British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday features a superb cast list sprinkled amongst its five simulcast races, with some of the world’s highest ranked thoroughbreds competing over distances between 1200m to 2392m.
The Champion Stakes (1993m) – which climaxes the four G1’s before Europe’s richest 1600m handicap – has been compared to the France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) with the best horses meeting at the end of the season.
But unlike this year’s Arc – won by red-hot favourite Enable – it looks highly competitive though Enable’s stablemate Cracksman is undoubtedly one of the main contenders.
The three-year-old son of Frankel has stormed to runaway G2 victories at York and Chantilly on his last two starts before avoiding the Arc itself partly due to the fact that Frankie Dettori was committed to partner Enable.
Trainer John Gosden says: “Cracksman is in great form at home, and he’s still maturing and strengthening, much stronger than he was earlier in the season.”
However Gosden does sound several notes of warning: “He’s dropping down from 2400m, and is taking on older horses for the first time.” And when the brilliant Newmarket trainer adds: “I’m really excited about next year with him – anything he does this year is a bonus,” the impression could be drawn that there will be more hope than confidence resting on Cracksman’s strong shoulders for Saturday’s tough assignment.
Ulysses has already plundered Sandown’s Eclipse Stakes (1990m) and York’s Juddmonte International (2051m) in 2017 and add his Arc third – over a less favourable 2400m – to those G1’s and it is obvious why this tough and highly talented four-year-old son of Galileo – who has amassed an excellent portfolio of speed ratings – is nudging towards favouritism.
Nonetheless Barney Roy’s trainer Richard Hannon is openly plotting as to how to defeat Ulysses even though it’s two-nil in his rival’s favour so far.
Referring to Barney Roy’s third to Ulysses at York, Hannon says: “We got into a battle with Churchill about three furlongs from the end. Jim Crowley on Ulysses probably couldn’t believe his luck seeing us two fighting it out and waiting until we were knackered to go past.”
More patient tactics are clearly planned for Barney Roy. And he impressed with a 1300m workout against a fast lead-horse on Tuesday while other strong Champion Stakes contenders include dual G1 winner Brametot, quietly fancied to give Frenchman Jean-Claude Rouget a third Champion Stakes win including Almanzor last year.
Meanwhile Churchill is expected to be one of a powerful Aidan O’Brien team at Ascot as the trainer – with 24 G1 successes this year – closes down on the world record of 25 in a calendar year set by the great Californian-based trainer Bobby Frankel.
As usual the Ballydoyle stable is leaving it late regarding specific targets but six-times G1 winning moneyspinner Highland Reel – the 2015 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase victor – is expected to run in the Champion Stakes provided the ground does not turn soft.
There are, however, some worries on that front with rain on Thursday slightly easing the ground from Good, whilst more rain combined with strong winds are probable for Saturday itself.
Soft ground conditions are unlikely to worry certain Queen Elizabeth II Stakes favourite Ribchester who – despite a blip at Goodwood in August – keeps on delivering G1 prizes over 1600m, including in the Queen Anne Stakes over this straight mile at Royal Ascot in June.
Opposition to the Godolphin-owned, Richard Fahey-trained and William Buick-ridden four-year-old may come chiefly from three-year-old gelding Beat The Bank and three-year-old colt Al Wukair. Beat The Bank has emerged from under the radar to win his last three starts in runaway style and Al Wukair – trained by French ace Andre Fabre – has been brought along patiently and was in front when it mattered in Deauville’s prestigious Prix Jacques Le Marois, a G1 over the straight 1600m on his last start, in August.
The big name in the British Champions Sprint (1200m) is Harry Angel whose feats have been so exciting in recent months that he is currently the highest rated sprinter in the world. “His mind and body are in the right place for Saturday. We have him where we want him,” enthuses trainer Clive Cox.
