Saturday 21st October 2023
Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing_)
Welcome aboard to this week’s Saturday Preview which comes from Ascot as it’s the finale of the flat season with Champions Day taking centre-stage. I’ve got selections for all six races that are set to take place on the day, so, as ever, if you are punting make sure to do so in a responsible manner.
1.15: Long Distance Cup: We kick things off at 1.15 with the Group 2 Long Distance Cup which is contested over a distance of two miles. I think that this year’s renewal of the race can go to Kyprios who currently heads the betting for the team of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. He suffered a setback that has seen him out of action for the majority of the season until he returned to action when second behind Eldar Eldarov at the Curragh last month. That was a slightly underwhelming effort, however, it’s pretty much guaranteed he will progress considerably from that run and if we see him return to the levels of last year he’ll be incredibly tough to beat. He won’t mind testing ground either having won his maiden on a testing surface as well as when he bolted up in the Cadran. Kyprios – 5/4 (Win)
1.50: British Qipco Champions Sprint Stakes: The first Group 1 affair of the day comes up at 1.50 in the form of the Champion Sprint over six furlongs. Kinross heads the betting and will be a warm order and a popular selection with punters, however, I’ve tried to take him on with one at a bigger price and that’s Mill Stream at 9/1 for Jane Chapple-Hyam and William Buick. This is a horse who has progressed with each start this term and was most recently seen finishing sixth in the Sprint Cup at Haydock back in September, after winning two pattern races in France. The ground was probably a bit too quick for him at Haydock, and even then he ran a very solid race. I think there could well be a significant amount of progression yet to come from him and back on testing ground he’s definitely a live each-way player. Mill Stream – 9/1 (Each-Way)
2.25: Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: The 2:25 is the Champion Fillies & Mares contested, another Group 1 race which is this time ridden over a distance of a mile and four furlongs. I’m siding with Jackie Oh here who’s another representative of the powerhouse team of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. She was last seen when going close in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp on Arc Day when she was narrowly denied by Blue Rose Cen. Prior to that she was placed in Group 2 company at the Curragh and bolted up in a Gowran Park Group 3, she seems to save her best form for deep ground and it looks almost certain she’ll get that here. If she turns up in the same kind of form she was in last time out she should go very close. Jackie Oh – 4/1 (Win)
3.05: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: We’re set for a huge showdown at 3:05 with the QEII over the mile, and battling it out at the top of the betting are the Irish challengers in Paddington and Tahiyra, both fantastic animals who deserve their current positions in the market. I’ve actually sided with the French raider though in Big Rock who’s currently a 7/1 chance for Christopher Head and Aurelien Lemaitre. He actually went off favourite for the Prix du Jockey Club earlier in the favourite when finishing second to eventual Arc winner Ace Impact, and has since finished second in two further Group 1 contests. He botled up in a Group 3 contest earlier in the season and he’ll have no issue at all with soft ground, despite seemingly being on the go for a while he was given a mini-break during the summer and if some of these don’t handle the ground he could well have a big say. Big Rock – 7/1 (Each-Way)
3.45: Qipco Champion Stakes: The feature race of the day comes up at 3:45 which is the Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes over a mile and two furlongs. A race that has been won by some of the greatest horses to ever grace the turf in recent years, and whilst it doesn’t seem to be a vintage renewal this time around it’s still a competitive-looking affair. I’m going for another French runner here with Horizon Dore who currently heads the betting under Mickael Barzalona. He comes into the race having had a fantastic campaign, winning his last four outings which were all pattern races. Despite not yet claiming Group 1 success, he still looks to have more progression in him and I think he could take a lot of beating here. Horizon Dore – 10/3 (Win)
4.25: Balmoral Handicap: The sixth and concluding race of the afternoon is the Balmoral Handicap which is contested over the straight mile. I’ve had two picks in the twenty-runner here affair, the first of which comes in the form of Sonny Liston who’s currently trading at a best price of 7/1 for Ralph Beckett and Ryan Moore. He’s been highly tried in competitive handicaps and has often run well without winning with his most recent effort coming at Doncaster last month, where he went down by only a nose. He’s a big player on that form. My second pick is Migration at 9/1 for David Menuisier, he won the Lincoln on heavy ground back in April and has only had one run since. The majority of the line-up will be coming into the race on the back of long, hard seasons, whereas he’ll be fresh and on ground which he will relish. Sonny Liston 7/1 (Each-Way) & Migration 9/1 (Each-Way)
