Ombudsman wins Champion Stakes at Ascot, beating Calandagan

Ombudsman, owned by Godolphin, the racing operation of Dubai's ruling family, won the Champion Stakes at Ascot on 17 October 2026. The race was the highlight of British Champions Day, the season-ending showcase of top-level flat racing in Britain. The colt is trained by John Gosden and his son Thady, who share the Newmarket stable.

The result mattered partly because of the horse he beat. Calandagan, the French-trained champion, had won the same race in 2025, when Ombudsman started as favourite and finished second. The 2026 renewal therefore gave Ombudsman a chance to reverse that defeat in a rematch of the two leading middle-distance horses of the period.

The win added a major Group 1 title to Ombudsman's record and kept him at the centre of attention as his career neared its end. Attention then turned to a final international target, the Japan Cup in Tokyo, which was to be his farewell race.