40-1 shock! Jim Crowley and Anmaat fly home to deny French raider Calandagan in Champion Stakes

The Qipco Champion Stakes was billed as a showdown between Calandagan and Economics but it was Shadwell gelding Anmaat who earned the last laugh with a shock victory at 40-1 in the Group 1 contest.

Traffic issues plagued the feature contest at Ascot but the Owen Burrows-trained runner emerged from the pack to snatch victory from Calandagan, who suffered his own trouble in the charge for home when trapped on the rail. 

Economics was bidding to complete an unbeaten season and briefly hit the front under Tom Marquand, but the three-year-old was soon brushed aside by the fast-finishing winner and came home in sixth, while Royal Rhyme held on for third from Iresine. 

"He's unbelievable," winning jockey Jim Crowley told Racing TV. "He's always gone under the radar. It was touch and go whether he'd run in this race, and we came here to finish third or fourth behind Economics and Calandagan. To go and do what he did, it's great.

"The first half went perfectly as I wanted to sit third or fourth and give myself an option, but I could see early on Los Angeles wasn't taking Ryan [Moore] on at all. When we turned into the straight I had horses on my outside keeping me in and we just had to try and work our way through. We just got completely stopped, there was no option b or c at the time. We were just stuck, but when he got the gap it was extraordinary the way he picked up."

Jim Crowley punches the air after winning the Champion StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

The half-length success was the second win at Group 1 level for Anmaat following his victory in last year's Prix d'Ispahan and cemented a remarkable recovery for the six-year-old, having been considered for retirement following a injury last year.

Crowley said: "I thought he'd win the Eclipse against Paddington, I was convinced he'd win, and he went wrong the day before. It looked like he'd never race again, it was in that much doubt. The vets and everyone at Shadwell have done a wonderful job to get him back.

"This year has been a bit slow for me. I'm used to having these big winners all the time, and this is my first Group 1 this year. To do it on a horse who has come back from injury, who they said would never race again, is great. Owen has done this with Hukum as well. It's a brilliant comeback."

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