The Victorious Racing-owned Bay City Roller has been one of the stories of the middle-distance division this season and trainer George Scott is bidding to sign off in style in Saturday's Qatar Racing Champion Stakes at Ascot before a trip to the Breeders' Cup.
The four-year-old has been a model of consistency throughout 2026, opening his campaign at Chester in the spring before finishing second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then producing the standout performance of his season with a 10-length romp in the Coolmore Coronation Cup at Epsom - a first domestic Group 1 for Scott.
Bay City Roller went on to finish runner-up to dual Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz both in his Arc trial and in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe itself.
Scott said: “Bay City Roller has had two parts to his season. He started in the spring at Chester, giving Lambourn 5lb and I thought he ran very well. He has held his consistency through the year, finishing second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and then his romp in the Coronation Cup was definitely a season highlight for us.
“We were delighted with his trial for the Arc behind Daryz, and as it turned out he finished second again behind him on the big day. He has just been a model of consistency, so reliable, and he seems very tactically and ground-versatile now. Still feel like he has got plenty of running left in him."
The winner of the feature race on Qatar Racing British Champions Day is guaranteed an automatic starting position in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Scott said: “The Champion Stakes looks red-hot this year, especially if the rain stays away. Calandagan, Ombudsman and Almaqam will all turn up, so I guess he’ll be in the mix - but it’s going to be a fascinating race."
Should Bay City Roller come out of Ascot in good order, a trip to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland awaits.
Scott said: “If everything goes well at Ascot and he runs well and comes out of it, the plan is very much to head to Kentucky. I think the left-handed track will suit him well, he has had no issue with going quite tight before. Autumn can bring any kind of weather there and we’d welcome some rain; I was watching some racing from there last night and it looked pretty wet. So provided he comes out of Ascot in good shape, he’ll be heading to the Breeders’ Cup.
"I’d say it’s fairly optimistic thinking that he could do the double. I’d just like to see him run two healthy races. He’s a horse that’s never let us down, he’s very reliable so it’s not out of his reach to certainly compete in both races.”
More on British Champions Day 2026
- Simon Holt on expecting the unexpected at Ascot
- Podcast team weigh up Champions Sprint 'banker' Almeraq
- David Ord on why William Haggas is backing the underdog
- Ben Linfoot on the big questions heading into Ascot
- Andrew Asquith tackles Champions Day in Weekend View
- What makes Billy Loughnane stand out from the rest?
- Matt Brocklebank reveals his Champions Day shortlist
- William Haggas on his British Champions Day team
- Andrew Balding on his British Champions Day team
- Richard Brown on Wathnan's Ascot team
- Nemone Routh on the Aga Khan Stud's Ascot team
- Tom Fanshawe on Kind Of Blue's Champion Sprint claims
- Nemone Routh on the Aga Khan Stud's Ascot team
- Tom Fanshawe on Kind Of Blue's Champion Sprint claims
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