Saturday's ITV Racing Tips: Ben Linfoot's preview and selections for Champions Day at Ascot

Horse Racing

Fri October 16, 2026 · 7h ago

Our form expert has four selections for Saturday's ITV Racing action on Qatar Racing British Champions Day at Ascot.

The Verdict: Saturday October 17

1pt win Daiquiri Bay in the 13:30 Ascot at 10/1 (General)

1pt win Opportunity in the 13:30 Ascot at 11/1 (Ladbrokes, BetVictor)

1pt e.w. Prince Of India in the 14:05 Ascot at 16/1 (General 1/5, 1,2,3,4)

2pts win Rayif in the 15:20 Ascot at 6/1 (William Hill, Sky Bet, Paddy Power)

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Ray of light in the QEII

The fields have held up really well for Champions Day at Ascot thanks in part to the ‘Good’ ground but with just six runners going to post for the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes (16:00) the big race itself could be a messy affair.

John & Thady Gosden are running perennial pacemaker Devil’s Advocate to help Ombudsman but if he is largely ignored it may get tactical and position could trump class if it comes down to a sprint for the line in the Ascot straight.

Having said that Calandagan has the gears to cope with most scenarios and while the campaign of stablemate Daryz has seen him avoid 10-furlong races all year, he is arguably better at this distance considering his win in this race 12 months ago.

Attempting to retain his crown here has clearly been ringed on Francis Graffard’s calendar for a long time and, fresher than the rest of the field, it would be no surprise if he justifies favouritism and goes in again.

French trainers have an affiliation with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes as well, winning four of the last 12 renewals thanks to Charm Spirit, Solow, The Revenant and Big Rock, and Graffard’s RAYIF looks the best bet on the card at 6/1 in this year’s renewal.

With Constitution River and Gstaad doing the Hokey Cokey it is the latter Aidan O’Brien relies on and while he has come in for support since he was confirmed for the race, he was way below form in the Moulin last time and has plenty to prove.

Next in the betting Talk Of New York won an average Group 2 at Newmarket last time out and he can race too keenly, a concern at this track, while the rest of the British-trained horses tend to take turns in beating each other.

Rayif has a pedigree that suggests middle-distance horse being by Sea The Moon and given he is related to horses that stay further, but everything he has done in his career suggests he’s a high-class miler and he is two from two at the distance.

Both of those wins were at the highest level in the Poule d'Essai Des Poulains and the Prix Jacques le Marois, his career-best win in the latter race at Deauville coming at the expense of QEII rivals Zeus Olympios and More Thunder.

They went a good gallop that day and he outstayed them on the straight track, a big feather in his cap coming into this test, and he could really benefit here if Hawk Mountain, drawn next door, tows him into the race as expected in the first-time visor.

He's the most lightly-raced horse in the field after just three runs this year and he likes Good ground, while you couldn’t ask for a much better super sub than Christophe Soumillon with Mickael Barzalona suspended.

The Verdict: Back RAYIF in the 15:20 Ascot

https://media.betfair.com/redirect.aspx?pid=17888340&lpid=157&bid=1652

Sign O’ the times for Prince

There are a few short-priced favourites to consider taking on at Ascot and while Kalpana looks rock solid in the Fillies & Mares – she could be a good few pounds below her best and still win – I want to take an each-way swing against Almeraq in the British Champions Sprint (14:05).

He is of course respected after his Sprint Cup romp at Haydock, but he is priced up on that soft-ground form and the conditions will be much quicker at Ascot on Saturday, so I doubt he has as much in hand of his rivals as the ratings suggest.

Given he takes so much out of the market it looks a race ripe for an each-way bet getting four places and Marco Botti’s PRINCE OF INDIA has to come firmly into calculations.

Plenty of punters will be looking for lightly-raced horses given the freakish results Champions Day has thrown up in recent years and that’s fair enough, but the sprinters are usually more weathered and I like that Prince Of India comes in here with one of the busier 2026 profiles in the race following eight runs this year.

The best two runs of his season have been his last two so he’s clearly taking his racing well and he ran a cracker over this course and distance last time when travelling into the Bengough Stakes like the best horse only to get mugged by Hidden Force.

With that rival not in opposition on Saturday he represents the form and while he’s got gears, he is one of those former seven-furlong horses who looks ideal for a big field six-furlong brawl at stiff Ascot on Champions Day.

The Verdict: Back PRINCE OF INDIA in the 14:05 Ascot

https://skybet.com/horse-racing/ascot-17th-oct/r-7-36195832.1155

Take two from the Ebor in Long Distance Cup

The market has cornered on the obvious horses in the opening conditions race for juveniles but the following Long Distance Cup looks a good race for a bet with Highwayman and Gregory perhaps surprisingly vying for favouritism.

St Leger winner Highwayman is clearly on the up but three-year-olds have found it very tough going in this contest (0/22) and Gregory still has it to prove at this level having won a weak Listed race at Newmarket last time.

Caballo De Mar is a strong stayer but has won just one of his last five races over two miles and he had a hard race in the Prix du Cadran, so there’s a good chance some fresh blood in the division can have a big say here.

With that in mind the Sky Bet Ebor pair DAIQUIRI BAY and OPPORTUNITY are worth getting onside at double-figure prices.

Both are stepping into the unknown trip-wise on the back of fairly light campaigns, but two miles could easily squeeze more out of Daiquiri Bay who is out of a two-mile winner in Strawberry Martini and he shapes like a stayer.

Indeed, he kept on well to win over 1m6f at Royal Ascot and he improved on that again when winning the Ebor, while Alan King knows exactly what is required to win this race having won it three times with Trueshan.

With Rossa Ryan riding Amiloc, King has booked William Buick who has a tremendous record for the yard (12 from 35 at 34%) and further improvement from Daiquiri Bay would put him right in the mix.

William Haggas’ Opportunity gave Daiquiri Bay 5lb in the Ebor and was beaten just half-a-length, a career-best run over the furthest he has ever gone.

A winner at Royal Ascot himself in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap, the son of Frankel has got better and better since being gelded and he looks well worth a go at two miles in this company at a track he likes.

Haggas has a good Champions Day record and got within a nose of winning this race in 2013 with Harris Tweed, another horse stepping up to two miles from 1m6f on the back of a two-month break.