Qipco Champions Day 2020 - Tips
- Matchday FM
- Oct 16, 2020
- 7 min read
The curtain comes down on what has been the shortest season in flat racing history at Ascot, with the annual six-race card for Qipco Champions Day.
The flat season normally starts at the end of March, but had to wait until June to get underway with all the COVID restrictions.
There are four Group 1s, a Group 2 and a mightily competitive handicap in store, and our Matchday FM racing regulars Harry Reynolds, Ben Wignall and Joseph Richardson have cast their eye over the card.
13.20 – Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2)
Harry Reynolds – Even money or thereabouts on STRADIVARIUS against this field seems like an early Christmas present. His three defeats this term have all been over distances well short of his optimum, and no one will ever forget his extraordinary performance at Royal Ascot earlier this season. Trainer John Gosden has said he barely had more than a racecourse gallop in the Arc, and he is streets clear on ratings. Regardless of what he does here, it is excellent newsthat he will stay in training to go for a fourth Gold Cup next season too. Of the remainder, I fancy Fujaira Prince to reverse the form with Search For A Song from the Irish St Leger as he steps up to this distance for the first time.
Ben Wignall - This race will all depend on how STRADIVARIUS has come out of his race in the Arc. He’s back to a trip he knows well here, but was outbattled in this race last year by Kew Gardens. I feel like he should win this though, providing the Arc didn’t take too much out of him. Rapid improver Fujaira Prince is looking to make his pattern class breakthrough and Pierre-Charles Boudot is definitely an interesting booking on Ballydoyle’s Dawn Patrol.
Joseph Richardson - Despite being beaten in this race 12 months ago, STRADIVARIUS looks bulletproof here back over the staying distance. A wide draw in the Arc coupled with a slowly ran affair was exactly not what this horse needed, and I am throwing that run straight out. In terms of the ground, it is easy to forget that before he served up his career best display in the Ascot Gold Cup, there were fears as to whether he could act on soft ground. Those myths were dispelled in emphatic fashion back in June and anything close to that will see off the opposition here.
13.55 – Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1)
HR – Despite being gelded after last year’s disastrous performance in this race, I cannot have Dream Of Dreams. He’s finished second last in this race in the last two seasons, and I’d much rather take a chance on OXTED, who hasn’t been seen since a hugely impressive performance in winning the July Cup. He hasn’t raced on ground this testing before but his pedigree suggests it will be no issue, and he’s got the best form in the race.
BW - DREAM OF DREAMS only beat one horse home in this race last year, but was gelded afterwards and he’s gone from strength-to-strength since. A second in the Diamond Jubilee in Royal Ascot, and wins in the Hungerford Stakes and the Haydock Sprint Cup put Sir Michael Stoute’s horse as a deserved favourite. Starman is an interesting horse in this race though, with Ed Walker’s three-year-old unbeaten in three starts and defeating the game Dakota Gold at York last time out.
JR - The favourite Dream Of Dreams has stepped up to another level this season after being gelded and has proved himself as a benchmark group 1 performer. But ART POWER is a cracking each way price and runs back at Ascot again where he put up one of the visual performances of the season in a 5f handicap. He may well have done his best work earlier in the campaign, but Silvestre De Sousa is in sparkling form and the horse doesn’t seem to mind the testing conditions.
14.30 – Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1)
HR – Not one of the strongest Group 1s you’ll ever watch. It’s tough to see DAME MALLIOT not winning this, given she’s been freshened up after an excellent third in France last month. She was a length in front of Wonderful Tonight that day, who I fear may be better over a longer trip. It would be amazing for Hollie Doyle to cap an incredible season with a first Group 1.
BW - This looks a very open race with Magical going for the Champion Stakes instead. The market leader Wonderful Tonight was impressive in winning the Prix de Royallieu and gets weight from a lot of the field here, but DAME MALLIOT was just three lengths behind Prix de l’Opera winner Tarnawa last time out, and she gets the nod for me. It would represent a huge first Group 1 victory for Hollie Doyle, and a last big win for Ed Vaughan, who bows out of the training game this year.
JR - I see DAME MALLIOT as the most likely winner here, which would give Hollie Doyle a well-deserved maiden Group 1. She was able to finish ahead of her main market rival Wonderful Tonight in the Prix Vermeille, despite her rival receiving six pounds. The latter will receive that weight again, but Ed Vaughan’s filly comes into this the fresher of the two with Wonderful Tonight having run just two weeks ago on Arc weekend.
15.05 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1)
HR – If PALACE PIER fails to continue his unbeaten record here it will be the shock of the day. He’s proven on the track and on the ground, and is still an incredibly exciting horse, and still relatively lightly raced. The Revenant was very impressive on his return to action after a year out at the Arc meeting but failed to land the spoils when well-fancied in this race on testing ground a year ago. It’s been a long season for Nazeef but it would be great to see her run well against the colts, and she will love the ground and won at Royal Ascot this season.
BW - It would be silly to go against PALACE PIER here considering he’s the champion European miler this season and he’s already won on heavy ground at Deauville. He trounced Circus Maximus that day and his most interesting opponent here is The Revenant, who was second in this race to King Of Change last year and is a mudlark himself. I’ve no doubt Pierre-Charles will serve it up to Frankie, but there’s only one winner for me and that’s John Gosden’s star three-year-old.
JR - Everything about PALACE PIER oozes class and the way John Gosden has nurtured him through the season just shows the genius of the man. The majestic way he moved past Pinatubo in the St. James’ Palace and then how he saw off the field in testing ground at Deauville was equally as impressive. In the spirit of the day, this is a true champion in the making and I really do hope that he is kept in training. There is also some decent each way value here in the form of Century Dream for Simon & Ed Crisford.
15.40 - Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1)
HR – What a race this is set up to be. There are seven Group/Grade 1 winners in here, and that is the same number of Group 1s that MAGICAL has won alone. She is firmly out of Enable’s shadow over the 1m2f trip, and considering she was due to be retired before this season it has been a remarkable campaign. She’s won three Group 1s and been placed in another, lowering the colours of Ghaiyyath in the Irish Champion Stakes last time out, and she won this race from Addeybb last year. While Mishriff looks exciting, his form is certainly not, and Magical is just the best horse in here. Skalleti beat subsequent Arc winner Sottsass two starts back and won again two weeks ago, and he can bring up the forecast ahead of Prince of Wales’ Stakes winner Lord North.
BW - Japan, Addeybb and Lord North all clash again in a Prince of Wales’ Stakes rematch, but added to proceedings are French raider Skalleti, Prix du Jockey Club winner Mishriff and the Irish wonder-mare MAGICAL. A seven-time Group 1 winner, Magical lowered the colours of the mighty Ghaiyyath at Leopardstown last month and I think she is great value, especially when you consider the quality of horses Mishriff has beaten isn’t much.
JR – I am delighted that MAGICAL is now being recognised for the superstar she is, having had to play second fiddle to Enable for most of her career. She has always been the ultimate yard stick in middle distance Group 1s, but her defeat of Ghaiyyath at Leopardstown was arguably her finest triumph under a marvellous ride from Seamie Heffernan. I am confident she will see off Mishriff and I will be backing a repeat of last year’s 1-2 in this race with Addeybb in second.
16.15 - Balmoral Handicap
HR – Having bolted up by five lengths at Ascot off a mark of 97 last time, and on soft going too, RAAEQ looks like a good thing here. He could be significantly better than his 103 rating, although this is a hugely competitive race as always. Course specialist Raising Sand will love conditions and could be a decent shout to hit the frame, while Ropey Guest has been competing right at the top level this season and is a huge price. However, Raaeq does appear to be the proverbial Group horse lurking in a handicap.
BW - BELL ROCK has been there or thereabouts in big handicaps this season, and he’s on the same mark as his third-placed finish in the Cambridgeshire a couple of weeks ago. I can imagine him going off shorter than the 12/1 he is now and represents some good value for Oisin Murphy and Andrew Balding.
JR – I have to say that it is difficult to make a case against Raeeq being very well handicapped for this and was a very impressive winner over 7f at Ascot last time out. But the price has gone and it would be lazy of me to not to find any value bets in the field. ORBAAN I believe is capable of being that. He was fourth last time at Ascot behind Tempus but had to give away a stone to the eventual winner. He has gone down 5lb and is now down to an attractive mark and what with a stand side draw along with Danny Tudhope in the saddle, he will do for me.
Selections
Harry Reynolds
13.20 Stradivarius 11/10
13.55 Oxted 13/2
14.30 Dame Malliot 9/2
15.05 Palace Pier 4/6
15.40 Magical 7/4
16.15 Raaeq 9/2
Ben Wignall
13.20 Stradivarius 11/10
13.55 Dream Of Dreams 9/4
14.30 Dame Malliot 9/2
15.05 Palace Pier 4/6
15.40 Magical 7/4
16.15 Bell Rock 12/1
Joseph Richardson
13.20 Stradivarius 11/10
13.55 Art Power 10/1
14.30 Dame Malliot 9/2
15.05 Palace Pier 4/6
15.40 Magical 7/4
16.15 Orbaan 12/1
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