2024 Champions Day Ascot Preview & Tips – DS
2024 Champions Day Ascot Preview & Tips
Last weekend was a write off but these things happen when you play at the prices we do. The spotlight will be on Ascot for Champions Day on Saturday and bar the sprint and a couple of places in the Balmoral, this is a meeting I have struggled at over the years. Tomorrow could be the day that all changes though so we live in hope. Check out our 2024 Champions Day Ascot preview and tips below.
1.20 – British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2)
First up, the stayers. Kyprios came unstuck behind Trawlerman in this last year but he is odds on to right that wrong. He is 6/6 this season and he has beaten most of these before. The question is whether it will be one race too many for the superstar stayer.
Last year’s winner Trawlerman comes into this a much fresher horse. He has clearly been trained for this but will he act on the slow ground. It was good to soft last year and the track has been drying out this week but there’s rain forecast overnight so it will likely be the softest ground he has ever run on.
One that looks potentially overpriced to me is Sweet William. He beat Trueshan at Doncaster on his last start and he found just Kyprios too good on his two previous runs at Ascot and Goodwood. He handles soft ground, he has run well here before, he has won or placed on all fourteen of his career starts and I am baffled to see him priced up at 12/1. Obviously, Kyprios is the one to beat but at the prices, Sweet William surely represents value and he is the e/w selection.
2024 Champions Day Ascot Tip: Sweet William e/w @ 12/1 NB
1.55 – British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1)
We are already on Moss Tucker at 66/1 for this (reasoning is here). The market has totally written him off and at the time of writing he could be backed at 80/1. Maybe I am way off but I have been waiting two years for him to run in this, he’ll have his favoured ground and hopefully he proves the many doubters wrong.
With such a big field it makes sense to back another one and at 50/1, Vadream is my alternative selection. She will love the soft ground too and she was a similarly big price when running a massive race in the Sprint Cup at Haydock back in September. She finished just 1.75l behind Montassib, the 6/1 fav here, and she had quite a few of these behind.
I believe the key to this mare is holding her up for a late run. That’s how she was ridden at Haydock and that’s how she was ridden when last winning a G3 at Newmarket (5f soft); Kieran Shoemark was on board for her last two wins and he is back in the plate today. She was only beaten 3.75l in this in 2022, if she can finish as close to the winner again it might be enough for a place. At odds of 50/1, Vadream is worth backing e/w.
2024 Champions Day Ascot Tip: Moss Tucker already advised e/w @ 66/1; Vadream e/w @ 50/1 (4 places)
2.35 – British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1)
We have already backed Doha for this at odds of 33/1 (read why here). It seems I am not alone in fancying her and her odds have now plummeted to as short as 10/1 with a couple of firms. We have got the value and I am happy to stick with her. Hopefully she gives us a good run for our money.
2024 Champions Day Ascot Tip: Doha already advised e/w @ 33/1
3.15 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1)
We are on Dancing Gemini at 40s for this and he can still be backed at that price. I am delighted to see that Roger Teal has enlisted the services of Tom Marquand to ride and he looks set to get his favoured soft ground. Again, I am happy to stick rather than twist. If I was backing one at shorter odds, I think Facteur Cheval has a big chance but he is too short for the blog. Fingers crossed Dancing Gemini bounces back to form and sneaks into the places.
2024 Champions Day Ascot Tip: Dancing Gemini already advised e/w @ 40/1
3.55 – Champion Stakes (Group 1)
The big one. Economics has been weak in the market, presumably because he is unproven on soft ground. The French raider Calandagan has usurped the Haggas horse as favourite and he has no worries regarding the underfoot conditions. His run behind City Of Troy last time looks amongst the best form in this race and he looks the one to beat.
Sealiway had run a great race in the Arc prior to landing this prize in 2021 and Los Angeles will try to follow in his hoofsteps. He is 2/3 over 10f and he only has 1.75l to find with Economics on their meeting at Leopardstown last month. However, this will be his third big race in the space of a month so it would be some performance if he were to win.
Lively Outsider
With slight doubts about one or two of the market leaders, perhaps one of the bigger priced ones might sneak into the frame. The one that appeals most is the 3yo, King’s Gambit. He’s had a relatively light campaign and 1m4f possibly just stretched him last time at York. He still managed to finish just 0.5l behind Los Angeles though so it was a rock solid effort.
He won his maiden on good to soft and has been placed on soft so the conditions shouldn’t pose any problems. On a line through Jayarbee he hasn’t a lot to find with Economics so the form is there and it seems as though 1m2f might be his best trip. Oisin Murphy has abandoned See The Fire to ride, which is another good sign, so at odds of 25/1, King’s Gambit is the e/w selection.
2024 Champions Day Ascot Tip: King’s Gambit e/w @ 25/1 NAP
4.35 – Balmoral Handicap (Class 2)
We have backed Star Of Orion for this at 33s and he is now out to 40s. Hopefully he proves the market wrong. He’s been drawn slap, bang in the middle in stall 10 and if the rain continues to miss, he won’t mind. Fingers crossed he repeats his run at York this time last year and if he does, it should be enough for a place.
I am going to back another one here and given David O’Meara’s record, it’ll have to be one of his. He has won it three times and he runs three here. On jockey bookings, Bopedro looks the main hope but he has won it with apparent second and third strings in the past.
The one I came down on is Mirsky. He ran a blinder here off 96 earlier this month over 7f on soft, running on well after getting outpaced. He was only beaten 5l into fifth off 96. O’Meara’s charge also ran a cracker at York three runs ago when beaten 0.5l over a mile off 94. The step back up to a mile here will suit, he should be fine on the ground and with five places on offer, Mirsky is worth backing e/w.
