It’s the Autumn highlight of the 2022 British Flat racing season and we’re gearing up for Champions Day at Ascot. Huzzah! There’s huge prize money on offer with four Group 1 races as the equine superstar Baaeed looks to sign off his stellar career unbeaten in the featured Champion Stakes at 4pm.
A card of such gravitas calls for a punting panel to match and Paddy’s delivered with Matt Chapman, Mick Fitzgerald, Jason Weaver, Frank Hickey and Timeform all in the saddle and ready to share their top tips, unrivalled insight and best guesses on the six-race card.
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So rather than reading, start scrolling through our Champions Day cheat sheet at Ascot.
Matt Chapman
Mick Fitzgerald
Jason Weaver
Frank Hickey
Timeform
Matt Chapman
TRUESHAN has been disappointing recently but everything is set for him to bounce back to his very best. The Alan King-trained star was a massive flop at Doncaster last time, but connections blamed themselves for the effort because they had run him at Goodwood on unsuitable ground for his previous race.
Mick Fitzgerald
TRUESHAN has not had his favoured ground all season so far but, thankfully for connections, the rain is arriving on Friday and that should inconvenience the others and make it more in his favour.
Jason Weaver
Alan King’s runner TRUESHAN is looking for a remarkable treble in this Long Distance Cup and he can claim the scalp of the younger, St Leger winner, Eldar Eldarov.
Frank Hickey
I could be made to look a fool but I’m willing to take Trueshan on with St Leger winner ELDAR ELDAROV. He also won the Queen’s Vase at this track in the summer.
Timeform
It could pay to side with Aidan O’Brien’s rapidly improving WATERVILLE who gained a remarkable success in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh and can now announce himself as a big player in the staying division.
Matt Chapman
KINROSS is so on top of his game right now that he can take care of the more established sprinters. The Ralph Beckett trained selection has been excelling over seven furlongs, but I really think he can cope with this drop in trip.
Mick Fitzgerald
KINROSS has won his last three races, two Group 2s in the UK, and a Group 1 in France. He stays really well and has already beaten my original selection Creative Force who won this last year.
Jason Weaver
NAVAL CROWN was absolutely spectacular in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes in June and ran a stormer in the July Cup when just denied by Alcohol Free. He can bounce back to winning ways again with the easier ground conditions in his favour.
Frank Hickey
At the respective prices, I’ll take a swing at GARRUS. He’s a big each-way price considering he ran a career best last time behind Highfield Princess,
Timeform
A fascinating top-notch sprint in which it may pay to side with ROHAAN as he bids to dispel his flop in the 2021 renewal. He is otherwise unbeaten over C&D and looked every bit as good as ever when landing the Bengough Stakes last time.
Matt Chapman
Last year’s heroine ESHAADA has been disappointing since her success here but I think we can risk a few quid on her each-way this time.
Mick Fitzgerald
SWEET LADY loves the ground and comes into this on the back of a Group 1 win at Longchamp last month. I think she’s a solid each-way bet.
Jason Weaver
EMILY UPJOHN was unlucky not to win the Epsom Oaks when stumbling in the first few strides and is better than she showed in the King George at Ascot. She’s been given time to regroup for this big prize.
Frank Hickey
Emily Upjohn has a massive chance but ROSCARBERY ran well in the Irish St Leger and has an each-way chance if it’s a strongly-run race.
Timeform
A race that’s normally won by a 3-y-o and the Classic generation look to hold sway again. ETERNAL PEARL has come a long way in a short space of time having made her debut in April and with the ceiling of her ability unclear along with a tremendous attitude, she gets the vote.
Matt Chapman
Inspiral will probably win, but for betting purposes I’m happy to back THE REVENANT each-way for French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard with Ryan Moore a great booking. My hope was fourth behind Baaeed and Palace Pier in this last year and this is much less competitive.
Mick Fitzgerald
Modern Games was the winner of the French Guineas and also last time out at Woodbine in Canada in a Group 1. Inspiral is a very good filly and this track should be right up her street but I feel THE REVENANT, who has won here before, will love the conditions.
Jason Weaver
INSPIRAL has an enviable profile and comes into another Group 1 race on the back of a very impressive victory in France. A few big wins could make things interesting for John Gosden in the trainers’ title race.
Frank Hickey
MODERN GAMES has brilliant form over 1m and his only defeat was in the Sussex Stakes against Baaeed. The gap in price between him and the favourite is just too big.
Timeform
INSPIRAL holds the clear edge on form and, as on her previous visit here when impressively landing the Coronation Stakes on the round course she can confirm herself a filly right out of the top drawer with a convincing success.
Matt Chapman
Baaeed should win with Adayar following him home so an each-way bet is probably crazy, but I’m having a few quid on STONE AGE for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
Mick Fitzgerald
It is Champions Day and BAAEED is a proper champion. I know I’m a bit of a sentimental fool, but at the same time I can’t help but want to celebrate a horse who has a 100% record.
Jason Weaver
I’m going for an upset here by taking the Epsom Derby and King George winner ADAYAR to beat the unbeaten superstar Baaeed. It’s going to require a career-best effort, though.
Frank Hickey
Baaeed is the superstar and should win but is no price. I’ll take a punt on MY PROSPERO in our ‘betting without Baaeed and Adayar’ market. I can see him finishing third behind the two. There’s also the ‘tricast’ option of them to finish in that exact order.
Timeform
Racing immortality awaits BAAEED, who made it a perfect 10 stepped up to 1¼m for the first time in the Juddmonte International at York and can emulate Timeform’s highest rated horse Frankel in ending his glittering career unbeaten. Adayar is feared most.
Matt Chapman
PEROTTO won the 2021 Britannia off a mark of 99 and including the claim of Harry Davies is off 97 here. Now he’s not done much lately for Marcus Tregoning and he wouldn’t want any massive amount of rain.
Mick Fitzgerald
William Haggas would love to be champion trainer and I think BASHKIROVA can help him. She has form on soft ground, and I don’t think is badly handicapped for a race like this either.
Jason Weaver
The course form of former Royal Ascot winner PEROTTO will help here. He’s now dropped 10lb in the handicap with jockey Harry Davies taking another 3lb off and can get competitive again.
Frank Hickey
BASHKIROVA comfortably landed a Group 3 at the Epsom Derby meeting but she found Group 2 company a little too hot. It’s a wide open race and she isn’t majorly exposed.
Timeform
BLUE FOR YOU who wasn’t seen to best effect in the Challenge Cup here last time and can show he’s still on a favourable mark returned to 1m and with Danny Tudhope back in the saddle.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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