Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It’s the final day of what has been a stellar flat season and what a great day’s racing it promises to be with six top-grade contests. ITV are covering all six races from the Berkshire course and I’ve covered the four I consider to offer the best value below.
But surely the highlight of the day is the final run of the superstar that is Baaeed before the William Haggas-trained 3-year-old trots off to a life of luxury at stud. He is not really a betting option for the small punter as only the ground can beat him if it comes up very soft but maybe one of Haggas’s other contenders, Dubai Honour, could be a good bet for the forecast.
So here are my thoughts for this week’s action meanwhile I will be dusting off my jumps form books in preparation for the first Cheltenham meeting in a week’s time.
Ascot Champions Day Lucky Fifteen
1.25 Eldar Eldarov
2.00 Garrus
2.40 Sea La Rosa
4.40 Sweet Believer
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The first race on this very prestigious card is at 1.25 the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, a Group 2 contest over 2 miles.
Alan King’s Trueshan returns to try and win this race for the third time. He was not disgraced in the Goodwood Cup in July finishing a length and a half behind Kyprios and Stradivarius. Last month he disappointed at Doncaster when odds-on favourite and was beaten a neck after wandering around, the mark of a tired horse, in the last furlong.
The successful horse that day was Andrew Balding’s Coltrane who just got home after finishing over 3 lengths behind Trueshan in the Goodwood Cup.
Hughie Morrison’s Quickthorn rattled up a treble in the summer including a Group 2 at York, but he disappointed at Longchamp at the beginning of this month.
Eldar Eldarov won the St Leger for Roger Varian last month where he won going away. He was an Ascot winner in June and can make it two from two at this famous course.
I will also mention the Gosdens Trawlerman who has had a break since winning a couple of top-rated handicaps in the summer, after his lay-off he can be placed at a nice price.
The Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes is at 2.00. This is a Group 1 run over 6 furlongs. Last year’s winner Creative Force trained by Charlie Appleby is the current favourite but he has been unsuccessful so far this term. His latest run was at Newmarket in the July Cup when he finished a well beaten fourth.
Appleby’s other runner is Naval Crown who won the Platinum Jubilee here at Ascot in June but since then has disappointed especially last time out in the Haydock Sprint where he was 11th of 12.
Ralph Beckett’s Kinross who won the Prix de la Foret on Arc day at Longchamp is a 7-furlong specialist who may find this on the sharp side.
The new King’s horse, King’s Lynn, trained by Andrew Balding will be fancied but he has disappointed against the big boys.
David Evans’s Rohaan loves it here at Ascot having won here four times including a Group 3 a fortnight ago. This may come a bit soon after that.
Richard Fahey’s Perfect Power won the Commonwealth Cup at the Royal meeting in June but disappointed in the July Cup and then at Deauville in August going off favourite on both occasions he may bounce back and go close.
I have been waiting for Charles Hills’s Garrus to come out again and he gets the nod from me after two fine runs at Deauville where he won in July then was only beaten a length by the formidable Highfield Princess when he had Rohaan, Naval Crown and Perfect Power behind him.
At 2.40 it is the Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mare’s Chase, a Group 1 run over 1m 4f. John and Thady Gosden have a particularly strong hand here with Emily Upjohn and Mimikyu. The former after winning at York in May was just touched off at Epsom on Derby Day. From there, she came to Ascot in July and was well beaten after pulling hard.
Mimikyu has won three of her last four and steps up to Group 1 company for the first time.
Charlie Appleby’s Eternal Pearl has won her last three and is another stepping up in class.
There is a French challenger who won at Longchamp last month where she beat Lilac Road and Albaflora. She should confirm those placings but may have to settle for a place.
Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert has had a fine season winning three times but this is tougher.
I like William Haggas’s Sea La Rosa who comes here having won four out of five this year, including a Group 1 at Longchamp two weeks ago. This race may come rather soon but her class can carry her through.
The final race on the card is a handicap, the Balmoral Handicap is at 4.40 and is run over Ascot’s straight mile. David O’Meara’s Escobar won this in 2019 and comes here with top weight due to a 6 lbs penalty after a victory two weeks ago when he beat several of the adversaries he meets once again. The penalty may anchor him.
O’Meara has four other runners the best of which could be Blue For You who was a fine winner at York in August before running 7th here at the beginning of the month.
David Menuisier runs Migration for the first time since he ran second at Newbury in April. He had fine form last year but is probably best watched.
William Haggas’s Sweet Believer had her first run for a year at Sandown last month finishing second in front of Escobar in a Listed race and a reproduction of that form should be enough to take this.
As an outsider I have been following Rhoscolyn all season without success, could he spring a surprise and be placed here?
Ascot Champions Day Lucky Fifteen
1.25 Eldar Eldarov
2.00 Garrus
2.40 Sea La Rosa
4.40 Sweet Believer
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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