Richard Kingscote roars home Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes

QIPCO Champion Stakes: Bay Bridge could defend crown

Horse Racing

Wed October 04, 2023 · 3y ago

Bay Bridge could head to Ascot on Saturday week to defend his crown in the QIPCO Champion Stakes.

The five-year-old ran in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday and emerged with credit in finishing sixth behind Ace Impact.

He’s come out of those exertions well to leave the door open for the Champion defence, Sir Michael Stoute’s assistant trainer James Savage telling Tuesday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “We were pleased with the run. When we walked the track on the morning it was genuine good ground then by the time it came round to race time it had been upwards of 25 degrees all day with a breeze and it was always going to dry but it probably got to good to firm and might even have been quicker than that.

“We were very happy with how he ran. He was only beaten six lengths by a very, very smart horse and we also just felt he maybe didn’t give himself enough of a chance in the early and mid part of the race where he always just doing too much.

“It was a very tactical race and we chose to go forward from our draw. The more we looked at the race in depth there was no pace it was always going to be tactical and messy so we were happy.

He ran with a good deal of credit and has travelled back from France great. He had a little canter this morning and when we work him back if he's in A1 shape you’d have to think about the Champion Stakes. He is the reigning champion.”

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