Champions Day dark horses: Ascot tips including 100/1 suggestion
We highlight four horses in line for QIPCO British Champions Day who are being overlooked in the antepost markets for Ascot.
KINROSS – QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes
Ralph Beckett’s Kinross looked to be really getting his act together when signing off last year with a Listed win at Kempton on November 18.
That came at a mile and he was duly campaigned over nine furlongs in Dubai during the winter, but dropping back in trip to seven has helped him rediscover his mojo returned to the UK this year.
After Group Three and Group Two wins at Haydock and Goodwood respectively, he’s not been disgraced in two subsequent outings at the highest level and it looks interesting he’s in line for his first ever outing over a bare six furlongs this weekend.
The son of Kingman wouldn’t want the ground drying out too much but he goes well on good to soft and his impressive turn of foot before not quite seeing it out in the Prix de la Foret last time smacked of a quality sprinter ready to emerge.
MASTER OF THE SEAS – Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO)
This year’s QEII will be billed as a match between Palace Pier and burgeoning talent Baaeed but it’s rarely quite so simple and whatever Godolphin send into battle will be well worth respecting.
Benbatl had Master Of The Seas back in third in the Joel Stakes at Newmarket last month but Saeed bin Suroor’s horse had the benefit of a recent outing under his belt, which wasn’t the case for the Charlie Appleby-trained Master Of The Seas, who is likely to come on for it.
His previous run came in the 2000 Guineas when beaten a short-head by Poetic Flare so the talent is there if improving for the comeback and the little bit of juice in the ground seems more likely to suit him than Benbatl, who could skip this altogether in favour of the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar where he’ll almost certainly get quick ground.
SEALIWAY – QIPCO British Champion Stakes
Trainer Cedric Rossi has confirmed he intends on running Sealiway in the Champion and the three-year-old looks capable of running a huge race for France.
The son of Galiway was a very progressive juvenile, winning the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on his sixth start of last year, before signing off with a fair fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.
He’s a fresher horse this autumn, having raced just three times in the spring/summer – including a good second to St Mark’s Basilica in the Prix du Jockey Club – before an eyecatching effort in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his return from 119 days away.
They ran very different races at ParisLongchamp, admittedly, but Sealiway finished just three-quarters of a length behind Adayar there and is being underestimated in the market dropping back to what is his likely to be his ideal trip this weekend.
GREENSIDE – Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored by QIPCO)
Henry Candy’s Greenside has gone very well fresh in the past and could be a sporting each-way bet at 100/1 in the Balmoral.
He finished third in this race last year from a 5lb higher mark and he showed he was still capable of mixing it in similar company when a close third over seven furlongs at Goodwood in May.
Two lesser efforts followed during June and July but he’s been put away since and given a bit of a chance by the assessor off his lowest rating since finishing second behind Kynren here in October 2019.
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