British Champions Day at Ascot is now billed as the finale of the European Flat racing season and has been running for seven years. It is the richest raceday in the British racing calendar and some of the finest horses battle it out at the Berkshire track.
As the culmination of the QIPCO British Champions Series, this raceday features the end-of-season championship races for Ten-furlong horses (The Champion Stakes), Milers (The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes), Sprinters (six furlongs), Long distance horses (two miles) and Fillies and Mares (one mile and four furlongs).
Let’s take a look through some of the feature races next Saturday and who we can expect to see line up.
QIPCO Champions Sprint Stakes
Clive Cox is excited about the prospects for Harry Angel in the Champions Sprint Stakes.
The colt found Caravaggio too good in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June but turned the tables on him when taking the Darley July Cup at Newmarket before following up with a comprehensive win in the Sprint Cup on heavy ground at Haydock last time.
He is a 5/4 shot with us here at 888sport to extend his winning sequence on Champions Day, with Caravaggio 4/1 and The Tin Man next in the betting at 6/1.
“He’s come out of the Haydock race absolutely super and I’m very pleased with him,” Cox said. “The time scale between his races - from July Cup to Haydock, and then from there to Champions Day - is perfect and I’m less concerned about what the ground might be than I was before Haydock.
“Thankfully, he’s won his races very cosily and for that reason I hope we’ve been able to maintain a fairly healthy edge on him. Our biggest concern was going to the July Cup after Royal Ascot but that worked out fine”.
Other top-level scorers in the field are Karl Burke's Commonwealth Cup and Sprint Cup heroine of last year, Quiet Reflection (8/1), the James Fanshawe-trained The Tin Man, who won this race 12 months ago as well as the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot in June, and Limato (8/1) from the Henry Candy stable.
QIPCO Champion Stakes
One of the star attractions on Saturday afternoon will be the return of Cracksman who controversially swerved the Arc after some long discussions between John Gosden and Anthony Oppenheimer.
Gosden is confident his Qipco Champion Stakes hope Cracksman would have finished in the first three in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which he won with Enable.
Cracksman has clocked up Group 2 wins over a mile and a half on his latest two runs and will be dropping in trip for the first time since winning at Epsom, but Gosden seemed a little bit more concerned with other issues.
He said: "He's won over a mile and a quarter this year and is actually bred to be a miler, so we're hoping it works out. He's a stronger horse now, about 16lb or 17lb heavier than he was in April.
"We just hope we don't get another wide draw as that bend at Swinley Bottom comes at you pretty quickly and Jack Hobbs has had two bad trips around there already."
Sir Michael Stoute could hold all the aces as he sends out Poet’s Word and Ulysses.
Poet’s Word showed some top form when beaten only by Decorated Knight in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last time out.
Stoute said: "He goes for the Champion Stakes. He is in really good shape and he hasn't had a tough campaign. I hope the ground isn't too soft."
Poet's Word is 8/1 with us here at 888sport to land the Champion Stakes.
Stablemate Ulysses will take in this contest before returning to America for the Breeders' Cup Turf in which he finished fourth last year.
Ulysses won the Eclipse and Juddmonte International this season before finishing third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly.
"He has just come out of the Arc and we will just keep an eye on things," said Stoute.
"He is bouncing and he takes his racing very well."
QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Ribchester (5/2) heads a stellar cast for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over the straight mile.
The Godolphin-owned four-year-old, officially Europe’s best miler, has already won four Group One races for trainer Richard Fahey.
His opponents include Churchill (7/1), Barney Roy (10/1) and Al Wukair (7/1) who finished 1-2-3 in this year’s 2000 Guineas.
Andrew Balding is set to saddle the fast-improving Joel Stakes winner Beat The Bank (5/1), as well as Here Comes When (25/1), who surprisingly took the scalp of Ribchester in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
QIPCO Long Distance Cup
Big Orange and Order Of St George could clash once again in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Other hopefuls include John Gosden's Goodwood Cup winner Stradivarius, who has since finished a close third in the St Leger, and David Elsworth's Desert Skyline, who was third at Goodwood before winning the Doncaster Cup.
"He's come out of his win at Doncaster fine and we are looking forward to running him on Champions Day," said Elsworth.
Last year's winner Sheikhzayedroad has also been entered by David Simcock.
QIPCO Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes
French trainer Francis Graffard feels Bateel can cap off a fantastic season with victory in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Formerly trained by David Simcock, the five-year-old made the move to France before the start of this season, but did return to Britain to win the Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock in June.
Her rise to greatness continued when landing the Group Two Prix de Pomone at Deauville before Group One success in the Prix Vermeille at Chantilly and she is now set to raid these shores again for her Champions Day target.
Winter is one of 19 possible runners in the Fillies & Mares along with her stablemate Rhododendron - the Prix de l'Opera winner and last year's winner Journey and her stable mate Coronet.
You can find all our QIPCO British Champions Day markets here...
