World Pool tips for QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot
Graham Cunningham puts forward his suggested World Pool plays for Saturday's mouthwatering action at Ascot.
Emotional Frankie looking to ride the Champions Day storm
Four G1s, one G2, a big handicap to finish and a few tears thrown in for good measure. That’s the menu for Frankie Dettori’s Ascot farewell on Qipco Champions Day this Saturday and factoring in the effects of Storm Babet is essential for anyone looking to cash in on the final European World Pool card of the year.
Champions Day World Pool Plays
Champions Sprint: Kinross/Ocean Quest
QEII: Big Rock
Champion Stakes: Via Sistina
Balmoral: Lattam/Docklands/Al Mubhir
Long Distance Cup (1.15)
Is Kyprios the same horse who ended last season as Europe’s champion stayer with a runaway success on deep ground at Longchamp? His long injury break followed by a rusty reappearance at the Curragh gives the rest hope and Trueshan and Coltrane will be poised to capitalise if he nods again.
Trueshan is 2-2 since having a breathing operation and bids for a fourth consecutive win in this but COLTRANE gave him a real scare last year and has looked as good as ever for most of 2023. Yes, his latest run at Doncaster was plain but that may have come too quickly after his York success and Andrew Balding’s gelding could prove the value after a longer break.
Champions Sprint (1.50)
KINROSS will be a warm order to repeat his commanding win on this day last year and, given that he returns as good as ever with a fine record in testing ground, the chance of Frankie performing a farewell flying dismount are clearly high.
But this looks a case of finding the right Quinella horses to couple with the market leader and OCEAN QUEST and ROHAAN both have something to recommend them. Fourth in this last year, Rohaan has a fine Ascot record and is highly effective in the mud, while Ocean Quest ran well here in June and she appeals as a very lively longshot if back to the form that saw her thrash some useful fillies at Naas two starts back.
Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.25)
Fancied horses tend to come to the fore here but this year’s renewal doesn’t look the most attractive punting puzzle. Free Wind’s best gives her solid claims but Time Lock has thrived in the last few weeks and the way she bolted clear in a G3 at Newmarket earns her a place at the top of a pretty long short list.
QEII (3.05)
Four Classic winners clash in one of the highlights of the day and the market leaders are there for good reason. Paddington is a perfectly plausible winner on his return from a late-summer break and, for all that this is her first time against the boys, fellow four-time G1 winner Tahiyra has shown a turn of foot that suggests she could be well up to the task.
Nashwa has been a constant in this column all year and looks set for another bold effort but looking beyond the obvious is the key to World Pool value and French raider BIG ROCK appeals for a win, place and Quinella purposes.
Christopher Head’s colt has had a fine season, running to a consistently high level including when chasing home Arc hero Ace Impact in the French Derby. He has a few pounds to find with the proven G1 winners but holding ground levels the playing field and his aggressive style can stand him in solid stead when things get tough here.
Champion Stakes (3.45)
Time will tell whether the Gosdens allow the leading form contender Mostadhaf to take his chance but, with so much rain around, the safe play is to focus on proven mudlarks.
Last year’s winner BAY BRIDGE will be fine under these conditions and his recent Arc run shouldn’t be held against him as he wasted energy by pulling hard . He’s probably the same horse as twelve months ago – in which case he will be tough to keep out of the money – but he faces a filly who could be very dangerous if rain keeps falling.
VIA SISTINA has come a long way since being sold for 5,000gns as a yearling and she’s thrived in a light campaign since joining George Boughey, bounding clear of good fillies at Newmarket and the Curragh then going down narrowly after seeming to hit the front a shade too early in a Deauville G1 last month. That form alone gives her a fair place chance but this is a filly who can deliver a potent finish when the mud is flying and this week’s storms make her one of the most attractive each way bets on the card.
Balmoral Handicap (4.20)
A complex finale by any standards and, if history is any guide, one that could become even trickier if riders decide to form a galloping traffic jam on or close to the far rail. Still, a wide open market offers potential for those who dig out the right candidates and LATTAM, DOCKLANDS and AL MUBHIR form a short list that might help crack the code.
William Haggas’s LATTAM heads the list as I suspect he’s been running well without his optimum setup for a while now. A true pace and give in the ground over a straight mile ought to be ideal and the fact that he’s fitted with cheekpieces for the first time is another interesting angle.
Time will tell if Lattam’s stablemate Al Mubhir can shine from a wide gate but, that aside, he has plenty in his favour. Deep ground will suit him much better than most, while Docklands didn’t come up to expectations at Goodwood but he’s impressed twice over Ascot’s demanding straight mile and is much less exposed than most after just six starts.
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