Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes Tips & Odds

The finale of the Fillies and Mares section of the British Champions Series, the betting for the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes is hugely popular, and you can find the odds for the renewal of the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes here...

Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes Tips 

WEMIGHTAKEDLONGWAY looks well overpriced in this race considering her form ties in with the premier fillies of her generation in Minnie Hauk and Whirl, both of whom would be favourite if running here.

What is the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes? 

Run over just shy of a mile and a half (one mile, three furlongs and 211 yards), the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes is the finale of the fillies and mares category of the British Champions Series, with £600,000 up for grabs in the prize pot. The race is traditionally the second race on the six-race card on British Champions Day, and regularly features a double-figure field. 

What happened in the 2024 Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes? 

KALPANA was far too good for her rivals in this race in 2024, cruising to glory.

The history of the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes 

Established in 1946, the race began life as the Princess Royal Stakes - named after the Princess Royal at the time - and has moved between September and October on various occasions during its history. 

Having been transferred to Newmarket, promoted to Group 2 status and renamed the Pride Stakes in 2008, the race was switched back to Ascot in 2011, and moved onto the newly formed British Champions Day - having its name changed once again as a result, to its current guise. Since then, the race was upgraded to Group 1 status in 2013, and the prize pot now stands at £600,000. 

Who is the most iconic winner of the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes? 

Several key names have won the race over the years, though the most iconic winner is perhaps the 2005 winner, the Ed Dunlop-trained Ouija Board.

Ouija Board won this while it existed as the Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket, but she was an exceptional performer, winning seven Group 1 races in four different countries during her career. A dual classic winner as a three-year-old, winning both the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks, Ouija Board's finest hour perhaps came when winning the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf at the Breeders' Cup in 2006 under Frankie Dettori. She signed off with a fine effort to finish third in the Japan Cup later that month, and she has since become an excellent broodmare, with her progeny including the classic winner Australia. 

Are there any trials for the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes? 

The Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes is the finale of the fillies and mares category of the British Champion Series, and as such the route to the race is pretty established. Every so often, key contenders will improve throughout the season through more unorthodox routes, but more often than not, contenders for the Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes tend to take their chance in races such as the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and the Yorkshire Oaks at York. Meanwhile, key three-year-old contenders for the race tend to run in races such as the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Epsom Oaks and the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Who is the most successful jockey in the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes? 

The winning most jockey in the history of the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes is Lester Piggott, with eight wins. Piggott's eight wins in the race came courtesy of Rose of Medina (1959), Green Opal (1960), Vhairi (1963), Bracey Bridge (1965), Bamboozle (1967), Mandera (1973), Karamita (1980), One Way Street (1984).

Who is the most successful trainer in the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes? 

The winning most trainer in the history of the Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes is John Dunlop, with nine wins. Dunlop's nine wins in the race came courtesy of Predicament (1966), Trillionaire (1978), Flighting (1981), Believer (1982), Banket (1988), Labibeh (1995), Signorina Cattiva (1999), Head in the Clouds (2001), Acts of Grace (2006).