Readers of a certain age may remember a TV drama series called 'Tales Of The Unexpected' which were mostly based on creepy, twisting stories written by Roald Dahl.
At much the same time, children used to peek fearfully from behind the sofa during 'Dr Who', especially when the Daleks made an appearance.
But the Daleks were not versatile exterminators as they couldn't climb stairs or mount pavements. They were better on the flat than over the jumps.
Robotics has come a long way since while the rapid evolution of AI poses the question, among many others, whether data technology will one day be able to solve horse races, or at least more often than Templegate, Robin Goodfellow and even the Sporting Life's ace tipping line-up.
Some superior insight was certainly needed on Champions Day (now named Qatar Racing British Champions Day) last year when Powerful Glory won the Sprint at 200/1 and Cicero's Gift ran out a shock winner of the Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes at 100/1.
At the end of a long season, at this meeting, punters need to sometimes expect the unexpected.
Apart from those two shock victories, superstars like the now-retired Trawlerman, Kalpana and Calandagan all delivered and the last two may well do so again on Saturday.
Last year also saw the inaugural running of a valuable two-year-old conditions race which the meeting's organisers would dearly like to see perform well enough to attain at least Listed or Group Three status.
The race got off to a good start with the winner Mission Central going onto land the King Charles 111 Stakes at Royal Ascot in June while third-placed Words Of Truth won a Listed race at Sandown the same month and is rated 108.
Unfortunately, the runner-up Ardisia is now a 99-rated handicapper which won't impress the Pattern Committee though clearly it is very early days and this year's field looks stronger.
Initially, the organisers had designs on the Dewhurst, Britain's most prestigious juvenile contest run last Saturday, but Newmarket would never have allowed it even though another week and a bit of breathing space for leading two-year-olds at a congested time of the year might have been welcome.
Overall, in spite of a few naysayers, 'Champions Day' has produced an exciting climax to the British Flat Racing season since being switched from Newmarket in 2011 when the Jockey Club Cup became the Long Distance Cup and the Diadem Stakes became the Champion Sprint.
Early on, Frankel served up stellar performances two years running winning the Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes and then beating the great French horse Cirrus Des Aigles on his swan song in the Champion Stakes a year later.
And it is worth noting that any French challengers need respecting; generally the horses are not trained so hard during midsummer and they can sometimes be a bit fresher on Champions Day and, indeed, at the Breeders Cup.
Successes from across the Channel include Charm Spirit, Solow, The Revenant and Big Rock in the QE11 whilst the aforementioned 'Cirrus' took the Champion Stakes in 2011 followed by Almanzor in 2016, Sealiway in 2021 and, of course, Calandagan last year.
The latter is the headline act again en route to attempting a historic second win in the Japan Cup.
In the sprint, James Fanshawe has been the trainer to follow boasting three victories with Deacon Blues, The Tin Man and Kind Of Blue (goes again) while the Long Distance Cup has proved one of the more predictable races having been won by such legends as Stradivarius, Trueshan (three times), Kyprios and Trawlerman (twice) in recent years.
Multiple winners were unknown in the Fillies and Mares Stakes before Kalpana's second win and she has the chance to set a record which may stand for a long time as well as giving her trainer Andrew Balding a real chance of holding off Aidan O'Brien in the Trainers' Championship.
Even without rain, heavy autumn dews get into the ground and can be a big factor along with the freshness, the French and previous course/meeting form.
Taking all of this into account, while also expecting the unexpected, here are a few suggestions on what looks a superb card:
12.55 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY TWO-YEAR-OLD CONDITIONS STAKES:
Night In Vegas and Satellite Of Love have been massive money-spinners for their ownership syndicates but ARAPAHO GOLD's third to Nabati in the Mill Reef looks superior form. Connor Beasley's mount pulled hard and did a lot wrong that day but was still beaten just a short head and a neck staying on, and had beaten Nabati on the same course in July. He has loads of ability and, with cover, the stiff six should suit him well.
13.30 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP:
Caballo De Mar must have had a hard race to beat Scandinavia in the Cadran two weeks ago so HIGHWAYMAN could be the one here after his startling success in the St Leger. Joseph O’Brien’s three-year-old has taken off in the second half of the season and travelled all over his rivals at Doncaster. The Ebor winner Daiquiri Bay is an easy horse to like and could make the placings.
14.05 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES:
Almeraq is sure to start a short-priced favourite after his romp in the Sprint Cup at Haydock but the ground was soft there and he only just got up in the Jubilee at the Royal meeting on a faster surface. He's probably better than the opposition but MITBAAHY has finished fifth in the Wokingham and third in the Stewards Cup wearing a tongue tie this season and will finish well while PRINCE OF INDIA should also see this out strongly having been second to the enterprisingly ridden Coppull in the Hungerford at Newbury over seven furlongs in August since when he ran second again to the highly promising Hidden Force in the Bengough over this course and distance.
14.40 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES:
Providing, like last year, she has recovered well from her run in the Arc, KALPANA looks the banker bet on the card. Better than ever this season, beating Calandagan in the King George (her course form is 121213) before following up in the Yorkshire Oaks, she wasn't disgraced when beaten just over three lengths in Paris and is the class act here.
British Champions Day 2026
- David Ord on why William Haggas is backing the underdog
- Ben Linfoot on the big questions heading into Ascot
- Andrew Asquith tackles Champions Day in Weekend View
- Matt Brocklebank reveals his Champions Day shortlist
- William Haggas on his British Champions Day team
- Andrew Balding on his British Champions Day team
- Richard Brown on Wathnan's Ascot team
- Nemone Routh on the Aga Khan Stud's Ascot team
- Tom Fanshawe on Kind Of Blue's Champion Sprint claims
- Trainers' title: Andrew Balding v Aidan O'Brien
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