Chris Day best bets for QIPCO British Champions Day

The first race on QIPCO Champions Day, the Long Distance Cup, is by far the most interesting from a betting perspective. Stradivarius has tried to atone for his nose loss to Kew Gardens last year.

We all know that John Gosden’s indictment is being talked about long after his career as a three-time gold cup winner ended and he has a price to match, but I can’t believe a couple of trips to Paris to do the best mile and a half are races ideal preparations for the weekend.

Likewise, two-time Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song has no shape to talk about on soft ground, but she is a clear second favorite for Dermot Weld who enjoyed a great fall. Still, I am not sure its shape deserves it to be as short as it is, and it was never further than the distance from St. Leger.

Fujairah Prince was a brave second behind her at the Curragh, having previously won at Royal Ascot and York’s Sky Bet Ebor, but he didn’t look like he would go any further in any of those races and he’s not much different from some other these on reviews. In fact, some of these competitors can do a lot better for soft ground climbing.

Spanish Mission has won a far less competitive Doncaster Cup than it will reach here and soft ground is not guaranteed to help so it will be passed over at these odds.

All over LIFEThe last run in Chester cried “next time” and he was a very impressive winner of a Group Three on soft ground here over a mile and a half last October. He clearly had this as a goal for the entire season and should be prepared to run his race while some of them have beaten each other off places elsewhere in this campaign.

The other horse that I think should improve for the combination of a climb on soft ground is Alan Kings TRUESHANwho didn’t really make the run of the race in York but made up for it in the last race with a Salisbury competition and put together a very progressive profile.

He won a big three year handicap here last October and has a lot of soft and heavy ground so I should definitely be interested in that at 25/1.

In the following race, the Champions Sprint Stakes, a group one over six furlongs, Dream Of Dreams tries to win a prize at the highest level over a route and distance on which it was rejected twice in a photo finish for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at the Royal To meet.

He won his Group One convincingly last time in Haydock and deserves to be favorite in all known forms with the expected conditions.

After him, however, there are question marks over some at the top of the betting.

The three-time Prix de la Foret winner One Master is certainly better off and had a very tough race in Paris two weekends ago.

It is believed that Oxted wants fast terrain in order to do his best, which was very good in the July Cup. Glen Shiel continues to improve but lacks what he needs here for what he has achieved before. Starman looks more like potential than substance of its form, and Lope Y Fernandez doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

King Power put Art Power in here, but the three year old has messed up his lines since reaching that level and I think there are a few miles in their other entry, the four year old HAPPY FORCEwho traveled extensively last Friday winning the Newmarket Group Two Challenge Stakes and did a hat trick over seven furlongs.

Andrew Balding won this with another established seven furlong performer in Donjuan Triumphant, and I could see that six furlongs on soft ground were this horse’s cup of tea.

Silverstre De Sousa, the owner’s retained jockey, is already booked for the ride and I expect it to beat his currently available odds of 20/1 and make it the all-way game of the race.

The market for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, another Group One over a mile and a half, is skewed by Magical, who still has an entry.

She beat Ghaiyyath in the Irish Champion Stakes last time, Meilen the best form on offer and if you knew she would run the advice would be to have your max at 3/1 but she will Big boys take on security later in the Champion Stakes.

The fact is that everything else but her is pretty much, but I thought Ralph Beckett ANTONIA DE VEGA won pretty leisurely in Newmarket last time, after which the coach talked about her and even considered a possible trip to Paris over the Arc weekend.

He seemed sure to believe she was a Group One filly, and he has had quite a few, so I’d be ready to have a bit of the 6/1 on sale now.

The problem with the Queen Elizabeth II stakes, from a betting perspective, is that both three-year-old Palace Pier and Kameko are miles ahead of the rest of the field in terms of ratings and both will likely give up their race.

For what it’s worth, I think John Gosden’s colt will win and confirm Ascot’s superiority over the Guinea winner, but some races are good enough to watch without a bet and this is one.

Similar comments really apply to the QIPCO Champions Stakes, and while Mishriff needs to improve to beat Magical if she shows up, I wouldn’t bet against it, but that doesn’t leave much for players who want value in either direction with just one Looking for a place to play for. I’ll dodge the race.

The one-mile Balmoral Handicap due at 4:15 a.m. could potentially be the last race to be run on heavy ground, and no horse will be better equipped than Raising Sand, who has put some effort in here over the past couple of seasons.

The one I think has the greatest advantage is Clive Cox’s NYMPH RIVERwho was favorite a few weeks ago for a seven year handicap on the abandoned card.

Very few coaches have been in better shape than Cox lately, and this horse, which won a seven-year handicap here in July, was equally fashionable last time at Newbury.

Second that day, Tranchee won his next race and finished second when he drove from £ 8 on Saturday with a scorching handicap in York. There was daylight until the third at Newbury and this horse, Danyah, won the last time so the form looks absolutely solid.

When in doubt, it’s his stamina that isn’t guaranteed in the pedigree, but I think his class and relaxed racing style should allow him to at least achieve what he has already done, which might be enough anyway, so that 14 / 1 the day makes it my last bet.

Preview published 1620 BST on December 10th, 2020