British Champions Day: Leading trainers and sires

A campaign which certainly deserves to be celebrated and, as ever, Champions Day at Ascot gives punters and fans the chance to do just that, as many of the stars of the horse racing season gather for one last domestic hoorah at the Berkshire venue.

According to NewBettingOffers this six-race showpiece – taking place on Saturday 21st October this year – is always one of the biggest late-season betting events of the year, and things look set to be no different in 2023, with many bettors already in the process of picking out their Champions Day punts.

Always one of the most targeted meetings of the season by the leading trainers, there are those who have consistently thrived under the Ascot spotlight, whilst others have floundered.

Here, we look at the top trainers and sires from the past ten years at this fabulous meeting and highlight their likely representatives this year.

Trainers: Big guns dominate

No surprise that the major British and Irish powerhouses of John Gosden and Aidan O’Brien are comfortably ahead at this fixture over the past decade.

Now in partnership with son Thady, it is Gosden who leads the way, with an impressive 9 wins from 60 events.

Of the five Group class contests on the card, only the British Champions Sprint has escaped Gosden’s clutches over the past decade, with each of the other four prizes heading back to his Newmarket base on at least two occasions.

Three behind Gosden - but three ahead of a chasing pack, which includes Roger Varian, William Haggas, David Simcock, Alan King, and David O'Meara - is Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien.

In common with Gosden, The British Champions Sprint has eluded O’Brien over this period, but he has won each of the other Group events at least once – registering doubles in the Fillies & Mares and the Long Distance Cup.

Top Trainers: 2023 Entries

John & Thady Gosden:
•    Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Courage Mon Ami, Sweet William, Trawlerman
•    British Champions Sprint Stakes: None
•    Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: Free Wind, Running Lion, Sweet Memories
•    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: Epictetus, Inspiral, Nashwa
•    Qipco Champion Stakes: Mostahdaf, Nashwa
•    Balmoral Handicap: Saga, Unforgotten

Aidan O’Brien:
•    Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Alexandroupolis, Broome, Denmark, Emily Dickinson, Kyprios, Tower Of London
•    British Champions Sprint Stakes: Aesop’s Fables
•    Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: Boogie Woogie, Emily Dickinson, Jackie Oh, Library, Red Riding Hood, Unless
•    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: Cairo, Meditate, Paddington
•    Qipco Champion Stakes: Continuous, Luxembourg, Paddington, Point Lonsdale
•    Balmoral Handicap: Broadhurst.

Sires: Galileo The great leads the way

Following his passing in late 2022, the Ballydoyle flagbearer Galileo leaves an almighty hole to fill in the British and Irish breeding scene, and his influence has certainly been felt at this meeting.

Viewed by many as the greatest stallion of all time, Galileo has sired an impressive 7 Champion’s Day winners over the past decade.

Next in line is Galileo’s great rival of the modern era, Dubawi, who is joined on four wins by one of the most brilliant racehorses of the modern era, Sea The Stars.

Top Sires: 2023 Entries

Galileo:
•    Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Kyprios, Tower Of London
•    British Champions Sprint Stakes: None
•    Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: Free Wind, Jackie Oh, Library
•    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: None
•    Qipco Champion Stakes: None

Balmoral Handicap:Dubawi:
•    Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Emily Dickinson
•    British Champions Sprint Stakes: None
•    Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: Boogie Woogie, Emily Dickinson, Final Gesture
•    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: Rogue Millennium, Erevann
•    Qipco Champion Stakes: Erevann
•    Balmoral Handicap: Stormbuster, Coeur D’Or

Sea The Stars:
•    Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Sweet William
•    British Champions Sprint Stakes: None
•    Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: Cloudbreaker, Sweet Memories, Sea Silk Road, Sea Theme, Infinite Cosmos, Rosscarbery
•    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: None
•    Qipco Champion Stakes: None
•    Balmoral Handicap: None

Frankel on the rise

Whilst the number of new Galileo progeny taking to the track is now in its final stages of decline, his breeding line looks to be in safe hands, thanks to his greatest son - the mighty Frankel.

Appearing likely to dominate the stallion ranks for years to come, Frankel is a relative newcomer to the Champions Day scene but has already picked up two wins at the meeting.

Frankel 2023 Entries:
•    Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Courage Mon Ami,
•    British Champions Sprint Stakes: None
•    Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: Time Lock, One For Bobby 
•    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: Chaldean, Inspiral, Nashwa, Triple Time
•    Qipco Champion Stakes: Onesto, Mostahdaf, Nashwa
•    Balmoral Handicap: Al Mubir