Qipco British Champions Day
Venue: Ascot Racecourse Date: Saturday 20 October Coverage: Commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live Race times: 13:25-16:30 BST (Champion Stakes 15:50)

Cracksman successfully defended the Champion Stakes as trainer John Gosden claimed a treble at Ascot.

Frankie Dettori surged clear on the 5-6 favourite, son of the legendary Frankel and in blinkers for the first time.

Sir Michael Stoute's Crystal Ocean finished six lengths back in second, with outsider Subway Dancer third.

Gosden also triumphed with Roaring Lion - who won a fourth Group One in securing the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - and Stradivarius in the first race.

In the QEII Stakes, Oisin Murphy produced Roaring Lion to challenge in the centre of the course and the 2-1 favourite defied the soft ground to hit the front in the final furlong.

I Can Fly finished strongly and was only a neck down at the line, while Century Dream was half-length away in third place.

Gosden said: "Oisin said he hated the ground. That is no-one's fault, it is very deep. He won on fast ground at Leopardstown and he is probably a good ground, good to firm ground horse.

"He showed his class and I thought the jockey showed his class, as he did not panic. He could have panicked at the two and thrown everything at it, but he nursed him and got him there.

"He has never missed a dance and I think he will go to stud. I think that was his swansong and he will be greatly missed."

Dettori triumphs on Stradivarius

Dettori steered Stradivarius to a fifth victory of the season in the opening Long Distance Cup after dramatically stealing a narrow inside gap on the rail from Ryan Moore on Flag of Honour.

The evens favourite then had to see off the challenge Thomas Hobson to maintain his unbeaten record in 2018 for Gosden.

Dettori was given a three-day suspension by stewards for careless riding after switching to the rail in front of the runner-up in closing stages.

Dettori celebrates on Stradivarius, who won won the Gold Cup at Ascot earlier in the year

Moore triumphed aboard Magical (5-1) in the Fillies and Mares Stakes for trainer Aidan O'Brien, ahead of Coronet and Lah Ti Dar.

O'Brien indicated the winner may go to the Breeders' Cup meeting in the United States next month.

The 28-1 shot Sands Of Mali, trained by John Gosden, claimed the Sprint Stakes under a bold front-running ride from Paul Hanagan.

Harry Angel, a two-time Group One winner, finished second for the fourth time at Ascot and has yet to win in six races at the track.

Since 2011, the six-card British Champions Day meeting has been held at Ascot each October, acting as the end-of-season highlight fixture of British Flat Racing.

It is the richest raceday in the country, with £4.35m of prize money on offer this year.

Qipco Champions Day winners

All the results

13:25 Stradivarius (John Gosden/Frankie Dettori) Evens

14:00 Sands of Mali (Richard Fahey/Paul Hanagan) 28-1

14:40 Magical (Aidan O'Brien/Frankie Dettori) 5-1

15:15 Roaring Lion (John Gosden/Oisin Murphy) 2-1

15:50 Cracksman (John Gosden/Frankie Dettori) 5-6

More to follow.