ITV Racing Tips – Saturday 17th October 2026 Best Bets for British Champions Day

This weekend is all about celebrating the stars of this season’s flat campaign, as Champions Day is set for Ascot.

Over 4 million in prize money will be up for grabs, which could prove crucial in the Trainers’ Championship battle between Andrew Balding and Aidan O’Brien. This weekend, Billy Loughnane will also be celebrated, as the 20-year-old is crowned Champion Jockey for the first time.

We have gone through all televised races on ITV this Saturday, picking out ITV horse racing tips, and an accumulator for ITV racing.

The opening race on Champions Day is the British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, over six furlongs.

Night In Vegas has been a stable star for the Eve Johnson Houghton team this summer, racking up over £560,000 in prize money. The two-year-old is a previous course-and-distance winner and followed up on that promise by finishing fifth, beaten a length by Great Barrier Reef in the Group Two Coventry Stakes. Was then third in the Group Two Richmond.

Has quickly bounced back to winning form since then, landing three straight victories, including a victory over the re-opposing Satellite of Love. Expected to go close once again on the form that he has shown.

The first of the Group One races on British Champions Day is the Long Distance Cup, covering a distance of two miles. Caballo De Mar saw off Scandinavia to land the Group One Prix du Cadran, but he could be a vulnerable favourite after such a big effort last time.

Daiquiri Bay could be a very interesting alternative. The Alan King runner was a very game winner of the Ebor at York, doing all his best work late. This step up to two miles should really suit, and a gelding operation seems to have had the desired impact, winning on three straight runs, including at Ascot in the Copper Horse Stakes.

Still has untapped potential as a four-year-old over staying trips, and looks an interesting angle as either an each-way price.

The Group One British Champions Sprint Stakes covers six furlongs, and some huge outsiders have won in recent years, including 200/1 outsider Powerful Glory 12 months ago. Nothing shorter than 10/1 has won in the last four years, so despite heavy market support, Almeraq could be opposable.

Four three-year-olds have won this since 2018, and two of those have been fillies getting all the weight allowances. Therefore, Soul Love may be of some interest for the Karl Burke team.

She was a game winner on heavy ground last time, holding off Big Gossey to land the Group Three Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh. Has also shown form on quicker ground, winning at Naas and finishing a very close second in the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes.

That form has substance, with the third Dancing Saxon finishing a close second in a stakes contest at the Curragh, and the fourth Havana Anna having won a Group Three at Naas earlier in the season.

A notable run was earlier in the season when beaten only a length by the talented, albeit frustrating, Flora Of Bermuda in the Group Three Summer Stakes. She will need a massive step forward to compete at this level, but she could be worth an each-way swing.

Next up is the Group One British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, covering a mile and four. This could ultimately prove crucial in Andrew Balding’s championship battle with Aidan O’Brien.

Kalpana is very much the one to beat if her run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hasn’t left a mark. She quickly bounced back from a disappointing showing in the race 12 months ago to win the Fillies & Mares Stakes by an easy two lengths.

Last year’s renewal looked much deeper, with Estrange among her rivals. Her record at Ascot is strong, having already won the Group One King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July, holding off Calandagan to win by a length.

Stellar season also includes a win in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks, holding off Sparan Nua, in a race where Colin Keane likely got to the front earlier than he was hoping. She has all the best form in the book, and anything hoping to take her crown will need to improve.

Next up, we have a race over the straight mile, as the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes looks like an interesting clash. Zavateri could be the notable angle now he’s back on song.

Was held over seven furlongs by Notable Speech in the Group One City of York Stakes, and was only beaten four lengths by Bow Echo in the Group One Sussex Stakes back in July. Bow Echo ran to a 118 Time Score rating when beating Zavateri and only 110 when a length ahead of Talk Of New York in the Group One St James’s Palace, so the son of Without Parole faced this season’s star three-year-old miler at his peak.

Eve Johnson Houghton has needed to be patient with her star juvenile from last season, but he produced a career-best effort last time when landing the Group Two Celebration Mile Stakes.

That form has since been boosted by Qirat's emphatic Group Two win in the Daniel Wildenstein on Arc weekend.

The day's big race is the Group One Champion Stakes, over a mile and two. The market has it as a straight showdown between the first two home last year, as Calandagan looks to get the better of Ombudsman once again to become the first back-to-back winner of the race since Cracksman in 2018.

Almaqam could be an interesting price to score a third stakes win. He has run in all of the big races this season, including when beating Bay City Roller by two lengths in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup.

That form looks rock-solid now after his Arc effort, and that run at Longchamp also suggests that he is as good on quicker ground as he is on soft ground. The Ed Walker runner was disappointing on his last start at Ascot, but Ombudsman was electric in the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Since then, he has finished a head second behind Item in the Group One Juddmonte International, and only beaten two lengths in the messy Group One Irish Champion Stakes. That form has been boosted with the runner-up winning a French Group Two.

Almaqam had excuses at the Curragh after being slowly away and outpaced at a crucial stage. He will likely be overlooked again and offers value to improve on his third-place finish in the race 12 months ago.

The Champions Day card is rounded off by the Balmoral Handicap, run over a mile. Horses aged 4 or 5 are 8/12; previous Ascot experience is a must, with 10/12 boasting it, 9/12 have had at least 3 flat wins, while the Challenge Cup Handicap and Cambridgeshire have reliable records of producing winners.

Nine of the last 12 winners have carried between 9-1 and 9-6, while all but two of the last 12 winners have been rated 101 or higher. Indalo looks like an excellent chance based on the trends.

The Roger Varian-trained runner was third in the Royal Hunt Cup on his only Ascot start, finishing a length ahead of Ebts’s Guard. His running style suited Ascot that day, and he finished well ahead of the remaining runners in his group.

Last seen finishing ninth but only beaten 3 lengths in the Cambridgeshire, which fits the trend, with all three previous winners of this failing to place at HQ in the same race. Runs off a 5lb lower mark this weekend, Yard won this in 2018, and the application of a hood is no bad thing.