ITV Racing Ascot British Champions Day Preview

The first selection of the afternoon from Ascot comes in the Group Two Long Distance Cup over two miles and we can't look past the favourite Trueshan.

Having won last season’s renewal at the end of the campaign it firmly put Trueshan in the mix for a go at the staying races this season.

His dominant display over two miles on soft ground at Ascot in October saw him go off second favourite for the Ormonde Stakes at Chester but found the trip and course too taxing for speed to get the better of Japan.

Missing the gold cup due to the underfoot conditions, he instead tried to shoulder top weight in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, but a rating of 118 left him giving away too much weight to the rest of the field.

Since then he has waited for his perfect conditions and got that in the Group Two Goodwood Cup where he went on to rout a good field of stayers by close to four lengths.

Skipping the Doncaster Cup he headed into the Group One Prix Du Cadran in France and getting his ideal trip and ground he went to battle with Stradivarius and beat him by close to five lengths.

Juice in the ground is key to this horse and he looks like getting it.

Next up is the Group One British Champion Sprint Stakes over six furlongs and with a huge field going to post we have picked out two horses at each way prices.

Dragon Symbol has been highly progressive this season and boasts strong form lines, however has been painfully unlucky since making the step up to the top level.

Archie Watson's colt is extremely versatile ground wise and has now recorded 4 straight runner-up finishes, including a nose second in the Group Two Sandy Lane stakes (6f), a reversed placing in the Group One Commonwealth Cup (6f) before continuing to run well in the top sprints in the July Cup (6f) and the King George Qatar Stakes (5f).

The consistent sprinter then went into the Group One Nunthorpe stakes and and stayed on well into fifth and backed up that run with another close fourth in the Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh.

Having been given over a month off he returns in this race looking to finally get his head in front and being versatile when it comes to ground should see him in the mix again.

A horse at a bigger price is the Ralph Beckett trained Kinross, who will suit the stiff six furlongs at Ascot having been known for performing well at seven all season.

The four year old son of Kingman returned from the Middle East in May after a gelding operation to land the Group Three John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock under a fine Frankie Dettori ride.

He was subsequently stepped up into Group Two company at Goodwood in the Lennox Stakes and despite winning again, his run could be further upgraded given he found himself short of room 2f out and the winning distance could have been much greater; Space Blues was also back in fourth that day, who has since franked the form.

He was brought to France last time out, upped into a Group One and dropped down to 6.5f by which he found himself slightly outpaced on the day.

Last time out when seen back at 7f he finished a very good fourth behind Space Blues in the Group One Prix de la Foret and if getting soft ground he looks a big price.

The Group One British Champion Fillies' and Mares Stakes this season looks a fairly weak renewal and with that in mind the multiple Group One winner Snowfall if on song should dominate proceedings.

Having needed her first two runs as a juvenile, she got off the mark at The Curragh at the third time of asking in a Fillies' Maiden.

However, since then she has raced four times between seven furlongs and a mile in decent graded events and has struggled being outclassed.

Stepping up in trip on debut this term brought bring improvement out of her, when winning the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York over 10.5f.

Many thought off the back of that she should have been closer in the market to her stablemate Santa Barbara, and they were right.

Snowfall went on to take the event with ease, winning by a record 16 lengths for Aidan O'Brien and jockey Frankie Dettori and that saw the handler land the event for the ninth time.

Off the back of that she made it three wins from three for the season when landing the Oaks double at the Curragh, again going on to score by a wide margin.

She made it an Oaks treble next time out when comfortably taking the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting and was then sent to France for a trial ahead of the Arc.

Odds on to make it five wins in a row and stay unbeaten for the season, she was shockingly beaten by Teona in the Group One Prix Vermeille.

Her season had been primed for a run in the Arc, but like her previous run she was flat and could only finish a tame sixth.

However, even running to that standard in this event should see her land the event.The one to beat.

One of the best races across the card is the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and we have sided with the superstar miler Palace Pier for John & Thady Gosden.

The son of Kingman has been pretty much faultless to date, winning both his starts as a juvenile, starting at Sandown back in August winning a nice maiden and then going on to back that up over the same course and distance.

He made his seasonal debut at Newcastle on the all weather seeing off a stern effort from the Richard Fahey trained Acquitted but off the back of that he improved a massive amount to hunt down Pinatubo late in the day at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Having four wins from four races, he put his unbeaten run on the line in the Group One Jacques Le Marois and in heavy ground cleared away from the field with the Jessica Harrington trained Alpine Star the closest to him.

That set him up perfectly for his final run of the season in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day, but unfortunately he had to settle for third and lost his unbeaten record, losing a shoe mid-way through the race.

This term, he has been better than ever in his four starts making his seasonal debut at Sandown in the Group Two bet365 Mile and in a race to blow the cobwebs away he took the event by eight lengths.

Fully tuned up for the season, he took on the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury over a mile and again sauntered to victory, with him and Lady Bowthorpe going clear in the final stages.

His early part of the season was all targeted towards his run in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and in gritty style he made it three wins from three for the season.

Set to turn up in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood he was pulled out with a blood disorder, but having got over that was seen last time out becoming the first horse to land back to back renewals of the Prix Jacques Le Marois since 1997.

A horse that has only been beat once in his 10 race career, he will be looking for revenge in this race and is the stand out candidate to take this event.

The feature race of the afternoon at the Berkshire track is the Group One British Champion Stakes over 1m2f and Adayar for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin could be tough to beat.

The son of Frankel has been seen five times now, finishing fourth on debut in October at Nottingham over 8.5 furlongs when looking to learn a lot for the experience.

He then went back over the same course and distance later that month and got of the mark for the first time in his career, taking the event by an impressive nine lengths.

Saved for this season he made his return in the Group Three Classic Trial at Sandown in April and finished a staying on second behind a nice type for William Haggas.

He was then stepped up in trip for the Listed Derby Trial at Lingfield and finished a fair second behind Third Realm who was better on the day.

With his form falling short this year, he was overlooked to begin with for the Epsom Derby but the closer the race came the more that punters latched onto him and in the end he went on to win easily by close to five lengths under a superb ride by Adam Kirby.

From there it was all systems go to the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes where he managed to see of the smart Mishriff and Love to take the Group One.

Last time out he was seen contesting the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe where the soft ground scuppered his chances late on and he had to settle for a good fourth

He sets some of the best form standards over 1m4f this season and if being able to be as effective over this trip then he is a leading player.

The final race of the afternoon is the big fielded Balmoral Handicap and we have two selections at each way prices that are expected to go well.

The first is the Richard Hannon trained Nugget who has had a successful campaign in handicap company this term and will be looking to sign off in style.

Having signed off last term with a lovely win over a mile at Newmarket, he then started this term with a good third at Nottingham behind smart types, Astro King and Finest Sound.

Off the back of that smart run, he went to Newbury and landed a good 16 runner handicap that has since seen the second win twice.

Trying to stay on the upward curve even though going up in the handicap he finished a neck second at Thirsk in a value handicap, being unlucky to lose the race.

Not see on the track for a few months having been given a mid-season break he went to Haydock last month and got back to winning ways in another good handicap event.

Nugget now runs off a mark of 104 which still makes him feasibly treated and from a form point of view he looks a big contender.

At a much bigger price is the Andrew Balding trained Symbolize who runs off the same mark as his latest second over course and distance at the start of the month.

Having been a tricky horse to train this season, he has started to get his act together of late, when winning three runner event at Thirsk and then although finishing seventh of 15, still ran a nice race in Listed company.

Last time out he finished a good second in a strong handicap over course and distance on heavy ground and if being able to replicate that run then his price of 33/1 is huge.

Each way contender if in similar form.