It’s the culmination of the British Flat season at Ascot on Saturday afternoon as they host the prestigious Qipco British Champions Day meeting.
The six-race offering from the Berkshire layout features four Group 1 races with the very best horses, jockeys and trainers competing for £4 million in prize money, making this Britain’s richest race day.
It’s also billed as Frankie Dettori’s farewell to British racing, although with a move to America in the pipeline, it’s not quite the final curtain call for the Italian rider.
Enda McElhinney has analysis and selections for the big races at Ascot on Champions Day.
1.15 - Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2, 2m)
Coltrane is more than capable on his day but might want faster ground, while Trawlerman was third in this race last year and returns after netting easy catches at Salisbury and Newmarket recently.
He’s got aims to be involved for Dettori and the Gosden yard – who also saddle improving 4YO Sweet William, who was second in the Ebor and the Doncaster Cup on his last two starts.
Kyprios was all-conquering in 2022, his six-race winning sequence including the Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger and a 20-length romp in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp.
He missed 344 days prior to finishing second to Eldar Eldarov at the Curragh last month and will need to build on that to stop TRUESHAN winning this for the fourth year in a row. Alan King’s star was seemingly on the wane early in the season but has roared back with wins in the Doncaster Cup and Prix du Cadran at Longchamp. He has optimal conditions now and should be hard to topple under Hollie Doyle.
1.50 - Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1, 6f)
Another returning champion here in Kinross, successful in this 12 months ago but widely regarded as a 7f specialist. He shed one crown in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp recently but should put up a stern defence back at Ascot.
Run To Freedom was second in this a year ago, while Rohaan (fourth) and Vadream (sixth) are also back for another go at the prize. Sandrine has been back to her best of late and is closely matched with Kinross on their York meeting in August. She should be thereabouts again for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy having won since at Doncaster.
SENSE OF DUTY was attempting to defy a 455-day absence at Newbury last month and ran a perfectly acceptable third in that Group 3 event over 5f. Her best form is over this trip and she’s one of the least exposed in this field. She might have a big run in her for William Haggas and Tom Marquand.
2.25 - Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1, 1m4f)
A wide open renewal of the Fillies & Mares’ Stakes in which Free Wind is likely to spearhead the betting for the Dettori/Gosden axis. She looked good on her comeback at York in May but hasn’t won since. She went close in the Yorkshire Oaks on penultimate start but comes here after a laboured effort in the Arc less than three weeks ago.
Rising in trip, Jackie Oh has the potential to go well for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, while Sweet Memories is very low-mileage and an interesting one under Hollie Doyle – also for Team Gosden – having finished second to Time Lock at Newmarket last time.
Terms Of Endearment could be improving and threaten the places for Henry de Bromhead with testing conditions a plus but BLUESTOCKING gets the nod.
The Camelot filly looked unlucky in the Irish Oaks in the summer and then didn’t get a clear run in the Yorkshire Oaks next time. She was surprisingly beaten since at Chester in a Listed race but still leaves the impression she’s got a bigger effort in her. She handles soft going and represents a trainer and jockey in cracking form in Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan.
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3.05 - Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1, 1m)
A belting renewal of the QEII despite late defection of Inspiral on account of the soft ground.
Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket this term, while Tahiyra was agonisingly denied in the opening Fillies’ Classic at HQ but made amends in the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Since that, Dermot Weld’s filly has added a pair of Group 1s via the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend last month.
That Newmarket defeat in May is the only setback in her career and she cannot be overlooked easily, but PADDINGTON is a rare talent and might have her measure.
The Siyouni colt started in a handicap at Naas this season off a mark of 97 and has progressed in some style to win four Group 1s including the St James’s Palace at Royal Ascot, the Eclipse at Sandown and the Sussex at Goodwood. He cut out his own running in that race and motored home on testing ground and his subsequent Juddmonte defeat at York is easily forgiven as it was his seventh run of a busy sequence. Freshened up since, he can stamp his class on this occasion in what might be a one-two for Ireland.
Nashwa was in front of Paddington at York in August and has run cracking races in Group 1 company three times since she won the Falmouth at Newmarket in July over this trip. She drops back in distance now and might have a key supporting role once more.
3.45 - Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1, 1m2f)
Bay Bridge was the party-popper as Baaeed met with defeat in this race 12 months ago and Sir Michael Stoute’s returning champion has plenty in his favour despite being winless on turf since. He won last month’s September Stakes at Kempton without fuss and has run a fair race since in the Arc.
He will have his supporters and won’t mind the conditions being testing.
French raiders have a super record in this race and Horizon Dore is on a winning streak now, the Prix Dollar winner commands lots of respect, as does the improving Royal Rhyme for trainer Karl Burke.
King Of Steel was only beaten a length in a strong renewal of the Irish Champion Stakes last month (with Point Lonsdale back in sixth) and doesn’t have any of the front three to contend with now.
Roger Varian’s Wootton Bassett colt is high on the shortlist and who would put it past Dettori to win this race for the third time on what may be his final attempt?
MOSTAHDAF is 2-2 this season in Britain, a commanding winner of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and then doing it from the front in the Juddmonte International at York. A strongly run race at this trip is optimal and he does have winning soft-ground form. He is perhaps the one that’s being overlooked and, a year on from the heartache on Baaeed, maybe he can deliver for Jim Crowley as the decorated pilot seeks a first Champion Stakes win.
