Horse Racing Tips: Paddy’s pundits’ EPIC cheat sheet for Ascot Champions Day

Kyprios will be all the rage. However, he’s had a busy season and he was beaten in this race last year by Trawlerman. While Kyprios is more straightforward, TRAWLERMAN could cause a little bit of an upset!

Kyprios heads the market and he should have won this last year before losing to Trawlerman. Kyprios should win but his odds help us find an each-way angle at a better price. I have slight doubts over Trawlerman and Sweet William based on the John and Thady Gosden yard form. Al Nayyir won at Newmarket last time out and he relished the soft ground, while he has form on quick ground too. He is fresh and he stays so I’ll take him as an each-way shout.

KYPRIOS is back for revenge this time having gone down to Trawlerman in 2023, he’s in tip-top form and always looks like he has just that little bit more to give.

Kyprios is the most likely winner but there’s value in backing AL NAYYIR as an each-way shout. He loves going on an easy surface and he won at Newmarket last time out.

I fully expect KYPRIOS to confirm himself as the best stayer in the land in a race where all the leading contenders love mud.

SWEET WILLIAM is a cracking each-way bet if you don’t want to back one as short, as I can’t see the Coops runner out of the first three.

It’s very hard for me to get away from KINROSS. He loves Ascot and soft ground. He also ran a very good race when finishing second in the Prix de La Foret at Longchamp earlier this month.

Montassib has a lot going for him but the draw of stall six could make this tricky for him. I’m also slightly against Mill Stream because of the ground. I’m going to take a chance on Kind Of Blue and hope that he can handle the ground. He’s the least exposed runner in here and he’s got a good draw in stall 17.

BUCANERO FUERTE (each-way) was quietly fancied at Haydock but went far too fast in the opening stages. He’s drawn in the ideal part of the track with speed in stalls 12 and 13.

I’ve landed on FLORA OF BERMUDA, who was unlucky in the Haydock Sprint Cup last time out in September. He failed to get a run and he has form on soft ground. He’s a decent price too.

The one I like each-way never wins, but I’m sure deep down he has the ability to do so and that is the French raider BEAUVATIER. A strong gallop in the mud here should be just what the three-year-old needs and he might surprise a few.

Kalpana is the favourite but I’m concerned about her on the soft ground. I’ll take a chance on TIFFANY for Mark Prescott. She could be worth keeping on side due to the ground with first-time cheekpieces.

I’m a big fan of Tiffany. Her only defeat of the season came at Haydock where she slipped on heavy ground. The meeting was actually abandoned that day so I’m forgiving her second-place finish. I really like her and she’s potentially top class. She can take a step up and show how good she is. She can handle the ground and she clearly stays.

KALPANA has long looked destined for the top table and it’s been a rapid climb through the ranks. The only reason she’s not shorter is the ground is a bit of an unknown. If she overcomes that we could be looking at a champion.

I’m against Kalpana purely on the ground so I’m siding with VILLAGE VOICE at a big price. She beat Jackie Oh last year at Ascot and has won twice on testing ground at Saint-Cloud.

I like another raider here in QUANTANAMERA for Stephane Pasquier and Andreas Suborics. I suspect my mud lover is improving all the time and she’s got a decent each-way chance at long odds.

Charyn is the most likely winner but he’s short in the market. I like FACTEUR CHEVAL as an each-way bet. He ran very well in the race last year when finishing second behind Big Rock. He’ll be ridden to come home and that might be good enough.

Charyn and Tamfana top the market but I prefer the latter as Charyn has had a hectic season without a lengthy break. It could catch up with him. Checkandchallenge could be a value pick at a huge price. This is a tough race but he shows his best form in Autumn meetings and he finishes off well in bigger fields. He was second at Sandown in September and Christophe Soumillon is a very good jockey booking. He might not win but he could easily hit the frame.

FACTEUR CHEVAL comes here fresher than most in the line up but has also been running on ground conditions that aren’t ideal. He can let the pace setters get on with it and produce late.

I’m with METROPLOITAN. He had a good run in the St James’s Palace at Royal Ascot in the summer and beat Dancing Gemini in the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp. He can show plenty of improvement.

Prague might be up to this to pull off a huge fairytale win, but the chances are that CHARYN will confirm his status as the best older miler in Europe. He’s not unbeatable, but he’s very likely to win.

ECONOMICS is very good and I can’t go against him. He’ll handle the conditions and, if you watch his fourth in the Newmarket maiden over 7f last year, he didn’t mind the ground.

I’m Calandagan‘s biggest fan. I was all over him in the King Edward at the Royal meeting. He ran even better when second behind City of Troy at York last time out. Economics is a very good horse but Calandagan is a superstar. There’s more to come from him so I can’t oppose him.

ECONOMICS could he potentially be the best three-year-old we have seen. Let’s hope all the signs are right as he brings a fantastic profile.

Also, NASHWA might nick a place at huge odds.

I’m with CALANDAGAN. He’s a hold-up horse and I’m not too worried about his draw in stall one. I was really impressed with Economic, he could be a superstar but I’m siding with Calandagan

Economics is the great hope for the future, and I hope he wins, but I’m happy to side with French raider CALANDAGAN who has the best form in the book. He will be tucked in on the rail and he was simply brilliant here in the King Edward VII.

I will have something each-way on CONTINUOUS, who ran a shocker in the Arc the other day but is much better than that.

BOPEDRO could be the value selection. He ran well in the Challenge Cup at Ascot last time out and handles the track well. He’ll be ridden to come home and is a decent each-way play.

Thunder Run in stall 21 could be the pace angle and he could go forward. I quite like Mirsky for David O’Meara with Kieran Shoemark on board. He shaped well at Ascot last time out when getting a terrible draw. He stayed on to finish fifth and he saw the race out well. He finished second at York a few runs ago and that wasn’t a fluke. The hood might bring more out of him and he’s a decent price.

I’m not sure what has kept LATTAM off the track for 114 days but at least he has a very good profile. The only problem is getting a clear passage as he is such a long racehorse. Ryan Sexton just needs one clear long run through the final quarter mile to land this.

I’ve liked STATE ACTOR all year so I’ll stick with him once again. He has form on soft ground and he’ll be fine in stall two. There is a huge race in him and I’m hoping it’s on Saturday!

STATE ACTOR might be one to look at each-way for the Chris Hayes and Bill Farrell. He should give us a good each-way spin in the conditions, and he’s lightly raced and still open to improvement.