The Ascot QIPCO British Champions Day this weekend at Ascot is expected to be hit by torrential rain and come Saturday a ‘heavy’ going description is not out of the question. With this in mind – of the main players – which horses won’t mind any give underfoot and the big names that might not?
When Is 2023 Ascot Qipco British Champions Day?
🕙Time: First Race 1:15pm, Last Race 4:25pm
📅Date: Saturday 21st Oct 2023
🏇Racecourse: Ascot
📺 TV: Sky Sports / ITV
2023 Ascot Qipco British Champions Day: Which Of The Main Ascot Runners Will Like Soft and Heavy Ground?
1:15 – Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) (British Champions Series) Cl1 (3yo+) 2m ITV:
KYPRIOS ✅ – 2022 Ascot Gold Cup winner that needs to bounce back from being beaten at odds-on in the Irish St Leger last month. However, that run came after 344 days off, so strip a lot fitter this time, and the good news for his backers is that he’s won before on ‘very soft’ and ‘heavy’ ground.
TRUESHAN ✅ – The winner of this Ascot Champions Day opener for the last three seasons and having won last time out at Longchamp will have many backers again. It’s also no secret that connections of the horse prefer to run him with give underfoot, having won on ‘soft’, ‘very soft’ and ‘heavy’ in the past. He’ll get his conditions on Saturday.
1:50 – Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Cl1 (3yo+) 6f ITV:
KINROSS ✅ – The mount of Frankie Dettori and the pair also teamed-up to win this race 12 months ago. That success came on ‘good-to-soft’ ground but he’s likely to get deeper conditions this year. The plus though is that he’s a horse that seems to act on a variety of different ground – having won on ‘good-to-firm’ right down to ‘soft’ and ‘very soft’.
VADREAM ✅ – One horse that certainly won’t mind the recent rain at Ascot is this Charlie Fellowes sprinter. Her trainer has said that “when the ground goes really soft, she’s as good as there is” about his 5 year-old, while she should also be spot-on for this after a recent 5th (of 10) in the John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes at Ascot earlier this month. Her form on ground described as ‘soft’ or worse reads 3-7-1-3-1-1.
2:25 – Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m4f ITV:
FREE WIND ❌ – Another Ascot ride for Frankie Dettori here and was last seen running 13th (of 15) in the Arc at Longchamp. She’s won on ‘soft’ ground in the past but has also been a beaten unplaced favourite on ‘heavy’ in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, so is another that might have some questions to answer in conditions.
JACKIE OH ✅ – The Aidan O’Brien yard won this race in 2017 & 2018 and could have another top chance with this 3 year-old filly. She’s been beaten the last twice but her form on ‘soft’ and ‘heavy’ ground reads well 1-2-1.
3:05 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qipco) (Group 1) (British Champions Mile) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m ITV:
PADDINGTON ✅ – Racked up seven wins on the bounce, that included the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, until the winning spree ended with a third in the Juddmonte International at York last time. That defeat was also the first time he’d run on ground as quick as ‘good-to-firm’, so the return to a bit of cut is a certain plus. He’s a horse that’s won on ‘heavy’ and ‘soft’ in the past, while he’s, in fact, unbeaten when running in those conditions (3-from-3).
TAHIYRA ❌ – Trainer Dermot Weld has made it no secret that his Irish 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner might not even make the trip over from Ireland if the ground gets really testing. That tells you all you need to know about the concerns on her running on soft or heavy ground, despite having won on ‘soft’ at the Curragh as a 2 year-old.
NASHWA ✅ – Heads here in preference over the Champion Stakes and should be fine on the softer ground. Yes, the bulk of her runs have been on quicker surfaces, but she’s won on ‘good-to-soft’ in the past and went close on ‘soft’ in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood this season. She was also a close runner-up on ‘very soft’ in the Prix de l’ Opera at Longchamp last term, while the drop back to a mile here will also help on the ground as we know she stays further.
3:45 – Qipco Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m2f ITV:
HORIZON DORE ✅ – Fast-improving French gelding that heads to Ascot for their showcase Saturday race off the back of four straight wins. The last of those came with a sweeping late run in the Prix Dollar on Arc day at Longchamp on ‘good-to-soft’ ground. All four of those recent wins came on ‘good-to-soft’, but as a 2 year-old he showed that ‘heavy’ ground is fine too – winning by 5 lengths on debut.
KING OF STEEL ❌ – Epsom Derby runner-up that will be ridden by Frankie Dettori. Won the King Edward VII Stakes here at Ascot in June, but that came on quick ‘good-to-firm’ ground. Yes, he won on debut as a juvenile on ‘soft’, but was also well beaten in the Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster on ‘heavy’ which would be the worry. In fact, he’s not raced on any ground considered ‘soft’ or worse as a 3 year-old.
BAY BRIDGE ❌ – Winner of this race last year and is back for more with a fair chance of following up after a good 6th (of 15) in the Arc at Longchamp. The concern though is that the bulk of his runs have been on ground ‘good-to-soft’ or quicker, while the only time he raced on ‘very soft’ he was beaten.
MOSTAHDAF ❌ – Impressive winner of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International and one of the highest-rated middle distance horse still in training. However, despite winning on soft ground as a 3 year-old, it’s not classified information he’s a horse that likes to hear his hooves rattle on quicker ground. Therefore, if the rain carries on there is every chance we might not even see this John Godsen/Shadwell runner; his last outing on ‘very soft’ ground saw him trail in last of 20 in the 2022 Arc at Longchamp.
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