Saturday 19th October 2024
1.20 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup: Champions Day gets underway at 1.20 on Saturday with the Group 2 Long Distance Cup over a mile and seven and a half furlongs. It’s hard to get away from Kyprios in this who heads the betting for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, he’s taken everything before him in the staying division this season and will take all the beating, I think he’ll win and make amends for his narrow defeat in the race to Trawlerman last year. I have had an each-way play in this race also, and that’s Al Nayyir for Tom Clover and Luke Morris. He’s been a great servant to his yard and looked very impressive when winning a Listed event at Newmarket last month by eight lengths. That success also came on soft ground and I think he’s the one who could give the favourite most to think about. Kyprios – 4/5 (Win) & Al Nayyir – 7/1 (Each-Way)
1.55 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes: Next up it’s the 1.55 which is the Group 1 Champion Sprint Stakes that’s contested over a distance of six furlongs. I like the chances of Montassib in this particular affair for the team of William Haggas and Cieren Fallon. He was last seen when winning the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock back in September and already has the beating of Kinross this season when winning the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle back in June. He should get the ideal setup here and won’t have any issues with the suspected soft ground, if he gets some luck in the run he’s got a big chance of landing another big one. Montassib – 11/2 (Each-Way) (NB) (5 places – Paddy Power & Betfred)
2.35 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes: The third race of the afternoon is the Group 1 Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over a mile and three and a half furlongs. I’ve tried my hand with two each-way plays here at decent prices, with the first of these coming in the form of Queen Of The Pride for John & Thady Gosden who’s the mount of Oisin Murphy. I was a big fan of her earlier in the season when winning a Group 3 and Group 2 at Haydock, the latter being the Lancashire Oaks. Her latest effort in the Yorkshire Oaks clearly wasn’t her running, and I still believe she retains signficant potential. My other selection is Time Lock for Harry Charlton and Rossa Ryan, she bounced back to form with a five-length success on soft ground in the Group 3 Dubai Stakes at Newmarket last month, and I think she’s definitely got enough ability to play a meaningful role in this. Queen Of The Pride – 8/1 (Each-Way) & Time Lock – 10/1 (Each-Way) (Sky Bet – 5 places)
3.15 Ascot: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes: We move onto the QEII Stakes at 3.15 which is Group 1 action over the straight mile and is a race with an illustrious back catalgoue of winners. Last year’s race was won by a French raider in Big Rock and I’m going with more of the same this time around with Facteur Chevel for Jerome Reynier and Maxim Guyon. He comes into the race off the back of a light campaign, winning the Group 1 Dubai Turf before finishing sixth at the Royal Meeting here in the Queen Anne and then finally third of five in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood when he was last seen in July. This race has clearly been the target for him and he should relish the testing ground. He’s got some very smart form to his name, including when second in this race last year. Facteur Cheval – 9/1 (Each-Way)
3.55 Ascot: Qipco Champion Stakes: The penultimate race of the afternoon is the feature contest in the Champion Stakes at 3.55 over a mile and two furlongs. I think that this can go to another French runner in the form of Calandagan for Francis-Henri Graffard and Stephane Pasquier. He was a very impressive six-length winner of the Group 2 King Edward VI Stakes at the Royal Meeting here in June before posting another equally as impressive effort in the Juddmonte International when finishing a length second to City Of Troy. He’s another that should relish the conditions and he looks like a very serious animal for connections. I think he can really put it to Economics here and it should be a huge showdown. Calandagan – 13/8 (Win) (NAP)
4.35 Ascot: Balmoral Handicap: Concluding the day’s action will be the 4.35 which is the only handicap on the day in the Balmoral Handicap, a Class 2 affair over a mile. As is the case with the majority of Ascot handicaps, this is extremely competitive. I’m taking a chance on Bopedro though for David O’Meara and Danny Tudhope. He ran well here off the same mark last time out when finishing third of eighteen behind Volterra, and finished fourth in this race last year off a six-pound higer mark. He’s also won off higher in the past and is no stranger to these big-field handicaps, if getting some luck in the run he can go well here for a yard who have a fine record in the race. Bopedro – 11/1 (Each-Way) (Sky Bet – 7 Places)
