Champions Day: Five horses who will relish heavy ground at Ascot – Racing TV
We’ve been here before, haven’t we?
A berth in the middle of October is liable to leave one hostage to the vagaries of the British autumn and Ascot will provide ground on the straight course officially described as, at best, ‘soft’ for the sixth time in nine years for the Flat finale on Champions Day.
The round course has fared even worse, with the track waterlogged and now out of commission for the weekend. The Long Distance Cup, Fillies & Mares and Champion Stakes will now take place on the inner course, more often the home of the hurdlers during the jumps season. The current going here is good to soft, soft in places.
In an ironic twist, there could be more ‘good’ in the official description for the inner course by the weekend as Ascot can dry out pretty fast, particularly in the straight.
Champions require the deepest reserve of skill and talent, but no little courage will be needed too for those set for straight track assignments in the Sprint, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and concluding Balmoral Handicap.
Some will relish that task more than others, and here we highlight several contenders who have form when the going gets tough.
Race: Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes. General odds: 10-1.
Form on soft and heavy ground: 2535172
The Tin Man won the Sprint Cup on soft ground
James Fanshawe always thought his star sprinter wanted better ground, but The Tin Man has plenty of fine efforts on soft and the admirable seven-year-old has often posted them at the highest level.
A Group One winner on heavy ground in last year’s Sprint Cup, The Tin Man is also a previous winner of this race and is set for a fifth Champions Day appearance.
Fanshawe has said his top operator is fresh and well for this year’s race. While another year older, improvement can be reasonably expected in more testing ground from last season’s seventh place finish.
Race: Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes. General odds: 6-1.
Form on soft and heavy ground: 7111
Watch how Make A Challenge scored in testing conditions last time out
While The Tin Man is the proven top-level performer, Make A Challenge is the horse that twice refused to load into the stalls at the start of the season from a mark of 66.
A remarkable rise has seen his rating shoot up by 45lbs and connections have paid £40,000 to supplement their four-year-old for this race in the testing conditions he loves.
His sole defeat on soft going was at the start of the season where he broke badly after recent misdemeanours down at the start. Those issues are now eradicated and he is thriving at just the right time.
It’s just possible this £6,500 buy could provide the story of Champions Day.
Race: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. General odds: 5-2.
Form on soft and heavy ground: 321111
There have been a couple of French winners of the QEII in recent years
The Dubawi gelding is in fine fettle and arrives at Ascot after posting a career-best on Arc weekend with an impressive success at Group Two level plus he has won his last six starts.
The Revenant will have no issues with the heavy ground and he is bred to relish it too, with dam Hazel Lavery winning a Listed prize on soft and at Group Three level on heavy.
“We know he can swim! The softer the better,” says trainer Francis-Henri Graffard as his horse bids to emulate Charm Spirit (2014) and Solow (2015) as French winners of this prestigious prize.
Race: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. General odds: 14-1.
Form on soft and heavy ground: 4111O13
Century Dream ran a huge race in the QEII last year
The five-year-old requires more to land a blow here with a Group Three being the highest level he has won at, but he performed with distinction with a close third behind Roaring Lion in this race last year and, after a smooth move at the three-furlong marker, was still in front shortly before the furlong pole.
Century Dream has not been seen since the Dubai Turf in March and that’s a slight concern ahead of a gruelling test, but arriving here fresh looks a conscious decision and his season has seemingly been centred around another crack at Champions Day.
Race: Balmoral Handicap. General odds: 8-1.
Form on soft and heavy ground: 113551
Kynren finished fifth in the Balmoral Handicap in 2018
This likeable type finally regained the winning habit last time in a valuable race at Ascot and the five-year-old has the most soft-ground substance to his form ahead of this £250,000 prize.
The step up to a mile should not inconvenience Kynren either and he goes very well here, running fifth in this contest last year and filling the same position at Royal Meeting when first home on his side of the track.
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