Champion Stakes Tips: Economics The One In Feature

The Champion Stakes is the jewel in the crown on British Champion's Day and this year's renewal looks to be shining as bright as any before it. A real clash of the titans is set to take place between grinder Economics and French speed horse Calandagan and Billy Grimshaw is feeling a swell of patriotism and wants to back the Haggas star...

I absolutely cannot wait for this race. Whatever you had planned for 15:55 on Saturday - cancel it. Of course no race is ever purely just a two horse contest when there are more competitors involved, but if we see a peak form ECONOMICS clashing with Calandagan this could be a race for the ages. I have been toing and froing between the pair as the week has rumbled on, watching replay after replay, and in truth it is not a hugely bullish shout for Economics to come out best of the top two.

There are no stones to be thrown at Calandagan, particularly on his brilliant second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte which was his first defeat in four. We know how highly City Of Troy is rated particularly by his connections but also around the racing world and there is definitely a case to be made Calandagan could've beaten him if things panned out more his way at York. He rapidly scythed through the field to claim second after being near last when the race started to heat up, and after using up that amount of petrol it was perhaps unsurprising he could not reel in such a high class front runner as City Of Troy was that day.

Calandagan's strength is his blistering turn of foot, as we saw on his penultimate start when streaking clear of his rivals to win the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal Meeting here by six widening lengths. That was a real jaw dropper of a run and this is undoubtedly a horse who has earned a big Group One. I'm not sure he'll get it on Champions Day, however.

The reason I've decided Economics is the more likely winner in this brilliant clash of three year olds is the manner in which he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat over at Leopardstown in the Irish Champion Stakes when surrounded by Ballydoyle rivals. He has proven he can go to the trenches when needs be and he will fight tooth and nail for rider Tom Marquand, and with his trainer William Haggas one of those trainers who is always eking more and more improvement out of his runners I'd not be surprised to see Economics improve again here.

He is not as flashy or breath taking as Calandagan but he is a top class grinder of a horse and if Tom Marquand is as brave as he was at Leopardstown tactically, be that taking a solo lead if the race looks in need of a front runner and issuing a catch me if you can challenge or if he takes a lead off perhaps Los Angeles - who certainly shouldn't be discounted for all I'd be a smidgen disappointed were he to win against these two - then I think Economics can hold off all comers. 

It would be a major surprise to me were one of the three year old colts not to take out the Champion Stakes of 2024, however with the race coming later in the day and showers expected at an already rain softened Ascot, perhaps looking for one who really relishes the mud to back each-way with firms paying extra places will be the way some who cannot split the top two superstars will lean. If you are that kind of punter, I'd suggest backing Royal Rhyme as his record on soft - albeit in much weaker races than this - reads 4 runs, 4 wins. He will relish conditions, but shouldn't be good enough to compete with the top two and hopefully we see a real battle up the Ascot straight with ECONOMICS coming out on top.