British Champions Day 2026: Godolphin Completes Remarkable Treble as Almeraq Claims Third Group 1 Victory for Shadwell
Mdmar – Ascot, England
British Champions Day 2026 delivered a spectacular conclusion to one of the most prestigious fixtures in European Flat racing, with Godolphin claiming three victories, Shadwell celebrating another Group 1 triumph through Almeraq, and Qatar’s Wathnan Racing and Qatar Racing recording notable placed performances.
Held at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday, 17 October, the seven-race programme featured five Group 1 contests and attracted leading horses, jockeys and trainers from across Europe.
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The afternoon was highlighted by Ombudsman’s impressive success in the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes, Almeraq’s third top-level victory of the season, and strong performances from Wathnan Racing’s Paborus and Division in the Champions Sprint Stakes.
Ombudsman Takes Centre Stage for Godolphin
Godolphin’s Ombudsman produced one of the standout performances of the meeting, capturing the Group 1 Champion Stakes over approximately 2,000 metres.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by William Buick, the five-year-old delivered a decisive finishing effort to defeat French challenger Calandagan by three and three-quarter lengths, with Bay City Roller finishing third.
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The victory carried added significance after Ombudsman had finished runner-up to Calandagan in the previous year’s renewal.
With this latest success, Ombudsman took his career Group 1 tally to five and further strengthened his standing among the world’s leading middle-distance thoroughbreds.
Almeraq Lands Third Group 1 for Shadwell
Almeraq continued his outstanding campaign with victory in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes over six furlongs.
Racing in the colours of Shadwell, the William Haggas-trained four-year-old was expertly partnered by Tom Marquand, who produced a powerful late challenge to defeat Wathnan Racing’s Paborus by a neck.
The runner-up, ridden by Daniel Tudhope for trainer Ed Bethell, had established a promising advantage along the rail before Almeraq surged through in the closing stages.
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Division, also representing Wathnan Racing, finished third under James Doyle.
The result completed an impressive Group 1 treble for Almeraq in 2026, following his victories in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
Wathnan Racing Secures Two Podium Finishes
Wathnan Racing was represented by five runners across the Long Distance Cup and British Champions Sprint Stakes.
Its strongest results came in the sprint, with Paborus finishing second and Division taking third, while 2024 winner Kind Of Blue finished tenth.
In the Long Distance Cup over approximately 3,200 metres, Gregory, trained by John and Thady Gosden, secured fourth place under James Doyle, while Opportunity, trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, finished fifth.
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Although the team did not secure a Group 1 victory, its double podium finish in one of the meeting’s most competitive races provided another demonstration of the depth of its international racing operation.
Qatar Racing’s Believed Finishes Runner-Up
Qatar Racing also enjoyed a significant result through Believed, who finished second in the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over approximately 2,400 metres.
Trained by Johnny Murtagh and partnered by Oisin Murphy, Believed produced a determined performance but was unable to match Minnie Hauk, who scored by one and a half lengths for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
Lilt finished third, while favourite Kalpana could manage only seventh place, ending her bid for a third consecutive victory in the race.
Believed’s effort represented an important international placing for Qatar Racing in a contest featuring some of Europe’s leading fillies and mares.
Talk Of New York Adds Another Group 1 for Godolphin
Talk Of New York gave Godolphin another major success by winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over one mile.
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The Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old, ridden by William Buick, produced a strong finishing burst to beat Ten Bob Tony by one and a quarter lengths, with Rayif taking third.
The victory marked Talk Of New York’s first success at Group 1 level, following his earlier win in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket.
His development throughout the season underlined Godolphin’s strength in the mile division.
Mount Atlas Produces a Major Upset
Mount Atlas provided one of the biggest surprises of the afternoon when winning the Group 1 Long Distance Cup at odds of 33-1.
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Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by P. J. McDonald, the five-year-old defeated Queenstown by three-quarters of a length, with Highwayman finishing third.
The victory was especially valuable to Balding as he continued his closely fought challenge with Aidan O’Brien for the British trainers’ championship.
Dramatic Opening and Godolphin Finale
The meeting began with Night In Vegas edging Arapaho Gold by a nose in the two-year-old conditions race, delivering a thrilling opening success for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton and jockey Charles Bishop.
Godolphin then completed its three-win haul when Fifth Column, trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by William Buick, landed the closing Balmoral Handicap.
The result gave Buick three victories on the card, including the prestigious Champion Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Godolphin’s achievements were further celebrated with the presentation of its 18th British Champion Owner award, while 20-year-old Billy Loughnane was recognised as Britain’s champion Flat jockey for 2026.
Qatar Racing Strengthens Its Global Commitment
British Champions Day 2026 also marked an important new chapter in Qatar’s longstanding partnership with British horse racing.
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Qatar Racing assumed title sponsorship of the event from QIPCO, extending the Al Thani family’s involvement with a fixture that has developed into one of the most prestigious occasions on the international racing calendar.
With more than £4.3 million in prize money across seven races, the meeting reinforced Ascot’s position as a major stage for elite international competition.
The combination of Godolphin’s treble, Shadwell’s sprinting excellence, Wathnan Racing’s double podium finish and Qatar Racing’s Group 1 placing highlighted the exceptional influence of Gulf-based ownership operations on modern thoroughbred racing.
As the 2026 British Flat season moved towards its conclusion, British Champions Day once again delivered world-class performances, dramatic finishes and memorable achievements at Ascot.
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The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
