QIPCO British Champions Day is the star-studded end to the flat season in Britain where the best horses go head-to-head against one another in a stellar card at Ascot. Four Group One's, a Group Two and an ultra-competitive handicap.
Our man Danny Archer is live at the track and here are his fancies for what should be a spectacular end to the flat season.
We'll be backing today's selections with Ladbrokes - Bet £20 Get £10 Free for every race at Ascot today!
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Danny Archer's NAP: £20 Returns £42
1.25 Ascot: Order Of St George
Ascot Win Double: £20 Returns £120
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2.00 Ascot: Harry Angel
3:15 Ascot: Ribchester
Here are Danny Archer's race-by-race selections for Champions Day:
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1.25pm - G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup - ORDER OF ST GEORGE 11/10 NAP & DESERT SKYLINE 10/1 Each Way
With heavy rain hitting the track, this could turn into a real slog and if his Arc exertions haven't caught up with him, Order Of St George has leading claims. He is 4-5 on soft ground and has enjoyed another excellent season. He was second in the Ascot Gold Cup but has also tasted victory in the Saval Beg, Irish St Leger Trial and Irish St Leger, before finishing a creditable fourth in the Arc last time behind Enable. He was only fourth in this event last year and it has to be hoped that a long season hasn't caught up with him, but with the ground in his favour, he looks sure to go close.
At a price, David Elsworth's Desert Skyline should go well. He won the Doncaster Cup last time over two miles and two furlongs but with rain hitting the Berkshire venue, the drop back in trip here to two miles looks a positive move and this hold up performer should be staying on well from the back of the field. Elsworth believes he could turn into a creditable Gold Cup hope for next season and to have any chance of living up to those expectations, he has to put his best foot forward in this event, even if it is over a trip shorter than ideal.
£20 on ORDER OF ST GEORGE returns £42
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2.00pm - G1 QIPCO British Champion Sprint Stakes - HARRY ANGEL 11/10 & QUIET REFLECTION 13/2 Each Way
Clive Cox's Harry Angel has gone from strength to strength this term and was a decisive winner of the July Cup at Newmarket before following up in the Haydock Sprint Cup last time. That was a huge performance given that was on heavy ground and that gives cause for optimism that he should cope with today's underfoot conditions. He is yet to win at Ascot in three starts but Adam Kirby has been pretty bullish in the build-up to this race and he should prove tough to beat.
Karl Burke's Quiet Reflection was impressive in a G3 at Naas last time, staying on powerfully to score decisively. The four-year-old daughter of Showcasing is a course and distance winner having landed the Commonwealth Cup at last year's Royal Meeting and with soft ground not a problem, she is sure to run a big race.
2.40pm - QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes - BATEEL 10/3 & THE JULIET ROSE 16/1 Each Way
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Bateel has been the talking horse this week due to the rain hitting Ascot and Francois Graffard's charge looks to have outstanding credentials for the mile and a half contest. Winner of three of her four starts this term, the five-year-old daughter of Dubawi won the Prix Vermeille at Chantilly last time with a decisive two and a half-length victory. John Gosden's Journey who reopposes today was second that day and I'm hopeful that Graffard's mare can confirm those placings.
At an each-way price, I like The Juliet Rose. The lightly-raced four-year-old daughter of Monsun was a game winner of the Prix de Royallieu last time at Chantilly on soft ground and she is entitled to build on that again here. If she is able to get an easy lead, she could prove tough to peg back, with the soft underfoot conditions in her favour. Her light campaign should stand her in good stead for this event and she will make sure this is a stamina test.
3.15pm - G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - RIBCHESTER 2/1 & AL WUKAIR 7/1 Each Way
This looks a cracking renewal of the QEII and Ribchester deservedly heads the betting. Richard Fahey's stable star has enjoyed another stellar year landing the Lockinge, Queen Anne and Moulin. He was narrowly beaten in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, but soft ground is not a massive problem with him, highlighted by his impressive win at Chantilly last time. He looks sure to go close to landing another Group One.
Al Wukair is an interesting French raider. Trained by the shrewd Andre Fabre, he has improved with every run this season and was a short-head winner of the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville last time. The three-year-old son of Dream Ahead won on soft ground at Deauville last time and that augurs well for this mile event. Fabre knows what it takes to win races at the highest levels and this lad, third to Churchill in the 2000 Guineas, comes in here slightly under the radar, in what has been a creditable season for the colt, who will only improve with age.
3.50pm - G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes - CRACKSMAN 2/1 & POET'S WORD 8/1 Each Way
A brilliant renewal of the one and a quarter-mile contest and Cracksman can finally get a first Group One win. John Gosden's charge was third in the Epsom Derby and second in the Irish equivalent but has looked top-class in two runs since. An easy six-length winner of the Great Voltigeur at York in August, he justified 2/5 favouritism in the Prix Niel at Chantilly in September with a decisive three and a half-length victory under Frankie Dettori. The forecast rain has hit Ascot and that will provide a massive boost to his chances, given he is stepping back from 12 furlongs to 10 for this assignment, which will allow the son of Frankel to eke out his stamina-laden qualities. With some of his rivals bound to flounder in the ground, his chance has been massively enhanced.
Poet's Word has been breezing up the gallops at Newmarket this week and has been the subject of a positive bulletin from connections who have been counting down the days for this assignment. The four-year-old son of Poet's Voice has improved with every run and followed up a comfortable victory in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood with a fine half-length second to Decorated Knight in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last month. Having also won on soft ground, he is sure to run a big race for a trainer who consistently does well with these older types.
4.25pm - Balmoral Handicap - ZABEEL PRINCE 3/1 & SPECULATIVE BID 16/1 Each Way
This could turn out to be a canny bit of placing by Roger Varian who has steadily brought along this four-year-old son of Lope De Vega this season. Zabeel Prince, a 325,000gns ran just once as a three-year-old, finishing second at Redcar, but he hasn't looked back this year with three comfortable victories. A Nottingham maiden win has been followed up by to handicap victories at Yarmouth and York respectively, with the latter success a facile two and three-quarter length win. He beat the Lincoln winner (Bravery) that day and he is hugely unexposed off a mark of 102. Andrea Atzeni rides and he looks well placed to run a huge race in the concluding event of QIPCO British Champions Day.
David Elsworth's Speculative Bid returned to the track at Ascot two weeks ago, having not run since August 2015. He finished a creditable seventh in the Challenge Cup that day and this course and distance winner looks to have an each-way chance if avoiding the dreaded bounce factor here.
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