Simon Holt remembers racing's own wonder horse, Frankel, who starred on two editions of Champions Day ahead of this year's sparkling renewal.
Like a streak of lightning flashing cross the sky
Like the swiftest arrow
Whizzin from a bow
Champion the wonder horse!
You need to be of a certain age to remember 'Champion The Wonder Horse' who would race with giant strides across the Californian desert (firm, hard in places) under 12-year-old apprentice Ricky North.
As in most of the westerns, they speeded up the film a bit to make 'Champ' look faster and the show was thrilling to watch for many a horse-loving youngster.
In the racing world, such a 'wonder horse' comes along very rarely - maybe only once in a generation.
The British contender would have to be Frankel who gave the newly inaugurated Qipco Champions Day at Ascot a magnificent launching pad in 2011 when 'whizzin from a bow' to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Not everyone loves Saturday's meeting for one reason or another, but the main gripe is that it does not produce what's written 'on the tin' because of the many shock results, probably due to the often testing mid-October ground.
In contrast, drier conditions look like being ideal for the best of the best this time.
Compared to the previous incarnation of Champions Day at Newmarket, the Ascot version is infinitely better. Last year, it was Britain's richest race day with over £4.1 million in prize money and the Royal venue, with superior facilities and better viewing, will always attract much bigger attendances than the Rowley Mile.
The meeting now receives all-day terrestrial (ITV) television coverage, which wasn't the case before, and it is a fitting and expedient occasion to crown the champion jockey and apprentice at a time when the Flat season is on the wain and our top riders begin to leave the country to perform in warmer climes.
Oisin Murphy had the jockeys' title won months ago and is well over 30 winners ahead of rising star Billy Loughnane while, barring a late charge from Jack Doughty, the impressive Joe Leavy (five ahead at the time of writing) looks set to become this year's top apprentice.
Yes, on the debit side, the course has often ridden a good deal softer than might have been the case on Newmarket Heath and it is a shame that British racing's obsession with straight-course races has prompted a switch from the round course for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
But, at least some of the races at Ascot are run round bends whereas it's mostly straight line stuff at Newmarket.
Some say that the meeting has not produced enough champions since the switch in 2011 but it's hard to argue that the QEII and the Champion haven't delivered. The aforementioned Frankel (like the swiftest arrow) won both races adding the Champion Stakes in 2012 to his QEII romp a year earlier while the likes of Excelebration, Minding, Roaring Lion, Baaeed, Cirrus Des Aigles, Farhh, Almanzor, Cracksman, Magical and Addeybb contribute to an impressive roll of honour.
Aside from Frankel and Cracksman, who were firm favourites with the public, the meeting has also produced races of high emotion, most recently the cliff-hanging victory of King Of Steel and Frankie Dettori in the Champion Stakes two years ago.
Indeed, not since Black Caviar's memorably dramatic appearance at Royal Ascot in 2012 have I felt such an atmosphere from the commentary box.
This year, the introduction of a two-year-old conditions contest at a time of the year when there is a plethora of well established Group races for juveniles is something of a curiosity while providing a better-value seventh race for racegoers.
One can understand the desire to fill a gap but, without 'bold type' on offer, it may be very difficult and take a long time to attract the quality of horse needed to produce an upgrade - a 'catch' situation.
In an ideal world, last week's Dewhurst Stakes, the premier two-year-old race in the country, could have been switched to Ascot but, understandably, Newmarket would have had none of that.
Saturday's card looks just about as good as it gets and crowd favourite Trawlerman will set things alight if securing a second Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup in the first race.
Last year's winner Kind Of Blue seems to be running into form at the right time to defend his Champions Sprint, with Lazzat a big threat returning to the scene of an impressive win in the Jubilee while, in the Fillies & Mares, Estrange takes on Kalpana, who was so dominant 12 months ago.
But the main focus has to be those two major Group Ones. In the QEII, it will be intriguing to see if Field Of Gold can bounce back to his dazzling best, with Docklands, Rosallion, Never So Brave and Fallen Angel among some extremely dangerous rivals.
And the headlining clash between Ombudsman and Delacroix, meeting for the third time this season, and the impressive King George winner Calandagan in the Qipco Champion Stakes is just a sensational prospect.
The trio look really tightly matched but, should one of them burst clear (like a streak of lightning flashing cross the Berkshire sky), he might just be the next wonder horse.
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