British Spot Plays: Ascot for Oct. 17, 2026

We’re essentially in the final sixteenth of the British flat season, and for the first time in a couple of years, my annual betting bankroll is assured of finishing in the black. Granted, the balance is not as high as it was at its peak in the early days of the Glorious Goodwood meet, but I’ll try to get back close to it during the British Champions Day card at Ascot.

Heading into Saturday’s fixture, the bankroll stands at $1,032.25 from a $500 starting point. I’ll wager 5% of the outstanding balance to win on the following selections, beginning with a $52 play.

Race 2: British Champions Long Distance Cup (G1), 8:30 a.m. ET

Division stalwart Scandinavia was not among the final declarations for this, which opens things up considerably from my point of view.

#7 Queenstown (6-1) has played the role of pacemaker for Scandinavia in his last couple of starts, and though the win-shy gelding proved no match for his more illustrious stablemate in either the Irish St Leger (G1) or Prix du Cadran (G1), his efforts in those and other major staying races over the past year have been commendable.

The cutback from 2 1/2 miles to two miles I believe will help Queenstown’s cause on Saturday. Also, he catches Caballo De Mar, who defeated him in the last two renewals of the Prix du Cadran, perhaps in more favorable circumstances as Caballo De Mar is 0-for-3 at Ascot. 

Race 5: Queen Elizabeth II (G1), 10:20 a.m. ET

Compared with everyone else in the field, both fellow three-year-olds and the older set, #9 Rayif (4-1) has put on far fewer miles this season. He’s a relatively fresh horse for this one-mile test.

Although he hasn’t tested the waters outside France, Rayif is 2-for-3 this term, with successes in the French 2000 Guineas (G1) and Prix Jacques le Marois (G1), the latter over returning rivals Zeus Olympios and More Thunder. He also made amends over Thesecretadversary, who got away with a modest pace when defeating Rayif in the Prix Jean Prat (G1).

Although the past performances suggest Rayif perhaps is more of a soft ground specialist, the weather in France this summer was generally hot, and the ground was likely much quicker than the official designations. With a little ease in the ground in recent days and a bit of rain, the ground at Ascot could be ideal for Rayif’s closing kick.

Race 6: Champion (G1), 11 a.m. ET

A small but select field for this aptly named test over 1 1/4 miles, and I think #3 Calandagan (2-1) will defend his crown here in advance of his title defense in next month’s Japan Cup (G1).

Although it’s plausible the gelding has lost a slight step this season, the only really bad race for him was the Coronation Cup (G1), run in boggy conditions and over an Epsom course he’d had trouble handling in the past. His form is hard to argue otherwise, and his second to Kalpana in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (G1) came on relatively short rest, just three weeks after his neck win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Freshened for this, I expect Calandagan to again prove slightly superior to Ombudsman and to make amends for his Coronation Cup conqueror Bay City Roller, who wheels back two weeks after a presumably hard race in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1).