It’s the finale of the UK Flat season as Qipco British Champions Day is upon us.
The card is a belter from top to bottom and it is the best day of racing we’ve had all season.
We already have two ante-post selections from Wednesday (Beauvatier @ 12/1 and Bucanero Fuerte @ 25/1) for the British Champions Sprint Stakes, which can be viewed here.
At 10/1 for Beauvatier and 33/1 for Bucanero Fuerte, I’ll place another 0.5pt EW.
So, let’s not mess about. Here are my main selections.
2:35 Ascot – Kalpana @ 9/2 with William Hill – 2pt Win
Admittedly, my recent form makes for tough reading, but surely even I can’t cause a horse to drift as much as Kalpana has over the last 96 hours, right?
She was a general 7/4 shot in the build-up to this race in the full knowledge that the ground would turn soft, yet she is now available at 4/1.
This Study Of Man filly is one I’ve liked for a while as she showed so much ability to beat the now 102-rated Align The Stars by 10 lengths at Newmarket in April. She then chased home Friendly Soul in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes on her next start.
Friendly Soul beats Kalpana to win the William Hill Pretty Polly Stakes! 🥇
Another one to come from the All Weather to win on the Turf!#ITVRacing | @NewmarketRace | @KShoemark pic.twitter.com/eHrIX6DvXD
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 5, 2024
The winner won the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera recently to add to her other subsequent Group 3 and 2 successes.
The big worry is the ground over 12 furlongs, and I do understand the concern.
Her pedigree offers some hope as her dam, Zero Gravity, is a full sister to the Group 1 winner Zambezi Sun who won his only Group 1 on good to soft and also placed in a Group 2 on soft.
The three runs outside of Royal Ascot were all on good ground, certainly not a fast surface, and she had no problem with it on all three occasions.
I think she is classy, and I hope today is the day she shows that at Group 1 level.
3:15 Ascot – Henry Longfellow @ 15/2 with William Hill (3 places) – 1pt EW
The QEII looks like a muddling little contest, but I’ve landed on Henry Longfellow who will handle conditions over a mile at Ascot.
His main piece of form to hang the hat on is his second to Rosallion, the 2000 Guineas runner-up and Irish 2000 Guineas winner, in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
That occurred on good to firm, but he looked to have quite a high knee action to my eye (his front legs really powered into the ground), and he won on soft on debut.
It’s Rosallion’s day in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal @Ascot! pic.twitter.com/ptrLHQX5AC
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2024
His two subsequent runs as a juvenile saw him beat Stunning Peach by two and five lengths respectively; Stunning Peach nearly beat Los Angeles in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud on his final start of the season.
The Group 1 Prix du Moulin, his final start, didn’t plan out in a usual manner, but he stayed on through the line under a hands-and-heels drive from Ryan Moore, suggesting his ability remains.
I think he’s still a class act and one who will hopefully handle a soft ground mile at Ascot.
3:55 Ascot – King’s Gambit @ 25/1 with William Hill (3 places) – 0.5pt EW
The Champion Stakes looks like a great contest, but I’m taking a chance on King’s Gambit at a big price.
Two of his last three runs were unlucky as he was given a mountain to do, but he still ran with credit.
The last occurred over 12 furlongs on good to firm ground, and I think he should have beaten Los Angeles if positioned closer to the pace.
Back to 10 furlongs should therefore suit, and both Illinois and Los Angeles have franked the form of his run in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes.
Although the ground is cause for concern, he was a fine second on soft as a juvenile and won on good to soft on his second career start.
Awesome performance!
King's Gambit sees daylight between Individualism and Chantilly and rockets home for victory in the London Gold Cup! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FZ2cphxdLl
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 18, 2024
Two of his dam’s full siblings, Sophisticat and Grand Reward, also showed good form on slower surfaces as well.
The former finished third in the 2002 French 1000 Guineas on soft and the latter showed some of his best form on yielding in a Group 3.
He’s a big price and he’s a classy animal.
4:35 Ascot – Daysofourlives @ 15/2 with William Hill (5 places) – 1pt EW
The Balmoral Handicap isn’t one for the fainthearted, but Daysofourlives has a lot of upsides.
He’s a two-time winner over a mile, but his last success came over two furlongs further on good ground, so he should stay eight furlongs at Ascot in testing conditions.
Speaking of the ground, he finished third in a Nottingham novice on soft ground, one place ahead of the now 101-rated Balance Play.
Of his two starts at the Berkshire track, he won a handicap over course and distance off 85 in September 2023 and then she finished fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Dead-heat! There's nothing to split Daysofourlives and Ouzo in a thriller at @Ascot…@OsborneSaffie @SC_Cherchi pic.twitter.com/e3Rh6qGtUT
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 8, 2023
Five of the first six home that day came from stall 17 or above, so it was a mighty performance to finish a staying-on fourth from stall 10.
On his first start back from an 87-day break, he beat Liberty Lane at Doncaster recently, form that looks strong considering he won the Cambridgeshire on his next start and finished second in the Group 3 Darley Stakes after that.
When you consider that the top four in the handicap have rather lofty ratings, the rest of the handicap from number five to 20 has just a nine-pound difference from top to bottom.
At that stage, it’s a case of who looks like the best horse.
To me, Daysofourlives fits that description.
