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IT’S finale day for the turf flat season and Champions Day has no less than five Group One races to offer us, a new juvenile contest and a dreadfully tough one mile handicap at the back end of proceedings.

The feature race of the day is the Champions Stakes at 4.05 and Ombudsman is quite rightly the market leader here, having landed six of his eight starts on turf. They included the Prince of Wales’s at Royal Ascot and the International Stakes (by three-and-a-quarter lengths from another of today’s runners Delocroix) this year.

He ideally needs a fast pace to chase and for that speed to fall to pieces inside the final furlong. In small fields this season that tactic has worked well, but 11 are set to go to post this time around and with several other rivals set to adopt the same tactics and no obvious pacemaker, this year’s renewal could get rather messy.

The French raider, Calandagan, also needs a decent test at this trip from off the speed having won the King George over a mile and a half, while it is anyone’s guess as to how much ability Economics retains, making his belated seasonal debut since running a below par sixth in the 2024 renewal, although that was on soft ground which may have blunted his finishing kick.

Outside that quartet there are several improvers in the field and among them some value each-way calls. One of the key components of this race could be arriving here a relatively fresh horse and both Almeric and Almaqam fit the bill, but that duo have something to find with the leading players so in the end I have fallen down on the side of FIRST LOOK.

Maestro trainer Andre Fabre very rarely sends over his horses to Britain unless he thinks they have solid claims of returning across the Channel with a large percentage of the prize money and this progressive sort fits the bill nicely. He has taken his form to a new level since coming home a well beaten third in last year’s Hampton Court Stakes, winning a Group Three at Deauville followed by a smooth success in the Group Two Prix Dollar, a career best effort. 

That run may have come on fairly deep ground, but both his breeding and action suggests genuinely good ground will suit him and being a prominent racer is a huge plus in a race not certain to be run at a fast pace. This will be only his 12^th start on turf and there could be more to come from this son of Lope De Vega and at odds of around 25/1, he is the each-way call in a fascinating renewal.

The Balmoral Handicap looks a real conundrum with a maximum field of 20 runners set to take off down the straight mile. There is little doubt that Native Warrior will start favourite on the back of two seven furlong wins in deep handicaps at the Berkshire track. However, he is likely to go off in the region of 5/2 and running off a career high mark of 109 (6lbs penalty for his last victory) I am happy to let him win at that kind of a price.

Crown of Oaks is the other highly progressive sort in the field representing the all conquering William Haggas yard. He was unable to defy an 8lbs penalty at the Curragh last time out, but I fancy a fast run race back at a mile could bring about further improvement in him.

However, I would much rather take a slice of the 33/1 about BOBBY BENNU (4.40) in the famous colours of Middleham Park Racing. He finished behind Native Warrior last time out, beaten some five lengths, staying on late in the day, but now finds himself some 15lbs better off with the clear winner that day.

I fancy that this valuable event has been his end of season target all along and the step up to a mile for the first time in his 12 race career looks sure to bring about more improvement as indeed it must do if he is to reverse the form with the market leader.

The opening Long Distance Cup has only attracted a moderate field of five runners and Ascot Gold Cup winner Trawlerman looks sure to go off at odds-on, but he may have to give best to the three-year-old STAY TRUE (12.55) for Aidan O’Brien.

This son of Galileo only gave way deep into the final furlong in the St Leger at Doncaster and I think that performance can be upgraded as he got badly upset in the stalls which set him off in the early part of the race.

The Champions Sprint at 2.05 looks possibly the most wide open of the Group One events and solid plays can be made for at half a dozen of the 20-runner field. Third in this year’s Commonwealth Cup, the French trained filly RAYEVKA could well be the each-way call here. Since that run the daughter of Blue Point has a cracking running on second in the Prix de l’Abbaye. 

Back up to a sixth furlong I am hoping to see Barzalona hold onto his charge for as long as possible before unleashing her at the furlong pole. Granted a clear passage through the second half of the race, I think she may be able to take the scalps of both of the admirably consistent Big Mojo and Kind of Blue. 

A final note on the race, I shall also be having an each-way saver on one of the big outsiders, IBERIAN, who finished a closing fifth behind Lazzat in this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes which was a career best. I fancy we should be able to get odds of over 100/1 on the exchanges about the Charlie Hills’s charge.

The Champion Fillies and Mares at 2.45 features many of the fairer sex that ran at the Arc meeting 13 days ago with several having run in the Kalpana, having run seventh in the Arc with QUISISANA back in ninth. However, the former had conditions in her favour there, but in turn the deep ground blunted the finishing pace of the selection.

A late maturing mare, she had previously looked hugely impressive when landing her previous four starts including the Group One Prix Jean Romanet. This quicker surface should enable her to use her potent turn of foot and the French raider can see off Aidan O’Brien’s Bedtime Story. The last-named finished behind Latakia in the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp on Arc day but was never really comfortable on that testing surface. Winner of the Chesham Stakes here on fast ground as a juvenile she has the ability to rush through the field late on, back on a sound surface as long as Soumillon rides her cold out the back of the field.

The QEII Stakes looks a really high class renewal and many will want on be on the side of the classy Rosallion and he looks sure to go close here if the gaps open up in the closing stages, a remark that also applies to his Queen Anne Stakes conqueror and Ascot specialist Docklands, who will surely be desperately hard to keep out of the frame.

Never So Brave is the progressive second half of the season improver while likely favourite, the three-year-old Field of Gold, will have to bounce back from a disappointing run in the Sussex Stakes some 80-days ago.

But as I said at the top of the piece this is a meeting that is normally tarnished by surprises and I think we could get another one here in the form of JANUARY as long as the big outsider is not sacrificed by getting involved in a pace dual up front. There is little doubt that she is better being held up off an end to end gallop and her form behind Fallen Angel at Deauville and here in the Coronation Stakes surely gives her a squeak of finishing in the first three at huge odds. 

Away from the big meeting of the day, I shall also be having a wager on CARWYN (Leopardstown, 5.20) making his handicap debut in the one mile nursery, while the Group Three Eyrefield Stakes may go the way of SOUTH ISLAND (3.15). He turned over Cape Cod on a nine furlong maiden last time out and the faster they go the better for him with his deep stamina laden pedigree.

The Catterick Bridge card starts off very early at 10.30 and there should be at least some give in the ground with light rain expected. Such conditions will suit the likes of NATIVE INSTINCT (12.23) in the all aged seven furlong handicap and in division two of the same event half an hour later, in the form of CATALYSE (12.50).

The former was a good second over the course and distance earlier on in the season and comes here fresh following a nice pipe opener at York, while the last named has always been highly regarded by trainer Richard Fahey and to my eyes was merely ridden too prominently last time out at Beverley.