Although a relatively new race meeting, QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse has quickly developed into a popular event that has led to some great free bets on offer for punters looking to get involved in the exciting action.
Champions Day has cemented itself as a highlight of the flat racing calendar’s closing weeks, and this year’s Champions Day is also set to be Frankie Dettori’s final European racecourse appearance before he heads stateside.
So get set for the 2023 Champions Day, which is scheduled for Saturday, October 21.
Ascot Champions Day Betting Offers
How to Get Free Bets for Ascot Champions Day
Ascot has become hallowed ground for jockey Frankie Dettori, and Champions Day this year is set to be his final appearance in the UK before he heads off to California to continue riding after postponing his retirement.
While some firms will run shy of the rider, mindful of the damage a hatful of winners ridden by the Italian could cause to their balance sheets, others will have betting offers involving his rides.
One thing is for sure - Ascot Champions Day odds involving his mounts will be relatively short in relation to their actual chances.
As this is an international meeting broadcast worldwide, Ascot Champions Day 2023 will have its Tote pools brimming full of cash from overseas punters. More and more UK-facing online bookmakers are offering access to Tote pools, and depending on Ascot Champions Day results, you could find your winnings bigger than if you had used traditional odds.
To help you enjoy the Tote action, The Tote are offering all new customers £30 in free bets when you sign up and wager £10.
Like so many great meetings – the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National, and Royal Ascot – bookmakers are sure to offer Ascot Champions Day odds boosts, promotions and free bets for punters to enjoy.
Ascot Champions Day Betting Tips & Stats Guide
When & Where is Ascot Champions Day?
Ascot Champions Day betting is always popular with punters, and this year’s big race day is on Saturday, October 21.
Of course, Ascot Racecourse near London is synonymous with its Royal Meeting. However, Ascot Champions Day trumps that meeting by offering some mammoth prize money - it is the nation’s richest race day.
Ascot Champions Day Betting Tips
As one of the final top-class flat meetings in the UK before the end of the season, Champions Day has grown into a popular betting event for punters to enjoy.
Our team of tipping experts, Alan Kelly, Charlie McCann, and Ed Quigley, will be set with their fully-researched tips for Champions Day.
Ascot Champions Day Races & Schedule
The table below highlights the 2023 British Champions Day race order at Ascot.
| Time | Race | Grade | Distance | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:15pm | QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup | Group 2 | 2 miles | £300,000 |
| 1:50pm | QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes | Group 1 | 6 furlongs | £600,000 |
| 2:25pm | QIPCO British Champions Fillies’ & Mares Stakes | Group 1 | 1 mile 4 furlongs | £550,000 |
| 3:05pm | QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II Stakes | Group 1 | 1 mile | £1,100,000 |
| 3:45pm | QIPCO Champion Stakes | Group 1 | 1 mile 2 furlongs | £1,300,000 |
| 4:25pm | Balmoral Handicap | Handicap | 1 mile | £250,000 |
All are Group 1 contests with the exception of the two-mile Long Distance Cup, which is a Group 2, and the closing race is a valuable handicap.
Champions Stakes Previous Winners
The Champions Stakes, won by the brilliant Frankel in 2012, is one of the betting highlights of the flat racing calendar. Guineas winners, Royal Ascot winners and the cream of the French crop often clash in this £1.3 million race.
This is an outstanding race for favourites, as the table of previous winners shows.
| Year | Winner | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Bay Bridge | 10/1 |
| 2021 | Sealiway | 12/1 |
| 2020 | Addeybb | 9/1 |
| 2019 | Magical | 5/6f |
| 2018 | Cracksman | 5/6f |
| 2017 | Cracksman | 13/8f |
| 2016 | Almanzor | 11/8f |
Following on from iconic races, including the Epsom Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, this is the final, pulsating showdown in the QIPCO British Champions Series Middle Distance category.
British Champions Day FAQs
Is Ascot Champions Day televised?
Yes - the action will be broadcast on ITV Racing in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports Racing worldwide and streamed by the leading bookmakers.
How much prize money is on offer?
The total prize money on the day is £4.35 million, making Champions Day the richest one-day race meeting of the UK flat racing season.
What should I wear to Ascot Champions Day?
There is no set dress code for the Queen Anne Enclosure at Ascot on Champions Day but racegoers are encouraged to dress for a smart occasion.
What ground conditions (going) can we expect?
By mid-October, the weather has typically taken a turn for the worse. Notably, the last five Champions Day meetings were run on the following going - Soft, Soft, Good, Good-to-Soft, and Heavy.
Is there a jockey to lookout for?
It may be predictable, but Frankie Dettori is the man to follow, especially in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the richest mile race in Europe. The rider enjoyed his first-ever Group 1 victory in this race back in 1990, and when Mark Of Esteem landed the contest in 1996, it was the third leg of his famous 'Magnificent Seven'. Frankie has won this race six times, and this year's Ascot Champions Day will be Frankie's final appearance at a UK racecourse before he heads across the Atlantic to ride in the US.
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