The unexpected twist at the end of the Champion Stakes on Saturday left Anmaat and Jim Crowley crossing the line in near-silence, having silenced the celebrations of the favorite-backers by overtaking Calandagan, the 6-4 market leader, just a few strides from the finish. For Crowley, it was a moment to cherish and a sound of a job well done, especially after the disappointment of his defeat on the heavily favored Baaeed in the same race two years ago.

Only two of the 11 runners in the race started at a higher price than Anmaat, who was a 40-1 outsider despite having won the Group One Prix D'Ispahan at Longchamp in May 2023 on his only previous start at the highest level. A lengthy injury layoff followed that victory, and although he won again at Haydock in August, a poor performance as the favorite in the Prix Dollar at Longchamp two weeks ago convinced most backers to look elsewhere. Yet Crowley was moving like the best horse in the race at the top of the straight. His challenge, as it was for Stephane Pasquier on Calandagan, was finding a way through, as the field remained tightly packed behind the pace set by Aidan O'Brien's two runners around Ascot's tight inner circuit.

Both riders performed minor miracles to conjure a run in the final quarter mile, and Calandagan's surge into the lead a furlong out seemed decisive, only for Crowley to deliver Owen Burrows's gelding with impeccable timing at the shadow of the post. "I got stuck behind [the Irish Derby winner] Los Angeles and I thought he'd be a great horse to take me into the race," Crowley said. "But then I could see Ryan [Moore] niggling and I knew I was in a bit of trouble."

"It just didn't open. I was looking left, right, where can I go? Then we switched inside and at the last minute, I saw the sniff of a gap and it was an extraordinary performance for him to do what he did on that ground." "It was no fluke. I honestly thought he'd win the [Group One] Eclipse two years ago but he went wrong the day before. The plan was to win the Prix Dollar and come here, and of course it didn't work out in France and it was 50-50 at the start of the week whether he was going to run. Obviously we kept him in and thank God we did, because it showed what we thought he could do."

Baaeed's defeat here at 1-4 two years ago, meanwhile, has clearly not been forgotten by his jockey. "I don't think I'll ever get over Baaeed getting beat, to be honest," Crowley said. "But it happens to the best horses, so many good ones get beat on this day, so it's lovely to finally get a win in the Champion Stakes."

Anmaat's win was a significant setback for the punters on Britain's richest day at the races, but they had several reasons to celebrate earlier on the card as Kyprios (8-11), in the Long Distance Cup, Kalpana (100-30), in the Fillies' & Mares' Stakes, and then Charyn, at 7-4 favorite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, all came home in front.

Charyn, who was a well-beaten 66-1 chance in the 2,000 Guineas in May 2023, has improved steadily since and will retire to stud in France – perhaps after one more race abroad – as the winner of three Group One races this season. "He's got everything, that horse," Roger Varian, the winning trainer, said. "He's just got such a good mentality for the game, and an engine to go with it. He is not wasting energy doing barn-storming gallops, but when he gets to the races, he's completely here."

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