Tom Fanshawe says the Kind Of Blue team go into Saturday’s Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint “realistic” over their chances of beating favourite Almeraq.
The five-year-old won the Ascot Group One himself in 2024 but has twice been well beaten by the market leader this season in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over course-and-distance in June and the Betfair Sprint Cup a Haydock last month.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing the assistant trainer said: “I think we’ve got him in better shape than we had him before Haydock. Obviously if Almeraq runs to his Haydock form he’s going to be very tough to beat but this time of year, we’ve had slightly less racing than him, and we’re hoping we have the slightly fresher horse and he goes there with a bit more confidence than he had before Haydock.
“I think we’re quite realistic and know that Almeraq is a stand-out sprinter at the moment, we need him to run below form probably to win the race but this time of year, at Ascot, anything can happen.”
And the Fanshawe team take positives from their charge’s recent win at Kempton where he beat Mithaaby and Montassib in a conditions race.
“He seems in really good nick. He’s come out of Kempton in really good order, he’s moving well and seems nice and bright,” Fanshawe added.
“It looks like he was getting right back to his best. You look at the ratings for the race and it was a Group race on paper. I think the way he travelled through the race was the most eyecatching thing. It gave us some confidence heading towards Saturday.
“James (Doyle) felt he was just a little cute when he hit the front. He travelled into the race to the furlong and a half very comfortably then it just looked like he was idling when he hit the front. Obviously, he’s an older horse now, they can become a little more cuter to the game and that scenario that he’s used to in the big field sprint Group Ones, you’re not often allowed the luxury of travelling into the race and hitting the front like he did with a furlong to go.”
British Champions Day 2026
- 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
- 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
- Trainers' title: Andrew Balding v Aidan O'Brien
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