Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's four to back at Ascot

• Mark fancies four on Champions Day

• Field a Gold standard bet

• Ombudsman to be crowned Champion

14:05 Ascot - Back Montassib @ 7.26/1

We're in for a belting Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday and it's a big bonus that it won't be run in the usual back-end, boggy conditions.

That should enable the races to be formful and I'm hoping that the fresh Montassib can put last year's disappointment in the Champions Sprint behind.

This confirmed hold-up performer came into that race on a real roll having taken the Chipchase at Newcastle and the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, but wasn't seen to anything like best effect in fifth, simply having the waiting tactics overdone that day.

It clearly hasn't all been plain sailing since then as the selection only made his reappearance over an inadequate 5f at Newbury last month, getting well behind but finishing with a real rattle to suggest all the old ability remains intact.

In a season where the top sprinters have all taken turns beating each other, he's essentially a new shooter who'll come into this with plenty to offer.

14:45 Ascot - Back Waardah @ 7.413/2

Last year's Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Kalpana holds clearly the best form chance as she bids for a repeat success, but it's been less than a fortnight since she finished seventh in the Arc and there could be some mileage in taking her on at the head of the market.

The betting suggests Estrange is likely to be her biggest threat, but she's clearly a much better filly when there's cut in the ground and she's unlikely to get her optimum conditions here.

French raider Quisisana has a bit to find with Kalpana on Arc running and I prefer the claims of the rapidly improving Waardah, who did this column a good turn when taking the Group 2 Lille Langtry over 1m 6f at Goodwood last time.

Owen Burrows' daughter of Posponed still looked something of a work in progress there and there's every chance she'll keep getting better as she matures. She'll need to, as she has a fair bit to find with the principals on form, though I like the fact she's been kept fresh for this assignment and she's bred to do better with time.

It's not a big stretch to see her bridging the gap from Group 2 to Group 1 company.

15:25 Ascot - Back Field Of Gold @ 3.052/1

There were legitimate excuses for Field Of Gold's flop in that oddly run Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last time and, if he's back to the sort of form he showed prior to that race, the current 3.052/1 on offer on the Exchange could be an absolute gift.

The Irish 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace winner looked all at sea on the Goodwood undulations, while he was also subsequently found to have returned lame. He was arguably unlucky not to be going into that Sussex Stakes unbeaten this season, with his 2000 Guineas ride coming under question from some quarters.

Whether or not you subscribe to that theory, there's little doubt that Field Of Gold has been the best miler of his generation in 2025 and I'm confident he can get back on track in what should be a more conventionally run race than we saw at Goodwood back in the summer.

This is quite a big field, but I suspect it's not the deepest renewal that we've seen and Field Of Gold's sharp turn of foot could well prove decisive late on.

16:05 Ascot - Back Ombudsman @ 2.915/8

The Champions Stakes itself is a mouth-watering prospect and looks just about the best middle-distance race of the season.

Old rivals Ombudsman and Delacroix go at it once again, with the head-to-head currently standing at one apiece, while we also have Calandagan, Alamaqam and the returning Economics to throw into the mix.

It really should be a race to savour, but I'm hopeful that Ombudsman can cement his position as the top turf middle-distance performer in the world.

John & Thady Gosden's charge has improved in leaps and bounds this term and looked fabulous when streaking away with the Juddmonte International at York last time, leaving Delacroix is his midst.

The latter had previously overcome a trouble trip to get the better of Ombudsman in the Eclipse but I'm not convinced the selection was at his best that day and his York from is a much better barometer.

However this shakes down, we're in for a cracker and it ought to be one of the best Champion Stakes for many a year.

Now read Katie Midwinter's Saturday tips here.