Champions Day at Ascot – a day of top class flat racing action
Champions Day at Ascot took place over the weekend, effectively bringing an end to the flat season of racing. There were some pretty big titles up for grabs, and most races appeared to be pretty cut and dry with a few short price favourites.
Solow was the most notable winning favourite on Saturday, taking the win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The 11/10 shot beat out surprising challengers in the shape of Belardo (33/1) and Gabrial (66/1) to win. Coral were offering a boost of 6/1 on Solow for new customers, which is likely to have hit them pretty hard. Gleneagles came up short, and trainer Aidan O’Brien said he regretted running him as the ground didn’t suit.
Jack Hobbs was an even money favourite in the Champion Stakes, but he came up short as 10/1 shot Fascinating Rock took the race by storm. Elswhere Muhaarar won the Champions Sprint Stakes, ending Twilight Son’s unbeaten record in the process. That win for the 5/2 shot was his last, as he’s been retired to stud.
Frankie Dettori won the Long Distance Cup in the opening race, riding home Flying Officer (6/1) which kicked off a great weekend for trainer John Gosden. He may have seen Jack Hobbs finish third in the Champion Stakes, but he did become the first trainer to win over £5 million in prize money in a year. Not a bad consolation prize.
Simple Verse (5/1) was a big winner in the Fillies and Mares Stakes, while the final race of the day was won by Musaddas and 17-year-old jockey Edward Greatrex. The Godolphin horse was a 7/1 shot in the Balmoral Handicap, but still managed to take the win to round out a great day of racing.
That may be the flat season all but over for the year, but now attention turns to the National Hunt campaign and the gradual and exciting progression towards the biggest feast of jumps racing there is, the Cheltenham Festival in March.
