Ed Chamberlin looks ahead to QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot

I'll come clean here - when we set out on this journey with ITV Racing, Champions Day wasn't necessarily one I had circled in my diary as one of the massive days on the channel.

In my time presenting football, a lot of people were looking to crab Champions Day, saying they got a bit lucky with Frankel, raising question marks over its position in the calendar at the tail-end of a long season, and suggesting the concept may well peter out.

But how wrong they were.

And how everybody's perspective seems to have changed - it's clearly a massive day in the Flat season and one I now have firmly highlighted as a fixture to savour.

The only thing that can go wrong as far as I can tell is the weather in the next few days. So let's keep everything crossed and hope that all these superstars turn up on the day, because it has the potential to be a sensational day's racing.

What's so great about it is the potential stories we've got lined up before us. Sport is all about stories, which includes big head-to-heads and some special match-ups. What's even more special is a big rematch and luckily we have a couple of them in store on Saturday.

The first humdinger of a rematch comes in the very first race as it's Big Orange v Order Of St George II after their epic battle in the Gold Cup. And then the two sprinting sensations Harry Angel and Caravaggio go toe-to-toe again.

Add to that, Aidan O'Brien going for a world record, you've got 'Mr Ascot' Frankie with a good book of rides and you've got the crowning of the season's champions.

That is a proper day's sport and all six races are being shown live on ITV's main channel.

One thing we've been extremely lucky with this year, especially through the Flat season, is that we've had a succession of great finishes. We've had the Coral-Eclipse, a lot of people will say the best of the lot was the Nunthorpe, but for me nothing quite beats the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

The Nunthorpe was quite remarkable with Richard Hoiles' memorable commentary and Dettori's premature celebration certainly added to the drama, but the Gold Cup tops the lot, with two warriors scrapping away.

Big Orange stuck his long neck out to win that day, but just like the Nunthorpe when we built it up to be Lady Aurelia v Battaash, I feel there could be an intruder on the scene in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup this weekend.

The horse in question is STRADIVARIUS, who I fancy could beat them both. Three-year-olds getting weight and cashing in has been a bit of a running theme this year and although Big Orange is slightly better off with John Gosden's youngster from their Goodwood Cup run, I do feel Stradivarius is still improving rapidly.

That St Leger, in which he ran a screamer to be third, was a really good renewal of the race and he was just done for a bit of speed by two classy three-year-olds in Capri and Crystal Ocean, both of whom I've been trumpeting for most of 2017.

So back up to two miles, on potentially softening ground which is going to be against Big Orange, I like the young up-and-comer to see off Order Of St George, who faces a big ask on the back of his fine Arc run. He was beaten here last year after running at Chantilly and I wouldn't rule out the same happening again.

Click on the image below to back Stradivarius for the Long Distance Cup with Sky Bet...

There's no respite as we then go straight into the QIPCO British Champions Sprint and for me it's the race of the day.

Prior to Royal Ascot, my regular reader (!) will know I thought Caravaggio was the second coming and even though he won that day, he definitely had the race set up for him on a plate and he hasn't quite gone as I thought he might.

I've consequently transferred both feet, and the lot, into the HARRY ANGEL camp. If you said to me what's the one performance all year on the Flat that's really had the wow factor to it, it would have to be Harry at Haydock.

Not just destroying them on ground we didn't think he'd quite like, but the sustained burst of speed which was simply incredible. I think he is the real deal.

Again, it's the three-year-olds that I expect to dominate and while I feel a tinge of disloyalty having switched camps mid-season, I now feel very strongly that we've got a special one here in Clive Cox's speedster.

Enable, the queen of the 2017 Flat season, is conspicuous by her absence in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, but there's every chance this race could be the one that draws Aidan O'Brien level with Bobby Frankel's incredible record of 25 top-class winners in a single year.

Anyone who says O'Brien's the best trainer just because he has the best horses just needs to look at Rhododendron and how he's managed to get her back from all the troubles she's had to winning a Group One at Chantilly.

Of course he has the best horses, but O'Brien is the best trainer, there's no doubt about that.

But it's a brave man that has a strong opinion on any of these and I'm happy to take a punt on a couple at bigger prices.

Firstly, ALYSSA for Ralph Beckett could be worth chancing. Beckett described her on ITV as a "bit of a cow" but she's clearly a talented one and her Park Hill form from Doncaster has worked out well with Aljezeera winning earlier this week.

You probably can't rely on her solely so I'll be having a little nibble on SMART CALL each-way as well. I've been waiting for a big performance from her since she moved to Sir Michael Stoute's from South Africa and I just wonder if she's been crying out for this step up in trip. If the rain stays away, 25/1 could look big about her.

It's all about one horse in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and let's go all out on RIBCHESTER. I love this horse and would love to see him win for fellow columnist Richard Fahey.

It's probably the toughest race he's had but he loves Ascot and if Churchill runs here then it might just make the market for Ribchester. Beat The Bank is a lovely horse and clearly in top form but it's surely a massive step up for him.

Fahey said in last week's column he felt the favourite was still a progressive horse at the age of four and if the best is getting better still, then the rest have a mountain to climb.

Frankly, I'm amazed he's 2/1 and bigger.

I'm happy to take on Cracksman in the QIPCO Champion Stakes, at the prices. I'd be surprised if Cracksman had the raw speed to win over this trip around Ascot and I could see Frankie having to get to work on him early.

That short straight demands a turn of foot and while Ulysses stands out in that regard, I've a nagging doubt that he might end up swerving this and going straight to America for the Breeders' Cup.

My learned colleague Jason Weaver is bound to be keen on the chances of Brametot having tipped him in the Arc, where I felt he was a little bit unlucky not to finish a bit closer to the magnificent Enable, while Poet's Word is a horse I really like.

It's amazing to think how he's come from handicaps to Group One level and he'll run a good race but I'm giving one more chance to BARNEY ROY.

I honestly don't think he's had a race run to suit him all season and I couldn't believe they didn't field a pacemaker at York. Back at Ascot, which we know he likes after that St James's Palace victory over Lancaster Bomber, and with pace in the race to aim at, I'm happy to chance Barney again.

Unlike some of the others he's missed those hard races in France and Ireland and he comes here really fresh and extremely well according to all reports.

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