Calandagan beats world-class field to win British Champion Stakes

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES AND BRITISH CHAMPION STAKES FROM ASCOT/ SOUNDBITE WITH WINNING OWNER PRINCESS ZAHRA RESENDING WITH SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT SHOWS: ASCOT, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (HBA MEDIA – Editorial use only. No use UK and Ireland. No use after December 31, 2025. No monetisation) QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES 1. HORSES RELEASED FROM STALLS 2. VARIOUS OF FIELD DURING THE RACE 3. 100-1 SHOT CICERO'S GIFT WINS THE RACE/ JOCKEY JASON WATSON STANDS IN THE STIRRUPS 4. VARIOUS CELEBRATIONS/ EDDIE HILLS, SON OF THE WINNING TRAINER CHARLIE HILLS JUMPS ON HIS BROTHER JAMES IN CELEBRATION BRITISH CHAMPION STAKES 5. DELACROIX (#9) IN PARADE RING 6. JOCKEY WILLIAM BUICK (BLUE SILKS AND BLUE CAP) SITTING ONBOARD OMBUDSMAN BEFORE THE RACE 7. JOCKEY MICKAEL BARZALONA (GREEN SILKS WITH RED SHOULDER PATCHES) ENTERS THE STALLS ONBOARD CALANDAGAN 8. HORSES RELEASED FROM THE STALLS 9. VARIOUS OF FIELD DURING THE RACE 10. SIDE ON CLOSE UP OF OMBUDSMAN (#6) AT THE BACK JUST BEHIND CALANDAGAN 11. VARIOUS OF LAST TWO FURLONGS AS CALANDAGAN WINS 12. SLOMO OF BARZALONA ONBOARD CALANDAGAN CROSSING THE LINE 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OWNER OF CALANDAGAN PRINCESS ZAHRA TALKING ABOUT THE HORSE, SAYING: "He's a very, very good horse, and he's really coming into his own now. And, you know, you see, the jockey, Mickael (Barzalona), said that once he had his space and his pace, he was just going, he was unstoppable. So, you know, it's great to see." 14. CALANDAGAN BEING WALKED BACK TO THE STABLES STORY: Calandagan beat off the favourite Ombudsman to win the British Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday (October 18) while 100-1 outsider Cicero's gift snapped up the £655,000 ($879,000) prize money in the Queen Elizabeth II stakes. It was a day of shocks on British Champions Day, which is the climax of the flat racing season in the UK, as Cicero's Gift, ridden by Jason Watson and trained by Charlie Hills, took the Group 1 race despite being drawn in stall one. Watson hugged the rail and was able to hold off the The Lion in Winter and pre-race favourite Field of Gold.  Much of the talk before the last big race of the day had been about the latest head-to-head battle between Delacroix and Ombudsman, the number one ranked horse in the world. But it was Calandagan from the Aga Khan Stud in France, ridden by Frenchman Mickael Barzalona, who kept his nose in front to win the race. Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, died earlier this year and his daughter and now owner of Calandagan Princess Zahra, said afterwards the horse was "unstoppable" and is "really coming in to his own". (Production: Simon Ormiston)

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