Calandagan and Economics primed for Champion Stakes battle

Calandagan and Economics will engage in what promises to be a captivating clash for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

It is a measure of the strength of the final all-aged Group One of the British Flat season that Irish Derby hero and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe third Los Angeles is only third best in a market dominated by Francis-Henri Graffard’s French raider and a horse William Haggas holds in the highest regard.

Calandagan edges it on official ratings, having backed up his brilliant victory in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot by finishing best of the rest behind City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International.

The Aga Khan-owned gelding has enjoyed a short break since that late-August effort and Graffard is delighted with his condition as he looks to follow in the hoofprints of recent French-trained Champion Stakes victors Cirrus Des Aigles (2011), Almanzor (2016) and Sealiway (2021).

“I’m very happy with Calandagan, he’s in very good form and ready to defend his chance on Saturday,” said Graffard

“The soft ground shouldn’t be an issue for him and I couldn’t be happier with him, so now we need a bit of luck in running.”

Calandagan is owned by the Aga Khan, who has previously won the race with Vayrann (1981) and Kalanisi (2000).

“We’re looking forward to it and Calandagan is very well,” said Georges Rimaud, manager of the Aga Khan Studs in France.

“It’s good to give them a break and I believe he has come back well and has worked very well, so we are very happy and we’ll see what will happen.

“I understand they have moved the course to the track with the smaller straight, so it’s going to be acceptable ground I believe.

“Of course, Economics is a very good horse, but it’s a Champion Stakes and you’ve got to be a champion (to win it), so it’s a good thing that there are good horses in there.”

Behind City Of Troy, Economics has been the breakout star of the 2024 Flat season.

Unbeaten in all four runs, he has won the Dante, a Group Two in France and confirmed his place at the top table when beating Auguste Rodin and Los Angeles in the Irish Champion Stakes.

Haggas resisted the temptation to run him in the Derby, despite his six-length win in the key trial at York, and in landing the Irish Champion Stakes – sponsored by the owner of Economics – it is hard to say the decision has not been vindicated.

The trainer said: “I think he’ll be OK on the ground because I think he’s very versatile, but it will be on the top of the list of excuses if it all goes wrong, I suppose.

“As hard as it is to miss the Derby, the relief of winning the Bahrain race on Champions Day in Ireland meant that possibly we had made the right decision.

“It was a very tough race and a very strong race. It’s a very complicated track is Leopardstown and I thought Tom (Marquand) was exceptional. He came in and said he’s a tough horse, as it was very messy. He asked a lot of him at various times and the horse didn’t let him down.”

While the Newmarket handler has no doubt his new stable star will stay a mile and a half in time, there was no great urge to run him in this year’s Arc.

“Only a fool would run him over anything else at the moment,” he said. “He’s run four times (this season) and three times over 10 furlongs – and he’s done very well.

“I think everyone who has watched him has come to the conclusion he might be just as effective over a mile and a half in time, he’ll go over that next year.

“Calandagan is obviously a very good horse and will be a danger to everyone. He has won over a mile and a half and I think he’ll need every inch of the trip, I think it will be very interesting.

“He’s a very smart horse, let’s hope they both get there and what will be, will be. He was very impressive at Ascot. I fancied our horse (Space Legend) in that race very much and he was binoculars away in second.”