About the race
The British Champions Long Distance Cup is run over two miles (3,200 metres) on turf at Ascot on British Champions Day in October, and is open to three-year-olds and upwards. Ascot announced in February 2025 that the race would be upgraded to Group 1, making Champions Day the first British raceday with five Group 1 races, and that its prize money would rise to £500,000. Wikipedia records that it began at Newmarket in 1873 as the Jockey Club Cup and moved to Ascot under its present name in 2011. Qatar Racing sponsors the 2026 running, set for Saturday 17 October.
The first Group 1 running, on 18 October 2025, was won by Trawlerman for Godolphin, trainers John and Thady Gosden and jockey William Buick, his second win in the race after 2023. Sweet William was second and Al Qareem third. The IFHA ranked it joint 83rd in the world for 2025.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 October 2025 | Trawlerman | William Buick | John & Thady Gosden | Godolphin |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Race day
- Qatar Racing British Champions Day, Saturday 17 October 2026, 1.30pm
- Group 1 since
- 2025
- Raceday owner
- British Champions Series Ltd; The Jockey Club is the majority shareholder
- 2026 early closing entries
- 38 (published 4 August 2026)
Questions readers ask
When is the British Champions Long Distance Cup run?
On British Champions Day at Ascot in October. The 2026 running is scheduled for Saturday 17 October 2026 at 1.30pm.
What is the prize fund of the British Champions Long Distance Cup?
£500,000 for the 2026 running, according to British Champions Day. It was raised to that level in 2025.
Who won the British Champions Long Distance Cup in 2025?
Trawlerman, ridden by William Buick and trained by John and Thady Gosden for Godolphin, won on 18 October 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- Race Information, British Champions Day
- Past results: The Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup 2025, British Champions Day
- Five Group 1 races, plus new £250,000 two-year-old race scheduled for QIPCO British Champions Day, Ascot Racecourse
- Qatar Racing to become title sponsor of British Champions Day, Ascot Racecourse
- British Champions Long Distance Cup, Wikipedia