It’s the grand finale of the Flat season at Ascot on Saturday as British Champions Day brings the curtain down on the year with four Group 1s.
The feature Qipco Champion Stakes (3.55) is a mouthwatering clash between the outstanding three-year-olds Economics and Calandagan. Which team are you on?
Our expert, Clive Gildon, has a trio of selections on the card including one in the feature race, one in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and another in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.
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Saturday’s tips
2.35 Ascot – Tiffany
3.15 Ascot – Quddwah
3.55 Ascot – Calandagan
2.35 Ascot – Tiffany
The second Group 1 on the card is the feature for females and this can go to Tiffany, who has looked like a top-class performer in the making all season and can now prove it.
Tiffany simply loves soft ground and has been unbeatable in Germany this season, winning three from three and twice with soft in the going descriptions. These conditions will be ideal.
She looked good on home soil, too, when running away with a Group 3 at Newcastle in June, and her sole defeat this year at the hands of the reopposing Queen Of The Pride at Haydock in July came on ground that would have been quicker than ideal. That is forgiven.
Conditions will suit Tiffany better here, so she is a confident selection to reverse the places with Queen Of The Pride, and it won’t take much more progress for Tiffany to make the breakthrough at Group 1 level for Sir Mark Prescott.
3.15 Ascot – Quddwah
The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (3.15) might be another Group 1 that goes to a first-time top-level winner because Quddwah has an outstanding chance for Simon and Ed Crisford.
The Kingman colt is unbeaten in two starts at Ascot. He beat subsequent Queen Anne runner-up Docklands over course and distance in May and followed up by landing the Summer Mile on the Round course here in July, recording a career-best effort.
He wasn’t up to the task when tried in Group 1 company at Deauville last time, finishing fourth behind two of these rivals in Charyn and Metropolitan. However, that was only Quddwah’s fifth start and he should be all the better for that experience.
The return to Ascot is definitely in Quddwah’s favour and he has no problem with soft conditions, so might be capable of making the progress that is required.
3.55 Ascot – Calandagan
The Qipco Champion Stakes (3.55) is a fantastic feature between two outstanding performers in Economics and Calandagan, and preference is for Calandagan.
The French-trained runner looked good when winning twice on testing ground at Longchamp in the spring and couldn’t have been more impressive than he was when running away with the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June by six lengths over 1m4f on fast going.
He put in an even better effort when tried in a red-hot running of the Juddmonte International at York last time, when doing clearly best of those to come from off the pace in second behind the star City Of Troy. The first two were three-and-a-half lengths clear of the rest.
Calandagan made up an extraordinary amount of ground in a race that was dominated by those who raced prominently on fast ground and is capable of putting in an even better performance on softer conditions here, especially if he is ridden a bit closer to the pace.
*all odds correct at time of writing and subject to change
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