British Champions Sprint Stakes Betting Guide | 2018

2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes Main Contenders

Although it may still be quite a while away, the entries are already in for the 2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes. A total of 42 horses remain in the field at this early stage and you can already get on ante-post with a huge number of UK betting sites. Our horse racing experts discuss the chances of some of the main contenders for the 2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes below.

Harry Angel

• Age: 4yo.
• Trainer: Clive Cox.
• Jockey: Adam Kirby.

Clive Cox is renowned for excelling with some of the fastest sprinters in training and he will be looking for redemption with last year’s beaten British Champions Sprint Stakes favourite Harry Angel. He could only manage 4th behind Librisa Breeze in 2017, beaten just over 2L, but he reared at the start and that cost him vital ground. It was the same story last time, so he obviously comes with risks attached. However, on his day Harry Angel is one of the quickest horses around and it is no shock to see the Godolphin owned sprinter favourite at a best price of 11/2 with Betfair.

Best Harry Angel Ante-Post Champions Sprint Stakes Odds: 11/2 Betfair

Blue Point

• Age: 4yo.
• Trainer: Charlie Appleby.
• Jockey: William Buick.

Blue Point has an official rating of 120 so that leaves him with 5lb to find with Harry Angel. Blue Point has won two Group 3s over this course and distance though, and he was a scorer over 5f in the King’s Stand back in June. He had Battaash and Mabs Cross in behind that day and they are likely to re-oppose here. Those three finished in close proximity again last time in the Nunthorpe at York, and there will probably be nothing in it between them again here. If you fancy Blue Point to get his head back in front at a track he loves, you can back the son of Shamardal ante-post at odds of 9/1 with Coral.

Best Blue Point Ante-Post Champions Sprint Stakes Odds: 9/1 Coral

City Light

• Age: 4yo.
• Trainer: Stephane Wattel (FR).
• Jockey: Christophe Soumillon.

The last French based trainer to win the British Champions Sprint Stakes was John Hammond with Crystal Castle back in 2002.  The latest Gallic trainer to try his luck will be Stephane Wattel with his classy colt, City Light. The son of Siyouni ran well on his last two starts at Group 1 level, including when beaten a short head over this course and distance at the Royal Meeting. He was very slow away that day, and if he can get away on level terms and the ground is good or better, he is a threat to all at 10/1 with William Hill.

Best City Light Ante-Post Champions Sprint Stakes Odds: 10/1 William Hill

Librisa Breeze

• Age: 6yo.
• Trainer: Dean Ivory.
• Jockey: Robert Winston.

This dashing grey is a real favourite with racing fans and he took this race last year in scintillating fashion. However, he has been badly out of sorts so far this season, so his supporters will need to take a leap of faith. In fairness to the son of Mount Nelson, he has been running on the ground faster than ideal and if he gets easy ground in the British Champions Sprint Stakes a return to form would come as no surprise. This has presumably been his target for quite some time and his shrewd trainer can ready one. If the rain arrives, he will go off a lot shorter than the 10/1 currently available from Betway.

Best Librisa Breeze Ante-Post Champions Sprint Stakes Odds: 10/1 Betway

James Garfield

• Age: 3yo.
• Trainer: George Scott.
• Jockey: Frankie Dettori.

Up and coming trainers like George Scott need a quality horse to put them on the map, and he has one in James Garfield. This son of Exceed And Excel went agonizingly close in a Group 1 at Deauville last time, bouncing back from a trio of below par efforts over a variety of trips. For now, around 6f looks his optimum, but he wouldn’t want to see soft in the ground description. Unfortunately for James Garfield, that is a distinct possibility in late October and he will only become of interest if the rain stays away. If you are considering backing him ante-post, you can get 10/1 about James Garfield with Paddy Power. 

Best James Garfield Ante-Post Champions Sprint Stakes Odds: 10/1 Paddy Power

British Champions Sprint Stakes-The Best Of The Rest

Although the above mentioned horses are at the head of the betting for the British Champions Sprint Stakes, there is no shortage of each way alternatives. If flying filly Mabs Cross lines up, she won’t be too far away if the ground is decent and the 25/1 on offer from Betfred looks huge. The Tin Man may be getting on a bit, but he won this back in 2016, and he ran well on his last two starts. He is sure to have his supporters at 12/1 with Ladbrokes.

Sir Dancealot has risen through the 3yo sprinting ranks this season and he is another horse that cannot be discounted at odds of 12/1 with Paddy Power. The Charlie Hills trained speedster Battaash has to bounce back from a short priced defeat at York, but he has bags of talent and if he is on a going day he could make the odds of 16/1 on offer from Coral look very silly.

As you can see, this contest has the potential to be an absolute classic, so make sure you keep your diary free for the 20th of October. The British Champions Sprint Stakes is a race you won’t want to miss!

Last 10 British Champions Sprint Stakes Winners

British Champions Sprint Stakes Betting Tips

Although only three favourites have won the British Champions Sprint Stakes in the past ten years, no winner has been priced up at bigger than 12/1. That would suggest that it usually pays to support the horses at the head of the market, though not necessarily the favourite. Check out some of the trends our horse racing experts have spotted for this race below. They could help you turn a profit on the Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day!

British Champions Sprint Stakes Trends

• Age is more than just a number and only one 6yo has scored since 2000. Concentrate on horses between the ages of 3yo to 5yo.
• This is not a race known for producing big upsets, so focus on horses at odds of 16/1 or lower.
• Previous course form is a big positive so look for horses that have run well at Ascot before.
• Some horses love fast ground, while others need softer conditions to show their best, so keep a closer eye on the weather.

How To Bet On The British Champions Sprint Stakes

At this early stage the only way you can bet on the 2018 Champions Sprint Stakes is in the ante-post market. Beware though, because ante-post bets are all or nothing affairs. If the horse you back doesn’t run, you lose your money. However, for us the rewards are worth the risk, as the chances of you getting a bigger price on your selection shrink the closer it gets to the race.  

Win and each way bets are by far the most popular bet types for the British Champions Sprint Stakes, but there are other wagers you can try your hand at too. Forecasts and tricasts are a fun way to bet on the Champions Sprint Stakes, and you could win big for small stakes. Some bookies, like Paddy Power for example, will have match betting available too where you can bet on one horse to beat another.

As you can see, there are loads of ways to bet on the British Champions Sprint Stakes. When it comes to the range of available markets, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes are ahead of the rest.

British Champions Sprint Stakes Odds

2018 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes Odds

2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes Tip

After the hot Summer we have had in the UK, the chances are that Autumn will be a washout. If you are considering having an ante-post each way bet on the British Champions Sprint Stakes, we think it is best to presume there will be give underfoot. One horse that won’t mind it coming up soft is Tasleet. The 5yo has strong course form in the book, he goes well fresh and at odds of 16/1 with Ladbrokes he is the each way selection for the British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Sportsbetting24 2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes Tip: Tasleet E/W @ 16/1 Ladbrokes

British Champions Day Betting Promotions 2018

Given that it is still a good few weeks away, there is a distinct lack of British Champions Day betting promotions at the moment. However, plenty of bookies ran some interesting specials for Qipco Champions Day last season and we looked back at a couple of the best promotions to give you a taster of what you can expect for British Champions Day Ascot 2018.

10Bet British Champions Day Promotion-Money Back if 2nd to the SP Fav

10Bet have cemented their place as one of Britain’s leading online betting sites for horse racing. They usually run some excellent promotions for British Champions Day, and last year was no exception. In 2017 10Bet gave you your money back as a free bet (max refund £10) if your selection finished runner up behind the favourite. No doubt 10Bet will have another similar special for Champions Day 2018, so keep your eyes peeled!

Coral Qipco Champions Day Ascot Promotion-2nd Beaten by a Length Money Back

Coral are long established as one of the UKs best bookies, and when it comes to promotions they are in a league of their own. They didn’t let their customers down with the Coral Champions Day promotion for 2017. If you backed a horse that finished 2nd and was beaten by a length or less, you got your losing stake back (max refund £10). It is odds on that Coral will run an identical promotion for Champions Day 2018. So, if you are having a bet on the Champions Sprint Stakes, Coral should be your go to bookie.

British Champions Sprint Stakes Ascot FAQs

When is the 2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes run?

The 2018 British Champions Sprint Stakes is run on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday the 20th of October. A total of four Group 1 races are run on British Champions Day, including The British Champions Sprint Stakes. This meeting is the last hurrah of the flat horse racing season in the UK and soon afterwards the focus switches to the jumps.

What is the British Champions Series?

British Champions Day at Ascot is the final instalment of the British Champions Series. A total of 35 races are run throughout the season in five categories (sprint; mile; middle distance; long distance; fillies and mares). Seven races are run in each category and four are run on British Champions Day at Ascot, including the British Champions Sprint Stakes.

What UK betting sites have live British Champions Day streaming from Ascot?

When it comes to streaming the action live from Ascot for British Champions Day, punters have a wealth of options to choose from. A huge amount of UK betting sites have live streaming of every race on Champions Day at Ascot, including the British Champions Sprint Stakes. Most bookmakers require you to place a minimum bet before they allow you to stream, so make sure to check the requirements with your chosen betting site.