Andy Newton’s ITV Racing Tips From Ascot Champions Day – Saturday 17th October

See Andy Newton’s ITV Racing tips on Saturday 17th October – which comes from British Champions Day at Ascot.

**MUSSAB, STUDY OF WORDS, DRUMBEAT, ROCK MONTREAL and DARKNESS FALLS were all top winners for Andy Newton at Newmarket last weekend **

In total, there are SEVEN ITV Racing contests to take in at the Berkshire track, with five at Group One level.

These include the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (2:40pm) as Kalpana bids for a remarkable third win in the race.

While at 4pm we’ve got the Champion Stakes, and a ‘must-see’ return clash of last year’s first and second – Calandagan and Ombudsman.

So, let’s get going – you can see Andy Newton’s 1-2-3 ITV Racing tips for ALL the races at Ascot on Champions Day.

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🎬WATCH: The latest The Final Furlong Podcast Weekend Preview with Emmet Kennedy, George Gorman, Jaime Wrenn, Peter Michael and Andy Newton.

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Andy Newton’s Quickfire Ascot ITV Racing Tips: Saturday 17th October, 2026:

• 12:55 British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes: ARAPAHO GOLD / NIGHT IN VEGAS
• 13:30 British Champions Long Distance Cup: GREGORY 
• 14:05 British Champions Sprint Stakes: ALMERAQ
• 14:40 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: KALPANA
• 15:20 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: GSTAAD
• 16:00 Qatar Racing Champion Stakes: CALANDAGAN
• 16:35 Balmoral Handicap: COLORI FOREVER (e/w)

🎙️You can also catch Andy’s views each week on the Final Furlong Podcast here.

📝Plus see Andy’s DAILY HORSE RACING CHEAT SHEET, with key stats, tips and pointers each day.

Andy Newton’s Ascot ITV Racing Tips: Calandagan To Double-Up In Champion Stakes

 

12:55 ASCOT Qatar Racing British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes (Gbb Race) Cl2 (2yo) 6f ITV

ARAPAHO GOLD can bounce back after losing his unbeaten record in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury last time out (3rd).

This Michael Dods sprinter was a good winner of the Gimcrack Stakes prior to that last run (watch below), and will head here as the top-rated.

He also ran on well last time and was only 3/4 of a length back behind Nabati there – and with the stiffer Ascot track looking a plus, he’s taken to get back to winning ways.

Of the rest, the Charlie Appleby yard have a decent 34% SR with their 2yolds here and so Middle Park 5th Inner City Blues, who took the July Stakes before that, will be popular too.

But, despite being a busy boy in the sales races (3 wins), NIGHT IN VEGAS should be winning some more chips here too.

He’s improved loads since his Coventry Stakes 5th here in June and banked a staggering £596k this season for connections.

The drop back to 6f might not be totally ideal, but we know he’ll stay well and he’s also the only CD winner in this line-up with must count for something.

🥇ARAPAHO GOLD
🥈NIGHT IN VEGAS
🥉Inner City Blues 

13:30 ASCOT Qatar Racing British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 2m ITV

GREGORY is the call to continue his recent return to form and land the Long Distance Cup over 2m – in what probably isn’t the strongest renewal.

This Wathnan horse burst onto the scene here at the Royal Meeting in June 2023 – when landing the Queen’s Vase under Frankie Dettori – but failed to build on that after with seven defeats.

However, some patience by his connections, being gelded and having a wind op have seen this 6yold return this year in sparkling form.

He won his first run back at York in the Listed Grand Cup Stakes over 1m6f and the looked better than ever when bolting up at Newmarket in the Rose Bowl Stakes over 2m (watch below).

Yes, this is another step up in class, but he’s clearly on good terms with himself and looks the value over the two ahead of him in the betting – Caballo De Mar and Highwayman.

The former is probably the one to beat after lowering the colours of Scandinavia last time in France – but that looked a tough race.

While St Leger winner Highwayman looks a horse on the up and being a 3yold gets a handy 7lbs. But we’ve not had a 3yold winner since 2009 and the extra yardage is an unknown.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that only three trainers – John Gosden, Alan King and Aidan O’Brien – have won this race since 2017.

Gosden has my main pick Gregory, King runs Ebor winner Daiquiri Bay – while with no Scandinavia, O’Brien pins his hopes on Queenstown and Amelia Earhart.

🥇GREGORY
🥈Highwayman
🥉Caballo De Mar

14:05 ASCOT Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 6f ITV

ALMERAQ should take all the beating here for the William Haggas team who won this prize in 2008 with King’s Apostle.

His only blot came in the July Cup from a low draw and racing with little cover (9th), plus Haggas has since said the horse probably didn’t like the Newmarket track.

In contrast, we know he likes it here at Ascot – having won the QEII Jubilee Stakes here in June at the Royal meeting.

Since that Newmarket flop he’s also bounced back to winning ways, when bolting up in the Haydock Sprint Cup – form that makes him very much the one to beat.

Those looking to take him on will lean towards this race only producing one winning favourite in the last 10 years – and 12 months ago we even saw a stonking 200/1 winner (Powerful Glory).

But the pick is rated 123 and that’s still 5lbs clear of the next best – Samangan.

Another Past Winner Is Returning

Of the rest, Kind Of Blue won this in 2024 and is noted after finally winning for the first time since taking this last time at Kempton.

Billy Loughnane rides and despite being a hard horse to win with, we know Ascot suits.

Division is another for Haggas, but he’s become frustrating (0/7) and there’s talk of him stepping up in trip next season.

Coppull is a player too after his Hungerford Stakes win, but was also 14 lengths off Almereq last time at Haydock.

So I think the one to chase home the hot jolly is Prince Of India, who was a Shergar Cup winner here in 2025.

He’s been holding his form well this season and was actually only beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the July Cup in the summer (6th) – with Almereq back in 9th.

🥇ALMERAQ
🥈PRINCE OF INDIA
🥉Kind Of Blue

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14:40 ASCOT Qatar Racing British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m4f ITV

KALPANA can win this race for a third year in-a-row – and be the first horse win land the Fillies & Mares three times.

She’s had a top season that climaxed with a win in the King George here in July – beating Calandagan – and then took the Yorkshire Oaks in August.

Since then she’s run 5th in the Arc, but was only 3 3/4 lengths off the winner Daryz that day. But this was a similar route before winning this 12 months ago – she was 7th in the Arc.

Her Ascot form is top-notch too 3-1-2-1-2-1 and this has been a good race for the jollies in recent years –  with 5 of the last 7, including the last two winning.

The only niggle is the draw – as ALL of the last 11 winners came from gates 5+, with all of the last 11 between 6-12 – Kalpana has been handed stall 1.

Of the rest, I think Minnie Hauk hasn’t been the same since that gruelling Arc second – so she’s not for me.

Johanna Walsh was 6th behind Kalpana at York so has ground to make up, but the second that day Sparan Nua doesn’t.

She was only a short-head off the winner and despite being 3lbs worse off this time can hit the frame.

As can the unexposed Lilt, who should have more improvement to come and was a fair 2nd to the Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On last time. The step up in trip may just unlock a bit more.

🥇KALPANA
🥈Lilt
🥉Sparan Nua

15:20 ASCOT Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qatar Racing) (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m ITV

GSTAAD can get back to winning ways in the QEII Stakes and give trainer Aidan O’Brien his fifth overall win in the race and his first since Minding in 2016.

This consistent miler has never been out of the top three from his 11 career starts and was only just chinned by Bow Echo (shd) here in the St James’s Palace Stakes in June(watch below).

He followed that with a 1/2 length second to Bow Echo again – this time in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. While there’s every chance last time (3rd) he just didn’t like the Longchamp track.

Back to Ascot, where he’s 1-2 and having had 41 days off to freshen up, then he’s the pick under Ryan Moore to be bang there again.

The small worry if the draw (11) as 13 of the last 17 winners came between gates 2-8 and 6 of the last 9 between just 6-8.

However, since 2018 it can be done from a wider berth – with Baaeed (10), King Of Change (12) and Roaring Lion (15) all doing the business.

Talk Of New York is sure to be thereabouts too after a nice win in the Joel Stakes, but was third behind Gstaad at Royal Ascot.

Rayif is noted too but is running outside France for the first time. While shock Queen Anne Stakes winner Ten Boy Tony could go under the radar again.

🥇GSTAAD
🥈Talk Of New York
🥉Ten Bob Tony

16:00 ASCOT Qatar Racing Champion Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m2f ITV

CALANDAGAN can defend his Champion Stakes crown in what is set up to be a top renewal, with last year’s second Ombudsman back for more too.

The pick though is the call to be slightly better suited by conditions – as I’m not sure Ombudsman will get his lightning-quick ground. I think there is splatters of rain forecast and at the moment it’s ‘good’ at Ascot – we’ll see.

Meaning his devasting turn-of-foot might get a tad blunted. We also know Calandagan stays a bit further than this 1m2f trip, so connections are sure to use that up their sleeve.

Both have top Ascot records though, with the top-rated Ombudsman 1-2-1 here and Calandagan 1-2-1-1-2 – so it’s hard to split the pair and the betting backs this up.

Of the rest, Bay City Roller ran a blinder in the Arc (2nd) and the drop back to 1m2f should suit – but this is also his first run at Ascot and he’s taking on two with formidable records here.

While Eclipse Stakes winner Constitution River adds another layer – but I’m just not convinced he’s as good as many had hoped.

It was a poor renewal of the Eclipse, for me, and the last winner of that Sandown race to double up was Twice Over in 2010. But he does get a handy 4lbs weight-for-age allowance.

I’d much rather have Irish Champion Stakes 4th Almaqam for the bronze.

🥇CALANDAGAN
🥈Ombudsman
🥉Almaqam

16:35 ASCOT Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored By Qatar Racing) Cl2 (3yo+) 1m ITV

COLORI FOREVER (e/w) is the call to land the final Champions Day race – another competitive renewal of this 1m handicap.

Ryan Moore was booked to ride this Marco Botti runner since Wednesday, which is the first plus – and is also eased in grade here.

This 3yold has been running at Group or Listed level for much of the year, including a 1 1/2 length 5th to Persica at Haydock (G3).

Is 2lbs better off with that Hannon horse this time – if you take into account Toby Moore’s claim.

He was also second to Shayem in a Listed race at HQ in July, but more importantly was a good winner here at Ascot in May.

That came in a handicap and despite being 7lbs higher won that by 2 3/4 lengths. He gets in here with a nice racing weight (9-2) – backed up with 9 of the last 12 winners carrying 9-1 to 9-6.

Of the rest, course lover Hickory has won here four times – but never off this mark (99).

Ebts Guard was a dead-heat second in this last season off this mark and is 3lbs better off with Scoville, who he was third to last time.

We’ve also got last year’s winner Crown Of Oaks back for more. This Haggas runner is rated 5lbs higher this year and not won since – but is 2-from-2 here at Ascot.

It’s just interesting that Tom Marquand, who ride 12 months ago, picks the other Haggas runner Scoville.

🥇COLORI FOREVER (e/w)
🥈Ebts Guard
🥉Crown Of Oaks

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