The press release has hit my inbox in the last half an hour, so here goes: OUTSTANDING QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY IN PROSPECT AS ENTRIES ARE REVEALED Frankel, Canford Cliffs, Goldikova and Dick Turpin among 31 entries for Queen Elizabeth II Stakes; So You Think, Nathaniel, Pour Moi and Frankel head entry of 40 for QIPCO Champion Stakes The inaugural £3 million QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 15 October looks set to provide a stunning climax to the QIPCO British Champions Series after entries for the five championship contests on Britainâs richest ever raceday were revealed today. An outstanding entry of 31 horses for the £1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO (Group One), which will be by far the richest mile race ever run in Europe, includes the worldâs top four milers headed by superstar Frankel, the best horse in the world this year and already hailed by many as the greatest racehorse of the modern era. The Sir Henry Cecil-trained three-year-old maintained his faultless record with a remarkable five-length success in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood a week ago - his third Mile victory in the QIPCO British Champions Series following wins in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and the St Jamesâs Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Ladbrokes have installed him as their red-hot 1-3 favourite for the glittering contest which will be run over Ascotâs straight mile. The worldâs second highest rated miler, Canford Cliffs, who was beaten five lengths in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes but had previously reeled off five Group One victories in succession, looks set to have another crack at Frankel and is the 4-1 second favourite in Ladbrokesâ ante-post market. Also entered is the worldâs joint third highest rated miler, the brilliant French-trained mare Goldikova, who recorded her 14th success at the highest level with a record fourth consecutive victory in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Sunday, having gone down by a length to Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. She is 6-1 with Ladbrokes. Canford Cliffsâ trainer Richard Hannon has also entered Dick Turpin, who won the Prix Jean Prat last year and is joint third in the international mile ratings, and ready Goodwood Group Two scorer Strong Suit, while other potential contenders include last yearâs winner Poetâs Voice, multiple Group One heroine Sahpresa, Coronation Stakes winner, Immortal Verse, Italian star, Worthadd and the St Jamesâs Palace runner-up, Zoffany. The £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes over one and a quarter miles, which will be the richest race ever run in Britain, has attracted a similarly powerful entry of 40 horses, headed by three of the worldâs leading middle distance performers including Southern Hemisphere champion So You Think, who was victorious in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown at the start of July for his handler, Aidan OâBrien. Nathaniel was an impressive winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) for trainer John Gosden at Ascot on July 23, while fellow three-year-old Pour Moi has been entered by legendary French handler Andre Fabre following an exhilarating last-to-first success in the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs in June. Frankel also holds an entry in the race just in case connections decide to step him up in trip, but the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes appears to be the far more likely target. Further spice may be added by the likes of Twice Over, who has triumphed in the past two renewals of the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, French Group One winners Sarafina and Planteur, as well as So You Thinkâs stable companion Await The Dawn, a ready winner of the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. Midday and Snow Fairy have posted 10 victories in Group/Grade One company between them, while Classic winners Roderic OâConnor, Misty For Me, Reliable Man and Tin Horse are also engaged. Golden Jubilee Stakes victor Society Rock and Dream Ahead, successful in the Darley July Cup, headline an entry of 44 for the £250,000 Group Two QIPCO British Champions Sprint over six furlongs. Indeed, the first six from the Darley July Cup are all entered together with the Golden Jubilee runner-up, Monsieur Chevalier. Sole Power could also aim for a second victory in the QIPCO British Champions Series having triumphed in the Betfred.com Temple Stakes at Haydock in May, while Hoof It looks set to make his mark in Group company following a record breaking victory under 10st in the ultra competitive Stewardsâ Cup at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday. Other entries include Masamah, Moonlight Cloud and Wizz Kid, who beat Prohibit in the Group Two Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly in June. Midday also features alongside Classic-winning three-year-olds Blue Bunting and Dancing Rain in the 40 entries for the £250,000 Group Two QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares over a mile and a half. The consistent Wonder Of Wonders may bid to avenge her Epsom defeat by Blue Bunting and she could be joined by Irish Oaks runner-up Banimpire, successful at Ascot in the Ribblesdale Stakes at the Royal Meeting. Other entries of note include Crystal Capella and Principal Role, while a six-strong French entry includes Group Two scorer Maria Royal and the unbeaten Pacifique. The 55 entries for the £200,000 Group Three QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup over two miles includes this yearâs Gold Cup victor Fame And Glory, Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup winner Duncan and Opinion Poll, who posted a thrilling victory over Lost In The Moment, Blue Bajan and Fox Hunt in the Artemis Goodwood Cup last week. Leading Ladbrokes St Leger contenders Sea Moon, Namibian and Masked Marvel may also line up alongside the progressive Keys, Hardwicke Stakes runner-up Harris Tweed and the Dermot Weld-trained Sense Of Purpose. The two Group Two races and one Group Three contest all carry Group One conditions, with no penalties and prize money levels consistent with Group One races. âWe couldnât have asked for better QIPCO British Champions Day entries with the mouth-watering prospect of Frankelâs last race of the season in the QE2 in a rematch with Canford Cliffs, with the possibility of Goldikova and Dick Turpin as well, unquestionably topping the bill,â said Rod Street, Chief Executive of the British Champions Series. âIn the Champion, So You Think may look to bow out from his European campaign on a massive high, perhaps against the fast improving King George winner, Nathaniel, while stars like Dream Ahead and Hoof It in the Sprint, Midday and Blue Bunting in the Fillies & Mares and all the top stayers in the Long Distance Cup promise to make this one of the most exciting Flat racedays that this country has ever seen. âGetting 26 French-trained entries and 36 from Ireland has exceeded our expectations. âWe expect ticket sales to build up a real momentum now and weâll be looking for an early sell-out of Premier Admission as has been the case on Ascotâs other big days this season.â Tickets for QIPCO British Champions Day are priced at £45 for Premier admission and £26 for Grandstand admission, with a 10% advance booking discount available now and greater reductions for group bookings of 10 or more people. Under 18s will be admitted free. To book tickets, visit www.britishchampionsseries.com/www.ascot.co.uk or call Ascot on 0870 727 1234. Ladbrokes Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Prices 1/3 Frankel 4 Canford Cliffs 6 Goldikova 16 Zoffany 20 Cityscape 25 Dick Turpin 150 Bullet Train E/W 1,2 Others on request. For some reason they have not included the entries for each race, but I'll see if I can pull them from elsewhere.
At the first entry stage, these entries look very impressive and the publicity machine is already going into hyper-drive. Of course it does not take very long to start dismantling the entries. With the Breeders’ Cup close after and the Arc meeting a fortnight before, I would not be holding out much hope of Goldikova showing up at Ascot. Having picked up the Prix Rothschild again, Ladbrokes would offer you much worse than 1/3 that her next three races will be the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August followed by the Prix de la Forêt on Arc weekend followed by the Breeders’ Cup Mile. With So You Think already talked about in respect of the Cox Plate in the Southern Hemisphere the week after Ascot and with the other option possibly the Arc, it may come down to what Coolmore want to do to boost his stud career. Canford Cliffs will not be at Ascot unless we have an Indian summer because the ground will not be quick enough in the middle of October, although that does open the door for Dick Turpin. If the Queen Elizabeth Stakes attracts more than half a dozen runners on the day it will be horses chasing the place prize money. Midday would surely be more likely to cross The Pond for another shot at the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare because it is more lucrative and the Champions’ Day race is only Group 2.
Can't see SYT running in the Champion Stakes or the Arc. He is far more likely to go to the Cox Plate
Finally they have published the entries for the main races in full: Long Distance Cup (G3) Aim to Prosper Admiral of the Red Age of Reason All the Aces Allied Powers Almail Ardlui Bergo Big Occasion Blue Bajan Bridge of Gold Buxted Campanologist Cavalryman Chiberta King Colour Vision Dandino Darley Sun Dunaden Duncan Elyaadi Eternal Heart Fame and Glory Fox Hunt Halifax Harris Tweed Ivory Land Jukebox Jury Keys Kidnapped King of Wands Lost in the Moment Masked Marvel Meeznah Merchant of Dubai Motrice Mount Athos Namibian Nehaam Opinion Poll Petara Bay Polly’s Mark Red Cadeaux Regent Street Sabotage Sadler’s Risk Sea Moon Sense of Purpose Tactician Tastahil Thimaar Times Up Tominator Vulcanite Whiplash Willie
Fillies & Mares Stakes (G2) Amazing Beauty Antara Banimpire Bible Belt Blue Bunting Bolivia Brushing Ceilidh House Cill Rialaig Crystal Capella Dancing Rain Elas Diamond Ferdoos Field of Miracles Gemstone Gertrude Bell Havant I’m a Dreamer Laughing Lashes Maria Royal Meeznah Midday Miss Crissy Modeyra Myplacelater Pacifique Pink Symphony Polly’s Mark Polygon Principal Role Sajjhaa Sea of Heartbreak Shamanova Shankardeh Shareta Spin Teo’s Sister Vita Nova Wild Coco Wonder of Wonders I ought to add that these are up on the Racing Post website but I’m typing them (copy and paste won’t work unfortunately!) in case anyone can’t access it.
Sprint (G2) Amico Fritz Bated Breath Bewitched Dafeef Deacon Blues Delegator Dream Ahead Elzaam Empowering Firebeam Genki Hawkeyethenoo Hitchens Hoof It Hooray Jimmy Styles Katla Kingsgate Native Laddies Poker Too Ladies Are Forever Libranno Mac’s Power Maqaasid Markab Masamah Medicean Man Monsieur Chevalier Moonlight Cloud Night Carnation Perfect Tribute Prime Defender Ritual Rock Jock Royal Rock Silverside Society Rock Sole Power Swiss Diva The Cheka Total Gallery Waffle Wizz Kid Wotton Bassett Zoffany
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) Await the Dawn Biondetti Bullet Train Canford Cliffs Casamento Celebrissime Cityscape Delegator Dick Turpin Dubawi Gold Emerald Commander Excelebration Flash Dance Frankel Goldikova Immortal Verse Lolly for Dolly Neebras Planteur Poet’s Voice Red Jazz Rio de la Plata Roderic O’Connor Saamidd Sahpresa Side Glance So You Think Strong Suit Tin Horse Worthadd Zoffany
Champion Stakes (G1) Await the Dawn Banimpire Biondetti Cape Blanco Carlton House Casamento Cirrus Des Aigles Colombian Dubai Prince Frankel French Navy Green Destiny Midday Misty For Me Nathaniel Pisco Sour Planteur Poet’s Voice Pour Moi Prince Bishop Ransom Note Recital Red Dubawi Reliable Man Rio de la Plata Roderic O’Connor Saamidd Saptapadi Sarafina Seville Shimraan Simon De Montfort Snow Fairy So You Think Sri Putra Tin Horse Treasure Beach Twice Over Wigmore Hall Windsor Palace
I am really tempted to get tickets for this but I am a bit irked to see that its £40 for advance Premier tickets. Thats a lot of money to be annoyed by pretentious London types who don't know their Frankel's from their Imperial Fong's. PN, to confirm all races are off level weights (bar wfa and fillies allowances)
I've just checked the Pattern Book and yes all races are off level weights, barring weight for age and fillies allowance. If Goldikova took on Frankel in the QEII they'd both race off 9st.
Cheers, that will make the Sprint a much more interesting race for connections of Dream Ahead, who I guess will be going for the Sprint Cup and then this race. If we have a wet Autumn we could be seeing a very special series of sprints with Dream Ahead and the likes of Deacon Blues and Hoof It stepping up from handicap company.
On the bright side if you pay £40 you know you won't be harrassed by gormless buffoons sporting whacky head gear or glove puppets as they're too tight to pay top dollar. It looks impressive now but as others have said you can see it quickly unravellling as we get nearer the day. It's tempting to go but then there's a cut your nose to spite your face side of me that thinks i want it to fail and don't wish to contribute to its possible success.
PN, top typing btw. Chippy, swings and roundabouts as you say. I think the fields will cut up a great deal but if we get to see Frankel then £40 is probably good value.
One thing I will say is that you do actually get your money's worth in the Premier enclosure. The view of the course is fantastic and the facilities are great.
Am I correct in saying that this 'QIPCO Fillies & Mares' race is the replacement/new name for what was the 'Pride Stakes'??? If so it is ridiculous and reflects everything that is bad about British racing right now. I really don't think that you could get a more bland and uninspiring race title than the 'QIPCO Fillies & Mares' whereas the 'Pride Stakes' was a lovely name for a race for fillies and mares and also its title encapsulating the history and brilliance of the turf as it was named after the wonderful French mare who at her peak was one of the best mares that I've seen in my lifetime. Bad, bad move in my opinion. The ‘Champion Stakes’ is in my opinion going to turn into a ‘white elephant’ of a race (if it hasn’t already) as its sandwiched between the Arc and Breeder’s Cup and top, top horses will only run in the Ascot race if for one reason or another their main target in France or the USA is ruled out. You could even say that the QE2 on the same day is a rival race it’s not going to beat. Looking at the main protagonists entered this term (Nathaniel, Pour Moi, Frankel, etc.) they are only going to run in a default situation. Meanwhile, why on earth has the word ’British’ being shoehorned into the day’s title and almost every race name?!? Such a move is hardly conducive to creating an international flavour (which is vital if the day is ever going to catch on) and anyway aren’t the BHA aware that we are all European these days anyway?!?
Im going to try and get down for it also, that may put you off Nass. Laugh Im off to Ascot this saturday so i'll see what I think then make a decision.
Are you going in the Premier Catty? If so make sure you go up to the top of the stand, brilliant viewing even when its full of cockneys!!!
