2026 Champion Sprint Stakes betting odds, runners & preview

William Dobbie Published: 16 Oct 26 12:44

16 jump for Saturday's £500,000 Champion Sprint Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

This contest has thrown up shock winners left, right and centre across the last decade, with Powerful Glory's 200/1 victory the most recent on a list has seen horses at 40/1, 16/1, 33/1 and 28/1 pass the post in first.

Eight of the last 10 years has seen this race ran with 'soft' or 'heavy' somewhere in the going description but with a lack of rain up and down the country, it looks like taking place on a pretty sound surface.

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The UK sprinting scene has been somewhat of a lottery in recent seasons, with countless horses trying and failing to assert their dominance over the division. However, in Almeraq it could be that one is about to separate himself from the rest. Priced at 25/1, some may have written off his Royal Ascot success as a bit of a fluke, but he backed it up with a really smart performance in the Haydock Sprint Cup to establish himself as the one to beat here.

In behind Almeraq on Merseryside that day was Coppull, who really didn't relish the slow conditions that day. All of his best form has come on quick ground, winning both the Commonwealth Cup Trial and the Hungerford Stakes on ground officially described as 'Good to Firm'. At three, Karl Burke's charge is still improving and could get himself right in the mix at the finish.

Another three-year-old that has taken giant strides forward throughout this season is French raider Samangan. Part of the all-conquering Francis-Henri Graffard yard, he comes back down in trip after failing to properly see out the seven furlong trip in the Prix de la Foret in truly elite company.

His victory over Division at Deauville is the most outstanding piece of form on his CV thus far, but the Wathnan-owned colt is back to avenge that loss when they jump on Saturday. He's been somewhat unlucky this season not to get his head in front in six goes this season, beaten by less than a length in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, Commonwealth Cup and the trial ran one month earlier. He was unlucky in the July Cup behind some of the best around and a clear run would have seen him get close.

Division is part of a three-pronged attack for Wathan; 2024 winner Kind Of Blue and Paborus the other two out to represent the Qatari operation. The latter has experimented with six, seven and eight furlongs throughout his career, but connections have opted to roll the dice over the sprint distance this weekend.