Who To Follow At Ascot On British Champions Day 2022

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Thu 13 Oct 2022 12.09

Ascot 12:25

7(1)

Eldar Eldarov

J: David Egan

T: Roger Varian

N/A

Age: 3

Weight: 9-0

OR: 116

Days: 34

The first race of the afternoon from Ascot on British Champions Day is the Group Two Long Distance Cup and we are siding with St Leger winner Eldar Eldorav to take advantage of the 9lb weight difference with Trueshan.

A winner on his sole start as a juvenile over 1m 1/2f at Nottingham, he was saved for his three year old campaign and picked up from where he left off at Newcastle over 1m2f, beating Post Impressionist.

Stepped up in trip for the Group Two Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot having his first at 1m6f, he revelled in the distance to get up close home to land the hat-trick.

Dropped down to 1m4f for the Group One Grand Prix de Paris he never got into the race being too far back and was only fourth of six, but after that was given a little break.

Returning back at 1m6f in the last Classic event of the season he went on to take the St Leger fairly easily in the end getting better with each run and stepping up a further 2f, getting weight off some of the big guns, he looks a big player.

Form: 11141View

Date	Course	Distance	Type	Weight	Position
01/08/23	GOO	16	GS	9-11	4
22/06/23	ASC	20	GF	9-3	7
19/05/23	YOR	14	GF	9-8	2
15/10/22	ASC	16	GS	9-0	7
11/09/22	DON	14.5	GS	9-3	1

William Haggas is looking to secure the trainers championship on Saturday and we are backing him to do so sending a superb team of runners to Ascot.

His first big chance of the day comes in the British Champions Fillies & Mares with Sea La Rosa who enters this event off the back of landing a Group One inn France.

In the Champion Stakes Haggas has Baaeed who is looking to make it 11/11 for his career, but also in the race he has chucked in Dubai Honour and My Prospero to hopefully pick up the pieces.

In the Balmoral Handicap Haggas fields Bashrikova, Montatham and potentially Montassib, with all three holding leading chances.

Haggas heads into the weekend sporting a strike rate of 21% for the last two weeks, managing to land 12 winners from 56 runners.

William Buick will be crowned the champion jockey for the first time in his career on Saturday and he will be looking to round the season off in style and he has the rides to do so.

In the opener he teams up with Willie Mullins on the outside Stratum who is looking to regain some form but in the first Group One of the afternoon he holds a big chance with Creative Force who is looking to retain his title in the sprint event.

Buick jumps on Eternal Pearl in the Fillies & Mares event with the three year old looking to land a five timer and then in the QEII Modern Games is looking for another Group One this season.

The Norwegian will be looking to spoil the Baaeed party in the Champion Stakes on the second favourite Adayar who has a great record at the track and then in the Balmoral Handicap he teams up with David Menuisier on Migration.

The rider heads into Saturday posing a strike rate of 21% for the last two weeks, managing to ride 10 winners in his last 47 rides.