, 11.41 and 12.02. In the hottest part of the race 3f out, he was best.

Devil's Advocate who was his pacemaker then, will resume his role like the trusty steed he is.

With the market leaders both likely to be held up, Constitution River, the more durable Constitution in the racing world, could be ridden prominently, and certainly Bay City Roller will be best handy as that's how he was ridden at Chester, although both he and Almaqam came from off the pace in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May with Almaqam producing a rattling 11.14 at the penultimate furlong.

Constitution River was ridden from midfield in the Eclipse victory, which seems like an age away now, while his third in the Juddmonte he was more chasing the pace.

Alan Dudman's Verdict

Last week's verdict was a success with Darkness Falls in the Dewhurst and this looks as straightforward as that.

Almaqam doesn't look good enough to reverse form, while Bay City Roller might be leaving his efforts in France and the quick turnaround is off-putting.

Calandagan has lost a little of his stardust this season with the two losses in the UK, so Ombudsman, who had a luckless passage in the Juddmonte, is fancied. It's time for the highest rated European horse to gain a bit of revenge.

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