Jan Brueghel, antepost favourite for the Long Distance Cup, has been ruled out of Qatar Racing British Champions Day at Ascot.
Jan Brueghel was promoted to the top of the betting as soon as he was earmarked for the two-mile Group 1 contest after a promising run at the Irish Champions Festival but a setback has ruled him out of the Berkshire contest.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien, speaking from Naas after watching Bengal Tiger oblige, told Racing TV: "Jan Brueghel won't run, we were preparing him for it but he's just had a setback so he won't be there.
"He got an infection in his joint and got fairly badly infected in two hours and Ger had to flush it and, usually, when you do that you have to give them time but the operation went well and he, hopefully, will be back for next year."
O'Brien could still be represented by either, or both, Scandinavia and Queenstown although he described the Gold Cup winner's participation as 'an outside chance', explaining: "The ground was gone a little bit in France and we would have expected the ground to be gone at Ascot.
"He came out of France very well and we just kept him cantering and he is very fresh. We'll see what the week is going to bring but more than likely the ground won't be there and if that is the case, Queenstown will run instead of him."
Aidan O'Brien on...
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 11, 2026
- Darkness Falls
- Constitution River
- Gstaad
- Scandinavia
- Jan Brueghel
- Minnie Hauk
- Amelia Earhart
- the British Trainers' Championship pic.twitter.com/SLe5GNLt9H
O'Brien outlined plans for the rest of his Ascot team, including Constitution River and Gstaad who could go down in trip and up in distance respectively.
"We haven't really decided which way yet," he said. "They could go different ways to how they've been racing all year. It depends on what the lads want to do.
"Minnie [Hauk] will run with Amelia [Earhart] in the Fillies and Mares."
Paddy Power's latest betting for the Qatar Racing British Champions Long Distance Cup: 2/1 Caballo De Mar, Scandinavia; 7/2 Highwayman; 5/1 Gregory; 7/1 Queenstown, Fairy Glen; 8s bar.
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