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Home , Advertise (horse), Anapurna (horse), British Champions Day, Capri (horse), Coronet (horse), Dermot Weld

British Champions Day Saturday 19th October

1 - Saturday 19th October

The ninth edition of QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on They feature many of the top sprinters, milers, middle-distance Saturday has attracted another sparkling cast of equine stars. and staying horses in training in Britain, Ireland and beyond.

Britain’s richest raceday, which boasts prize-money of well over No fewer than 22 Group 1 winners, with 42 Group 1 wins between £4million, has drawn 84 declared runners for its six races. them, are set to line up. Here’s our guide to the action.

1.35pm (BST) QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (1200m)

Eight Group 1 winners clash in the opening contest, with the last three “I think that he likes being able winners of this race - Sands Of Mali (2018), Librisa Breeze (2017) and to get into a race in his own time, The Key Trends The Tin Man (2016) – all back for more. rather than put the gun to his head early. I always thought he wanted High-drawn horses have fared notably well in the The Tin Man will be running better ground but he handles soft eight runnings of this race, in the race for the fifth ground as well as anybody else with five winners coming successive year and his and lot of his relations it.” from stalls 10 upwards and trainer, , horses drawn 12 and 14 both said: “He wasn’t at his best , the mount of Frankie making the frame regularly. in it last year when he Dettori, was winning his third Group probably feeling the effects of 1 race when winning in France last Cape Byron bounced back to form to win over track and his previous run at Haydock time by a neck from Brando, having trip last time and his record but he’s fit and fresh heading into it this time. Their coats are going this earlier won the Commonwealth at the track now reads ‘111’. time of the year and you never quite know, but he seems really well. Cup at Royal Ascot.

Paul Mulrennan’s verdict 1-2-3: A tricky start to a great day’s racing, but THE TIN MAN was a bit unlucky when he stumbled coming out of the stalls last time and we know how 1. The Tin Man well he is capable of running in this race. I’ve got a soft spot forBRANDO, 2. Brando one of the Yorkshire challengers, and I can see him running really well at a big price too. 3. Advertvise

2.10pm (BST) QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) (3100m)

Outstanding stayer will face nine rivals when he attempts Gosden also runs Royal Line, who to retain his QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup crown. was making it five wins from nine The Key Trends races when landing the Group 3 Older horses have an The -trained on his latest outing. outstanding record in this five-year-old scooped last race against their juniors, year’s renewal and has not An intriguing new rival for with 12 of the last 17 lost a race since finishing Stradivarius is , the winners aged five or older. a close third to Order Of St fluent 2018 St Leger winner. He was George in the 2017 running. runner-up in the Irish equivalent last An inside draw has proved He extended his winning time, having previously been second an asset with five of the eight winners of this contest sequence to 10 when cruising to in the Investec Coronation since the creation of British home ahead of Cleonte Cup. Aidan O’Brien, his trainer, also Champions Day having come and Max Dynamite in the runs , the 2017 St Leger winner, out of stalls two, three or four. last month. and South Pacific.

Paul Mulrennan’s verdict 1-2-3: It’s almost impossible to see how the winning sequence of STRADIVARIUS won’t be extended to 11 victories here. The combination of his proven 1. Stradivarius stamina and his mighty turn of foot will continue to make him hard to beat, 2. Withhold for as long as he wants to keep going out and doing it. If you’re playing the Exacta, take the enormous WITHHOLD to chase him home. 3. Kew Gardens

1 British Champions Day - Saturday 19th October

2.45pm QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) (2300m)

Fresh from a fabulous four- and hopefully it stays soft because timer on the Dubai Future the formbook says that suits her. The Key Trends Champions Day programme She’s very under-raced and I’m last weekend, Ralph hopeful there is a bit more to come. This has not been a race is hoping the lightly-raced She goes there nice and fresh.” for shocks in recent years, with nine of the last 11 Antonia De Vega may be winners returned at odds able to upstage Classic John Gosden, who could be of 6/1 or shorter. winners and Star crowned 2019 trainer Catcher. in Britain if his day goes well, runs Aidan O’Brien bids to Anapurna, Sparkle Roll and Star win this race for the third Antonia De Vega’s only defeat in three starts last year came when she Catcher. Anapurna, a daughter of consecutive season and finished lame in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket. This year, she has , won the Investec Oaks in saddles a total of four runners. Fleeting has raced only once, when running out an easy winner at Newbury in June. June and secured another Group 1 solid Group 1 form in the prize in France earlier this month. book and looks a solid “She’s had a stop-start year but did a racecourse gallop last week and win and place bet. that went to plan,” Beckett said this week. “She’s been training well

Paul Mulrennan’s verdict 1-2-3: John Gosden and Aidan O’Brien are battling it out for the trainers’ championship this season and both look to have a very strong hand in 1. this line-up. FLEETING keeps running well and she should be in the mix 2. Fleeting again, but she doesn’t win very often and I just prefer ’s raider TARNAWA, who won very well at The Curragh last time. 3.

3.20pm Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1) (Sponsored By QIPCO) (Straight course) (1600m) The Key Trends Godolphin trainer bids to land a first British His previous exploits include a win at Champions Day success since 2013 when he saddles globetrotting five- Royal Ascot and Group 1 triumphs in French-trained horses year-old here. Dubai, German and . With an have taken this contest official rating of 126, he is among the twice in the last five A classy performer, highest-rated horses in the world. years and , trained by Benbatl signed off last year Francis Graffard, looks a strong when chasing home the Aidan O’Brien has saddled the QEII contender having won legendary Australian mare winner three times in the past decade – eight of his 10 starts. Winx in the Ladbrokes Cox via (2009), Excelebration Plate and re-emerged, (2012) and (2016) – and this Proven top-quality 11 months later, to time he relies on , who performers win this race, comprehensively defeat landed the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at with 15 of the last 17 King Of Comedy and Newmarket in May before suffering a scorers having already won at least at Group 2 Happy Power in the Group hamstring injury when fifth in the Irish level. Eight of those were 2 Shadwell at equivalent three weeks later. He has sent off favourite. Newmarket last month. been absent since.

Paul Mulrennan’s verdict 1-2-3: Some fascinating contenders in this line-up, none more so MAGNA GRECIA, who has been missing for most of the season. You have to think that he must 1. Magna Grecia have been showing Aidan O’Brien good signs at home for him to bring him 2. Century Dream back at this late stage of the year, so I’ll give him a chance. CENTURY DREAM is another one to look at closely at a price as he comes back from a break. 3. The Revenant

1 British Champions Day - Saturday 19th October

4.00pm QIPCO (Group 1) (2000m)

Without the amazing to contend with, could take Stakes and the winner of Group advantage with a deserved first success in one of the biggest races of 1 races in France on her past two The Key Trends the season in Europe and the most valuable 2000m contest of its ? starts. The Champion Stakes is The winner of the Gold Deirdre has already provided one of the few elite contests never won before by Cup and this race 12 months, Magical with a notable victory in Magical’s trainer Aidan has three times in the interim had to Britain this year and will seek to O’Brien. He also saddles settle for finishing second to Enable, cap her stay on these shores with a I Can Fly. In contrast, but she is a high-quality performer famous victory here. ’s trainer and , who would be a most worthy winner John Gosden and Frankie of this contest. Trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Trained by Mitsuri Hashida, Deirdre Dettori, bid to take this for son, Donnacha, battling it out for the is bound to attract much attention the third year running. jockeys’ championship title in Ireland, takes the mount. having become only the second Experience has proved horse trained in Japan, after Agnes key, with 16 of the last 17 Frankel won this race in 2012 on the final start of his thrilling career, World in the of 2000, to winners having scored at and for the past two years one of his sons, , has been win a Group 1 race in Britain when least eight times previously a runaway winner. John Gosden, the trainer of Cracksman, runs beating Mehdaayih in the Qatar before victory here. Mehdaayih, herself a daughter of Frankel, plus Coronet, placed in at Goodwood in the past two renewals of the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares August.

Paul Mulrennan’s verdict 1-2-3: The ground could prove key to this contest, with Ascot having already moved the race to the inner course in search of a better surface. If the 1. Magical weather remains dry, that will definitely help DEIRDRE, who struggles to act on soft ground. ButMAGICAL might just have the more adaptability of 2. Deirdre the pair and she doesn’t seem to know how to run a bad race. 3. Coronet

4.40pm Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored By QIPCO) (Straight course) (1600m)

Impressive winner heads the 20 Amedeo Modigliani, one of two declared runners for Europe’s most valuable 1600m handicap. Aidan O’Brien-trained runners, was The Key Trends having only his fifth start when a He is trained by John Gosden, close fourth in a Listed race at Cork Limited evidence to go on with only five previous who also runs Kick On, who this month. The colt will be renewals, but all five winners landed the Group 3 Tattersalls running in a handicap for the first were drawn 10 or lower Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury time alongside Dunkirk Harbour. which could be considered on his latest start. a negative for Lord North in David O’Meara won the 2017 stall 20. Kynren, trained by David Balmoral with subsequent Group 1 Barron, gained reward for his winner Lord Glitters and his squad The betting market has consistency when landing the of three runners include last year’s tended to get it right, with four of the five winners priced bet365 Challenge Cup at Ascot this month and will be joined in the line- runner-up, Escobar. at 8/1 or less, despite the up by stablemate Clon Coulis, runner-up in this year’s . contest’s wide-open nature.

Paul Mulrennan’s verdict FLAMING SPEAR is a horse to keep an eye on here. He is a slightly 1-2-3: enigmatic character, who can take a fierce hold, but this kind of contest 1. Flaming Spear could bring out the best in him and a little bit of ease in the ground isn’t a negative. Clon Coulis is drawn on the opposite side of the track but also 2. Clon Coulis worth considering. 3. Kynren

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