The highest-rated Flat horse in training, Ombudsman, lines up in the Champion Stakes later in today's racing. The market suggests it’s a three-horse contest between Ombudsman, Calandagan, and Delacroix, while Economics returns to action after 364 days off the track.
Several runners have previous experience at Ascot, but only Ombudsman (1 from 1) and Calandagan (2 from 3) have winning form at the course. Notably, Ombudsman’s victory here was a career-best performance.
The race is run over 1 mile 2 furlongs, and most of the field have proven form at the distance. The standouts include Ombudsman, who has won five of seven starts over this trip; Delacroix, who is four from five; and Economics, who is three from four. The only time Economics failed to win over this distance was in this very race last year—a point worth noting.
The ground is forecast to be Good this afternoon, and every runner has at least one win on similar going. However, Economics stands out in this respect, boasting a perfect four-from-four record on Good ground.
Trainer William Haggas brings outstanding recent form into Champions Day. The sharp upward trend on the 14-day win% chart highlights a stable hitting peak performance—he’s striking at 28% over the past two weeks. He is represented by Economics in today's contest.
Our THM Score is built on an abundance of recent racing data, providing a modelled rating for every horse across its past performances. The higher the score, the stronger the performance. There’s plenty to explore here—be sure to check the Race Info column to see the conditions under which those scores were achieved.