Champion Stakes Tips: Fond Farewell for Frankie
The crown jewel of British Champions Day is the Champion Stakes and this year’s race promises to be a corker. Participation is still uncertain for a number of the leading contenders, with a deluge of rain forecast in Berkshire and other options aplenty for some.
Billy Grimshaw is taking a cautious route to his selection with the uncertainty abounding, but thinks if on his A game he’s found one that’s overpriced…
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It is not often a horse heading back to defend his title is listed as big a price as Bay Bridge is in this race, however after the disappointing season Sir Michael Stoute’s colt has had it isn’t hard to see why. He won last year’s Champion Stakes in a pulsating renewal from Adayar and My Prospero who reopposes, in a race that’s post analysis was dominated by the flopping of the previously unbeaten Baaeed.
With time now to assess the race on its own merits away from that storyline, it was a fine performance and Bay Bridge was a worthy winner. My Prospero has also disappointed this season for William Haggas and although these two could bounce back to form in a race they’ve performed well in in the past, it is hard to see one of the younger horses improving past them.
Horizon Dore is the obvious one and is favourite for this contest on the back of a stunning success at Longchamp last time out. The French have won this race eight times and with their propensity to enjoy a bit of mud flying, the weather forecast looks ideal for this Dabirisim colt. At 5/2, however, he does look a smidge under priced and so for tipping purposes he can be left alone.
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Paddington misses this race in favour of the QEII Stakes, and another I expected to swerve this in favour of calmer waters was Via Sistina, with George Boughey’s charge seemingly set for the Fillies’ and Mares’. With the weather forecast looking brutal, however, she will turn up here and has to be massively respected. Her form on soft is exceptional and with Oisin Murphy taking over from Jamie Spencer I will not be dismissing her lightly. Mostahdaf has been declared but connections are keen to stress he could be pulled out at the eleventh hour on Saturday morning, so I cannot in good faith tip up the uber impressive Juddmonte winner despite how impressed I was as he brought Paddington’s winning run to a juddering halt.
One horse who will turn up regardless of conditions is KING OF STEEL, and with AMO Racing recently splitting from another retained rider in Kevin Stott, it could be a case of cometh the hour, cometh the man… Frankie Dettori is booked. Few would say this massive Derby second is Frankie’s best chance of a winner on the card with his mount Kinross looking rock solid in the Champion Sprint, but I can’t see why he is double the price of Horizon Dore on all known form.
Auguste Rodin was at his brilliant best when denying King Of Steel a huge shock Derby win back in June at Epsom and the manner of Roger Varian’s charge’s win in the King Edward VII was as decisive as one is likely to see at Royal Ascot. That form has of course been franked by Continuous winning the Leger and although King Of Steel was a tad disappointing in third in the King George behind Hukum and Westover, they were two fine older horses before retirement. He was more disappointing again in the Irish Champion Stakes in fourth but still was not disgraced and after a bit of a break and on this sort of ground, I think he can get back to his peak form that he displayed at this track.
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