British flat racing’s end of season “Champions” showpiece once again takes place at Ascot on Saturday in conditions more akin to the depths of winter over jumps. So testing is the ground expected to be that yet again the three round-course races, including the featured Qipco Champion Stakes, have been moved to the inner National Hunt track.
Despite that field sizes have held up with 16 Irish-trained hopefuls spread through six races worth almost €5 million in prize money. Nevertheless as a climax to the cross-channel season, and a shop window for the best British racing has to offer, conditions are hardly conducive to the sport showing itself off to maximum effect.
Having so much reliant on fluctuating weather in mid-October has been a thorny problem since the first British Champions Day in 2011, underlining the difference five weeks can make in comparison to last month’s Irish Champions Festival. It’s not like autumn rain is unknown at Leopardstown or the Curragh, but it’s never an odds-on shot as it is at Ascot.
This Saturday’s headline act links the “Champions” theme as Economics bids to complete the Irish-English Champion Stakes double. William Haggas’s star three-year-old lived up to his reputation in style with a gusty defeat of Auguste Rodin at Leopardstown, where he had the latter’s stable companion Los Angeles back in fourth.
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Subsequently third in the Arc, Aidan O’Brien gives Los Angeles a quick turnaround for a race he has won just once before, when Magical completed the Champion double in 2019.
Testing ground will suit Los Angeles who is joined by stable companion Continuous, another to have run in the Arc just 13 days previously.
As geldings both French hopes Calandagan and Iresine, weren’t allowed run in the Arc, a bias that many will believe could pay off for them now.
There’s little between Economics and Calandagan in betting lists but the French horse is officially top-rated after his admirable second to City Of Troy in York’s Juddmonte. The surface he faces at Ascot would hardly be more different to that Knavesmire experience but the Aga Khan’s hope has form on heavy too.
Three-year-olds dominate the betting but should it turn into a real slog a policy of the old dog for the hard road might apply. Iresine is the oldest in the race and boasts a Prix Royal Oaks success on his CV. His rare versatility though is underlined by a Ganay success too, as well as a defeat of Continuous in last month’s Prix Foy. Jockey Marie Velon maintains her partnership with Iresine.
It is part of Kyprios’ appeal that the best stayer in the world appears impervious to conditions put in front of him. He completed a flawless 2022 campaign in the Long-Distance Cup and will be odds-on to do the same in 2024. Trawlerman, the horse that beat him under a vintage Frankie Dettori spin a year ago, faces a very different proposition this time.
“He’s obviously an unbelievable horse to do what he’s done every run this year, and last year too really, as he’d only just come back from injury,” O’Brien said. “He had a couple of runs in his build up for the Gold Cup, and to go on from there to Goodwood, the Irish St Leger and then to France is just incredible.”
O’Brien has half of the six-strong Irish squad in the Filly & Mare with Ryan Moore on Content and Christophe Soumillon maintaining the partnership with his Royallieu winner Grateful. Sean Levey on Wingspan is no back number either.
Perhaps the most important result for Ballydoyle though may be if Henry Longfellow finally gets off the mark in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. An unbeaten juvenile career promised much but it has been an underwhelming 2024 for the regally bred colt.
In contrast Charyn has bloomed over a mile this season. and has a point to prove having looked to have left the Moulin behind him on his last start after the front-running Tribalist got away.
Facteur Cheval and Metropolitan give France a big QEII hand, while Tamfana gets weight all round on the back of her breakthrough Group One success in the Sun Chariot two weeks ago.
Moss Tucker joins Bucanero Fuerte in the big Sprint where 20 will be strung out across the straight course. Ken Condon sticks a first-time visor on Moss Tucker who will be particularly at home in the conditions.
So too should the French hope Beauvatier who hasn’t been helped by a high draw but who should relish this stiff six-furlong test based on his third in the Foret at Longchamp.
In other news the reverberations from last weekend’s controversial Cesarewitch outcome continue with confirmation that connections of the disqualified Alphonse Le Grande will appeal the decision. Cathy O’Leary’s charge was thrown out due to jockey Jamie Powell breaching whip rules by striking the horse 10 times.
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