The attention on Champions Day at Ascot does, of course, focus on the four Group 1 races being contested. There is a massive £737.230 in prize money on offer for the winner of Qipco Champion Stakes but connections of Roaring Lion, a contender for racehorse of the year, have opted to go instead for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, worth a mere £655,709 to the winner, with fears about the ground on the round course at Ascot which is currently described at heavy.
However, the colt isn’t the only John Gosden superstar on show this Saturday. Cracksman runs his final race in the Qipco Champion Stakes and Stradivarius bids to cap an unbeaten campaign with victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup having already earned his owner more than £1million in prize money in 2018.
The Tin Man will bid to win the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes for a second time and follow up his win in the 32Red Sprint Cup at Hayodock but faces stiff opposition including the 2017 winner of the race, Librisa Breeze, and the enigmatic Harry Angel as well as a back-to-form Limato.
Prize money for the Balmoral Handicap almost pales into significance alongside the purses of the Group races but a sizeable amount will still go to the winner of this 1m contest run over the straight course and there will be a maximum field with three reserves also declared.
The £250,000 Balmoral Handicap, sponsored by Qipco, brings down the curtain on British Champions Day at Ascot.
It is Europe’s richest mile handicap and last season, all but three of the 20 runners were related 100 or higher. This is a race that attracts milers who are bordering on Listed or Group class, a point emphasised last year when Lord Glitters, who landed the spoils, and Accidental Agent, who finished fourth, went on to fight out the finish of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot this summer. The former runs in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes this year and has decent prospects.
Balmoral Handicap Trends
This is only the fifth year that the Balmoral Handicap has been staged but there are already some noticeable trends emerging.
- Every winner so far has been drawn in stall 10 or lower
- Three of the four previous winners were five-year-olds and the other was a four-year-old
- No winner has carried more the 9st 5lb
- Three winners had had their previous race at Newmarket
Raising Sand is bidding for a fourth victory at Ascot and showed he handles soft ground over 7f two weeks ago. He has a penalty but will be hard to keep out of the frame if a draw near the stands rail doesn’t prove a disadvantage and bookmakers have installed the Jamie Osborne supposed first string as favourite (a best 11/2 with Ladbrokes), though his stablemate Hathal (25/1 with Coral) should not be underestimated given he’s been campaigned at a much higher level and has been lightly-raced this year.
Argentello is another drawn high but the Gosden three-year-old is on a roll and has won four of his last five starts. Frankie Dettori rides and he’s only a best 10/1. Aquarium (25/1 with Ladbrokes) is another carrying 6lb extra having come back to form at York on soft ground lately. However, his recent victory was over an extended 1m2f and he’ll be having the 21st race of a busy season.
SAFE VOYAGE has only won over 7f so far but, on the evidence of impressive victories recently at Haydock and Galway, should have few problems with the extra furlong. Riding in this is the biggest moment in the career of Sean Davis to date but the apprentice showed no sign of nerves when winning on his mount at Galway and the youngster’s 5lb claim makes a general 9/1 quote for the John Quinn runner look decent value.
Flaming Spear (9/1 with Betfred) usually runs well in races like this and South Seas also makes some appeal at the general 16/1.
Saturday’s Balmoral Handicap Current Best Odds
Raising Sand 11/2, Flaming Spear and Safe Voyage 9/1,Argentello 10/1, Kynren 11/1, Via Via 12/1, Zwayyan 14/1, Sharja Bridge and South Seas 16/1, Mitchum Swagger and Via Serendipity 20/1, Humbert 22/1, Aquarium, Hathal and Tricorn 25/1, Mjjack and Original Choice 28/1, Another Batt, Escobar and Waarif 33/1, Poet’s Society 40/1, Circus Couture and Raydiance 50/1
(Odds Correct at 1.15pm October 19)
