It’s been some day for William Buick, who has just reeled off a 206-1 treble in the last three races on the card. A fine afternoon for Andrew Balding too, as a first trainers’ title is now tantalisingly within reach after Aidan O’Brien’s biggest guns failed to fire.

There’s so much for the capacity crowd to mull over as they start to stream out through the gates and head for home.

They’re intwo groups with the stands’ side in front, Scoville going well in that group and Hickory is last in that group too …

One and a half out, stands’ side has it, Scoville bang there but here’s Fifth Column in Godolphin blue, he’s hit the front and the other closers won’t get to him – it’s a treble for William Buick in Godolphin blue.

Off and running in the Balmoral Handicap!

Scoville is a solid 4-1 favourite, with Gavriel at 5-1 and Hickory, who was at double-figure odds when I tipped him yesterday, attracting plenty of support down to 11-2 (though I think that’s more to do with him also being the Pricewise pick in this morning’s Racing Post).

For the final time today, here’s the betting on the Balmoral Handicap via the Oddschecker operation:

Scoville 7/2

Gavirel 4/1

Hickory 9/1

Ebts Guard 17/2

Indalo 12/1

Excellent Believe 12/1

Bullet Point 14/1

BAR 14/1

4.35 Balmoral Handicap, 1m (straight)

The traditional getting out (of trouble) race on Champions Day is the season’s final charge down the Ascot straight mile, and while there’s a cutaway around three furlongs out that tends to leave them racing down the middle, I tend to work on the basis that the normal rule about looking for high-drawn closers is still the best way to go.

There are quite a few to choose from, but I’m going to row in with the admirable Hickory, a definitive Ascot specialist, who hold-up style makes him a potent opponent over eight furlongs here in particular.

John Gosden is talking about Ombudsman’s future in the winner’s enclosure. An immediate retirement to stud is one possibility, but Gosden will also suggest a supplementary entry for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, over a mile-and-a-half, at Keeneland in two weeks’ time.

Constitution River, meanwhile, beat only the pacemaker home and picked up £34,970 for finishing fifth. Advantage Andrew Balding in the trainers’ title race.

Ombudsman returns to a rousing reception from a sell-out crowd. Around 10,000 of the 30k+ in attendance are students or under-25s, incidentally, which can only be good news for the future of Britain’s second-most popular spectator sport.

That result can only confirm Ombudsman’s position near the head of the world rankings, although the Breeders’ Cup or Japan Cup could yet produce a serious rival for the Racehorse of the Year Award.

All the money for Ombudsman was, well, right on the money. He was always travelling well and perfectly placed to challenge in third as Devil’s Advocate and Bay City Roller set a decent pace, and William Buick just had to choose his moment to press the button.

Calandagan came from a few lengths further back but just didn’t have the acceleration that carried him past Ombudsman 12 months ago.

Turning for home already, Ombudsman launches his challenge, Calandagan off in pursuit, it’s the 1-2 from last year but the other way around …

Final furlong, Ombudsman finds more, Calandagan won’t catch him and Ombudsman is going clear … revenge for Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes!

Ombudsman is perfectly poised at halfway, little change in the overall order.

Now they head into the final half-mile, Calandagan is still last.

Calandagan held up last, Ombudsman is third. Constitution River is taking a strong hold on the outside.

Bay City Roller and Devil’s Advocate lead early …

Off and running in the Champion Stakes!

The runners are arriving at the start for the Champion Stakes and there’s plenty of money for Ombudsman, he’s down to 6-4 with Calandagan at 5-2. Consitution River, meanwhile, was a bit scratchy on the way to post and he’s out to 4-1.

It was a beautiful October afternoon here earlier but the weather has taken a definite turn. Dark clouds overhead and a hint of some rain in the air.

The runners are in the paddock before the Champion Stakes and I’ve just watched them take a couple of turns around. There’s no faulting any of them, but Ombudsman would perhaps be a marginal paddock pick if only because he is so relaxed and moves so well.

Here’s the latest Champion Stakes betting from Oddschecker:

Ombudsman 13/8

Calandagan 5/2

Constitution River 5/1

Bay City Roller 15/2

Almaqam 12/1

Devils Advocate 150/1

4.00 Champion Stakes, Group One, 1m 1f 212yd

So it’s down to the Champion Stakes now for Aidan O’Brien if he’s going to carve out a serious lead in the trainers’ title race.

There are just six runners for the feature event on the card, but since five of them are among the top 20 in the current world rankings that can hardly be a cause for complaint.

All bar the pace-making Devil’s Advocate go to post with a realistic chance of success – and some of us are old enough to remember Richard Hills making all on the 66-1 chance Maroof back in 1994 – while the likely favourite, after steady support this morning, is John & Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman, an impressive winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes over this course and distance back in June.

He renews rivalry with Calandagan, last year’s winner, who had nearly three lengths to spare at the line. Another of today’s runners, Almaqam, was a four-length third.

Aidan O’Brien relies on Constitution River, the French Derby and Eclipse Stakes winner. He’s been a bit below his midsummer pomp on his last two starts but that was true of plenty of runners from the stable at the time and he would be a huge player on his Eclipse winning form.

Last but by no means least among the main contenders is Bay City Roller, who ran a huge race from a horrible draw to finish second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris 13 days ago. He is a huge credit to the George Scott stable and never seems to run a bad race.

In the final reckoning though, I’ve plumped for Calandagan to return to his decisive winning form 12 months ago. He arrives after a near-identical preparation and won with something to spare last year.

Another twist in the trainers’ title race, albeit a negative one. There was prize money down to sixth there, but Gstaad got nothing at all in eighth. Few would have seen that coming.

Gstaad was never travelling at all, but Talk Of New York was going best from some way out having settled much better than has sometimes been the case in the past. Once William Buick brought him through to the lead, there was only going to be one winner.

Ten Bob Tony ran his usual solid race to finish second, and Rayif came from a long way back to take third.

Needle Match goes on with Hawk Mountain to set the pace, Gstaad perfectly poised in fourth …

Dancing Gemini close up, More Thunder and Rayif to the rear, Talk Of New York going notably well …

Two out, Talk Of New York strikes for home, Gstaad is going nowhere …

More Thunder and Rayif finishing well, so too Ten Bob Tony but Talk of New York has this in safe keeping, he’s made his Group One debut a winning one!

Off and running in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes!

It’s now 7-4 Gstaad, he’s shortening all the time. Talk Of New York is 3-1 and it’s 7-1 bar the two.

A deer – yes, a deer – was bouncing around on the rail near the start for this race and threatening to cause a delay, but has now been ushered away into the woods.

More money for Gstaad, he’s priced up at around 9-4 now in the ring and the runners are starting to go to post for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Here’s the latest betting on the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes via Oddschecker:

Gstaad 11/4

Talk of New York 4/1

More Thunder 13/2

Rayif 15/2

Ten Bob Tony 8/1

Zeus Olympios 10/1

Zavateri 12/1

BAR 12/1

Danielle pulled up quickly after that last race and has been taken back to the stables for examination. More news as and when.

3.20 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Group One, 1m (straight)

Aidan O’Brien’s first big chance to put the trainers’ title to bed comes via his three-year-old Gstaad, who has supported down to favourite today and goes to post as the top-rated runner in the field on Timeform’s figures.

He has been an exceptional servant to the yard with wins including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year and the Irish 2,000 Guineas earlier this season, but spent much of the first part of the campaign trying, and failing, to cope with the outstanding, and now sadly retired, Bow Echo.

Minnie Hauk has now broken the O’Brien Group One jinx on Champions Day, and Gstaad has an obvious chance to further relegate that very un-O’Brien-like losing streak to the pages of history.

Charlie Appleby’s Talk Of New York is next in the betting, and fully deserves this tilt at a Group One after progressing steadily up the rungs of the ladder over the last six months, including an emphatic win in the Joel Stakes last time out.

It would be remiss to ignore Ten Bob Tony, the 50-1 winner of the Queen Anne Stakes here at the Royal meeting, although today’s pace may not play quite so well to his hold-up run style.

More Thunder, the half-length runner-up behind Ten Bob Tony in the Queen Anne, and Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri, impressive in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood last time, also need considering, but I’ll take a chance on another three-year-old, the French-trained Rayif, to further improve Francis-Henri Graffard’s record in the UK.

He’s 2-2 in Group Ones over a mile, has just half a dozen races in the book in all and has been refreshed by a break since his win in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August

That’s also Aidan O’Brien’s first Group One winner on Champions Day since Magical’s Champion Stakes win in 2019. What’s that they say about London buses?

A straightforward win for Minnie Hauk as Kalpana simply failed to fire, no doubt feeling the effects of a long season and a hard race in the Arc 13 days ago.

Ryan Moore was perfectly positioned behind his pacemaker and could pick his moment to go for home in the straight.

A major swing towards Aidan O’Brien in the title race, with two big runners still to come in the next two races, which have a total of £2.4m in prize money to chase.

Sugar Island continues to lead with Minnie Hauk close behind, Kalapana is up into fifth but isn’t travelling like she can …

Into the straight, Sugar Island leads but Minnie Hauk takes over, Kalpana not finding much …

Minnie Hauk goes for home, Kalpana is beaten … Lilt in pursuit of Minnie Hauk but this is going to be a big blow for Aidan O’Brien, Minnie Hauk wins it!

Kalpana was last after a furlong and is now three from the back after half a mile, Aidan O’Brien’s runners are 1 and 2 …

Kalapana was slowly away from stall one, she’s not going to be perfectly placed …

Off and running in the FIllies and Mares Stakes!

The punters are playing up their winnings from Almeraq, and Kalpana is now an even-money favourite with Minnie Hauk steady at around 9-2. Lilt has also attracted a bit of money to around 17-2 to give William Haggas a quickfire double.

Another line from earlier on. Here’s PJ McDonald on his needle-threading winning ride on Mount Atlas.

I am very happy to be a small part of a huge team. I am also very happy to have a horse like him, because how brave was he in the final furlong. The way the race panned out for me, it opened up just at the right time and he was through the gap and on the line before he really knew what was going on. It was tight and he answered for me. When I sat into him, he stuck his head in there and moved through.

Andrew Balding’s net positive from the Long Distance Cup was £169k, as Aidan O’Brien saddled both the second and fifth home.

It’s another £283,500 first prize in the next, with £107,500 for the runner-up, so with Kalpana and Minnie Hauk expected to set off at the head of the betting, this could yet be seen as the race that made all the difference when the dust on the trainers’ title race finally settles.

Here’s the latest prices for the Fillies & Mares Stakes, courtesy of Oddschecker:

Kalpana 6/5

Minnie Hauk 5/1

Lilt 15/2

Sparan Nua 17/2

Danielle 18/1

Believed 18/1

See the Fire 28/1

28/1 BAR

2.40 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, Group One, 1m 4f

The punters will be on better terms with themselves after Almeraq’s success in the last and now there’s another solid favourite to get stuck into in the shape of Andrew Balding’s Kalpana, who bides to end her career on a high with a third straight success in this race.

Her task has been eased somewhat following the news that Johanna Walsh, the Irish Oaks winner earlier in the season, has been scratched after failing to eat up this morning.

In her absence, Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk is her main rival in the betting, although last year’s Arc runner-up will need to improve significantly on her form so far this year if Kalapana, who was a fair way ahead of her in this season’s Arc 13 days ago, is anywhere close to her best.

Lilt, a lightly-raced three-year-old from the William Haggas stable, also has a chance on her form behind Thundering On, the Oaks winner, at the Curragh last time out, while Sparan Nua, a close second behind Kalapana in the Yorkshire Oaks in August, is another runner at a double-figure price that deserves consideration.

All in all, though, it’s very hard to see past Kalpana if she runs anywhere close to her best.

Impressive by Almeraq, who might have preferred a slightly softer surface but still ran down Paborus with something to spare after Edward Bethell’s runner got a jump on his rivals against the far rail.

That could well be Almeraq’s final start before he heads off to a new career as a stallion. A memorable conclusion to his racing career, if so.

Power Blue leads far side with SOul Love, Coppull there too and they’re heading to the far side ..

Paborus leads far rail, he leads a furlong out but Almeraq is closing, he’s running him down and the favourite is going to get there!

Off and running in the Champions Sprint!

They’re at the post for the Champions Sprint. Almeraq is a rock-solid favourite at 11-10, but might there be another boilover?

Andrew Balding has just become the first trainer in British Flat racing history to pass £9m in prize money in a single season. And yet, he’s still perhaps a marginal outsider to win the title, as Aidan O’Brien’s best chances are yet to come.

Here’s the latest odds on the Sprint Stakes via Oddschecker:

Almeraq 7/5

Division 8/1

Couppull 11/1

Great Wish 12/1

Samangan 14/1

Paborus 14/1

Kind of Blue 16/1

16/1 BAR

2.05 British Champions Sprint Stakes, Group One, 6f

Welcome to the Twilight Zone, a six-furlong sprint down the straight course where anything can happen and frequently does. Last year’s winner was a 200-1 chance, Powerful Glory, while Art Power went in at 40-1 two years before that, and there have been winners too at 33-1 and 28-1 since 2018.

There is a decent set-up for another surprise today, as the warm favourite, Almeraq, has the best form including two Group One wins, in the Sprint Cup at Haydock and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Stakes over course and distance in June, but seems at his best with some cut in the ground. He also tends to be held up in his races, which is not an ideal run-style on this six-furlong strip, and while he got away with it in June, today’s race may not unfold in quite the same way.

There are plenty of each-way alternatives to the 6-5 favourite, including the three-year-old Division, fourth home in the Commonwealth Cup here in June.

Samangan is also a live runner for Francis-Henri Graffard’s burgeoning operation in Chantilly, having won the Group One Prix Mauriuce du Gheest at Deauville in August.

And I’ll be having a few quid each-way on Clive Cox’s Coppull, who ended up on the wrong side in the Commonwealth Cup in June (see above), did not like the soft ground at Haydock last time and has otherwise performed with credit in a series of strong events, including a fourth place in the July Cup three months ago.

Andrew Balding had a quick chat with ITV Racing’s Matt Chapman on the way back to the winner’s enclosure.

We were taking a chance on two miles, but he loves Ascot and PJ gave him a brilliant ride. It was great to do it in those colours too.

What a result for the Andrew Balding stable, a Group One winner that few saw coming and £283,500 added to the prize-money haul.

PJ McDonald worked wonders to find a way through on Mount Atlas against the rail, and ran down O’Brien’s Queenstown, who got a top-notch front-running ride from Ryan Moore, well inside the final furlong.

Great to see the famous colours of the late owner-breeder Paul Mellon aboard the winner too. They are now used by the Kingsclere Racing Club, and were perhaps most famously carried to victory by the great Mill Reef in the Derby, King George and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1971 – the year that Balding’s father, Ian, won the trainers’ title for the first and only time.

Halfway now, no major changes in the running order …

Queenstown now moves into the lead and will lead into the straight …

Gregory moves through into second, Amelia Earhart coming too, and here’s Mount Atlas for Andrew Balding …

Queenstown in front but here comes Mount Atlas! Andrew Balding strikes in the Long Distance Cup with a 33-1 outsider!

Now Quickthorn and Queenstown go into a six-length lead, Gregory leads the pursuit with Highwayman …

Off and running in the Long Distance Cup …

It’s a level break, and Queenstown leads early from Daiquiri Bay, Gregory close up and now Quickthorn comes through to lead …

Going to post for the Long Distance Cup, Highwayman remains favourite at around 9-4 while Gregory is a little easier to back at around 100-30.

Eve Johnson Houghton was in fine form after her win with Night In Vegas in the opener.

I thought he might get a mile [at three] when he won over seven furlongs, but who cares? We’re just going to have fun next year, knowing what we’ve done this year.

Fifteen minutes to the off in the Long Distance Cup, the first of today’s Group One races, and Oddschecker have been in touch with the latest prices:

Highwayman 9/4

Gregory 7/2

Caballo de Mar 11/2

Daiquiri Bay 10/1

Queenstown 11/1

Opportunity 12/1

Amiloc 20/1

20/1 BAR

Challenges do not come any better-timed than Charles Bishop’s late thrust on Night In Vegas.

His total haul of prize money for the Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds syndicate is now more than £700k, an astonishing return for a juvenile that cost just 60,000gns (£63k) at Tattersalls’ Book 3 sale last year.

1.30 British Champions Long Distance Cup, Group One, 1m 7f 209yd

The first of the card’s Group One races lost the biggest name in the field when Scandinavia, the Gold Cup winner at the Royal meeting here in June, was ruled out by Aidan O’Brien earlier in the week, but in his absence it promises to be a much more competitive event for the punters to unpick.

Highwayman, who provided Saffie Osborne with a moment of Classic history when he took the St Leger at Doncaster last month, is the main representative of the three-year-old generation, with his regular jockey, Dylan Browne McMonagle, back in the saddle after recovering from injury.

He’s up against Gregory, the winner of the Queen’s Vase over this track and trip at the Royal meeting in 2024, who is three years older but has few miles on the clock having had an injury-affected career.

Caballo De Mar, meanwhile, is in the form of his life, and arrives at Ascot o the back of victories in both the Group Two Doncaster Cup and the Group One Prix du Cadran at Longchamp two weeks ago, when he beat Scandinavia into second place.

Daiquiri Bay, the Ebor Handicap winner in August, adds further spice to the mix – last year’s Ebor winner, after all, went on to take the Breeders’ Cup Turf in California a couple of months later. Personally, though, I feel Highwayman is the runner with the greatest scope for improvement, not least as today’s race will be his first start at two miles.

A fabulous finish to the opener on Champions Day as Night In Vegas gets up in the final stride to deny Arapaho Gold on the nod, with Satellite Of Love close behind in third.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s juvenile is now one of the bigger money-earners in British two-year-old racing history, but has yet to win a Group race at any level.

Off and running in the 12.55 Ascot !

The runners that could decide the trainers’ title

Aidan O’Brien has eight runners on today’s card, starting with Confucius in the opener and followed up by:

Queenstown (1.30), Amelia Earhart (1.30), Minnie Hauk (2.40), Sugar Island (2.40), Gstaad (3.20), Hawk Mountain (3.20) and finally Constitution River in the Champion Stakes at 4.00.

Andrew Balding has five:

Mount Atlas (1.30), Marvelman (2.05), See The Fire (2.40), Kalpana (2.40) and Mister Winston (4.35).

12.55 Ascot, latest betting

Here are the latest prices on the opening juvenile event at Ascot, courtesy of Oddschecker.

Arapaho Gold- 5/2

Night in Vegas- 7/2

Satellite of Love- 4/1

Inner City Blues- 13/2

Speed of Sound- 14/1

Confucius- 22/1

Oakford- 25/1

BAR- 25/1

12.55 British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, 6f

They will be in the parade ring imminently ahead of the most recent addition to the Champions Day schedule is still too young to have earned Pattern-race status, but last year’s winner, Mission Central, followed up in the Group One King Charles III Stakes at the Royal meeting here in the summer so it is off to a very strong start.

The favourite for the latest renewal is Arapaho Gold, who was the best horse at the weights when third in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury last time.

He is top-rated by Timeform too, but the current form of his trainer, Michael Dods, has to be a concern as he has not saddled a single winner from 30 runners over the past two weeks.

Night In Vegas has been making hay in a series of races linked to yearling sales and auction prices, amassing nearly £600k in the process, and has a very decent chance of adding another £128k here, and had Satellite Of Love back in the second when the pair were the 1-2 in the sales race at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting. On a strict reading of the form, though, Satellite Of Love should be ahead of Night In Vegas today – he’s 7lb better off for a half-length beating.

Aidan O’Brien’s only runner, Confucius, finished last on his most recent outing and is unfancied in the betting, but Inner City Blues, in the first colours of the Godolphin operation, is definitely worth considering – he’s taking a significant drop in class after finishing fifth in the Group One Middle Park Stakes last time.

But I’m going to take an each-way punt on the apparent Godolphin second-string, Victory Gold. Runners from Saeed bin Suroor’s stable tend to go under the radar these days, but he has maintained an impressive strike-rate despite playing second-fiddle to Charlie Appleby for much of the last decade. And his runners are definitely worth a closer look when he books Oisin Murphy to ride – they have teamed up to record a 30pc strike-rate and a significant level-stakes profit over the last six seasons.