2023 British Champions Day at Ascot: raceday running order and how to watch

Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot is the official finale to the Flat turf season in Britain and features the crowning of the year's champion trainer and champion jockey. As well as the handing out of end-of-season awards for champion trainer, champion trainer and champion apprentice, we'll see some top-class horses contesting some of the biggest Group 1 races in the calendar, with prize-money of £4.1 million on offer throughout the day. Here, we run through everything you need to know in the lead-up to an unbelievable day of action.

When is Qipco British Champions Day?

Qipco British Champions Day takes place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, with six top-class races being staged at Ascot. The day's first race, the Group 2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, opens the card at 1.15pm, with the concluding Balmoral Handicap taking place at 4.25pm.

What races take place on British Champions Day?

The 1m2f Qipco Champion Stakes (3.45) is the feature race on an action-packed card and is one of four Group 1 events. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (3.05) over a mile, the Qipco British Champions Sprint (1.50, 6f) and the Qipco British Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.25, 1m4f) are the other top-level races.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Bay Bridge, ridden by Richard Kingscote, denied Derby hero Adayar by half a length in last year's Champion Stakes with the brilliant Baaeed only fourth on his final start.

Kinross last year landed the Champions Sprint for Ralph Beckett and Frankie Dettori, the superstar jockey who on British Champions Day is set to make his final racecourse appearance in Britain before moving to the US.

Coronation Cup heroine Emily Upjohn was an impressive winner of the Fillies & Mares Stakes last year, while the Queen Elizabeth II was won by the Roger Varian-trained Bayside Boy.

The Group 2 Long Distance Cup (1.15, 2m), won by Trueshan for a third successive year last October, and the Balmoral Handicap (4.25, 1m), in which the David O'Meara-trained Shelir struck at 80-1 last year, bookend the card.

British Champions Day 2023: running order and schedule

Race 1 (1.15): Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2), 2m
Race 2 (1.50): Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1), 6f
Race 3 (2.25): Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1), 1m4f
Race 4 (3.05): Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1), 1m
Race 5 (3.45): Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1), 1m2f
Race 6 (4.25): Balmoral Handicap, 1m

Have the line-ups been confirmed for British Champions Day?

At the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, a star-studded cast remained in contention for the big races. Star of the summer Paddington will bid for a fifth Group 1 triumph (QEII), while his trainer Aidan O'Brien is also set to run star stayer Kyprios against defending champion Trueshan in the Long Distance Cup.

Improving French raider Horizon Dore heads the market for the £1.3m Qipco Champion Stakes, in which he faces last year's winner Bay Bridge and Juddmonte International hero Mostahdaf.

Frankie Dettori's final British rides include Trawlerman (Long Distance Cup), Sprint and Fillies & Mares favourites Kinross and Free Wind plus Chaldean (QEII) and King Of Steel (Champion Stakes).

For the final fields, runners and riders and betting markets, visit our in-depth racecards page.

How you can buy tickets for British Champions Day at Ascot

The King Edward VII and Winning Post enclosures have both sold out, but tickets remain on sale for the Queen Anne enclosure. Tickets bought in advance cost £37 or £32 for groups of 7+. Children under 18 can attend for free when accompanied by a paying adult (maximum of four tickets per booking). Gates open at 10.30am.

Where can I watch the action on British Champions Day?

If you are unable to make the trip to Berkshire for British Champions Day, all of the action will be broadcast on ITV and Sky Sports Racing. ITV will kick the day off with the Opening Show from 9.30-10.30am before the main show begins at 1pm. You can also follow the action live on the Racing Post app by logging into one of your bookmaker account and streaming the races as they happen.

At 4.05pm, the action will switch to ITV4 for the final race of the day. Sky Sports Racing will provide extensive coverage throughout the day at Ascot.

Read more on Qipco British Champions Day:

Confirmed runners and riders for the 2023 Qipco Champion Stakes - plus other British Champions Day fields, big-race tip and free bet 

2023 Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot: assessing the top contenders for Saturday's big race 

Should you back or avoid these five favourites on British Champions Day at Ascot? 

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