Champions Day October 19th

[Saxon Warrior]

The 5-day entries were in yesterday, all standing their ground knowing it will be soft/heavy going.

I’ve lost Sottsass at the 5-day decs, but still have a few interesting ones antepost that I am hoping will line up at the weekend.

ONE MASTER 25/1 Champion Sprint
CAPE BYRON 12/1 Champion Sprint
Both love soft ground and stay 7F well in it, so they should be toughing it out at the end (though several others have a soft ground profile)

ROYAL LINE 33/1 Long Distance Cup
Frustratingly missed the cut in the Ebor, before a cruising through win on the AW shortly after. Not ran since, I think that he has been primed to run if the ground was soft, and it is. Just Strady as a main rival now!

MAGNA GRECIA 12/1 QEII Stakes
KING OF CHANGE 20/1 QEII Stakes
Who would have thought that the 2000 Guineas 1-2 would be running here with only three starts between them since that classic.
Both haven’t encountered soft ground, but their pedigrees give some hope that they could handle it, and they are both very fresh horses from a limited 3yo season.
KOC is a half-brother by Farhh to mud-loving Century Dream (by Cape Cross). How’s that for soft ground Champions Day Pedigree. Farhh put up 127 RPR when winning a soft ground Champion Stakes from Cirrus Des Aigles, and Century Dream was 3rd beaten 3/4L to Roaring Lion in last years soft ground QEII (and is entered again this year).

I have added the supplementary entry
FOX TAL 28/1 Champion Stakes.
Owners paid £75K to give it a go, would make a profit on that if in the first three, break even if fourth and the owner/trainer could easily have finished the season with this interesting colt.

Finally, I love CLON COULIS for the Balmoral Handicap, having watched back all her Ascot, and 2019 videos, she appreciates the track, the trip and very soft ground would be right up her street. She is the only runner with a big Topspeed on the soft going, and was a nostril away from winning the Royal Hunt Cup over track/trip/soft ground at Royal Ascot. Has been tucked away at the rear by Jamie Spencer in runs in big field handicaps and listed mares races since, and the Ascot straight mile maestro is jocked-up again for Saturday.

If only nominating selections wasn’t so much easier than actually selecting the winners! Haha.

[Hurricane fly]

I really hope Stradivarius turns up, I’ve included him as an odds booster for quite a few bets so if he doesn’t turn up because of the ground it will be a big blow.

Reading today that they are confident that the inner track will be fine so I’m all fingers crossed!

[Saxon Warrior]

I really hope Stradivarius turns up, I’ve included him as an odds booster for quite a few bets so if he doesn’t turn up because of the ground it will be a big blow.

Reading today that they are confident that the inner track will be fine so I’m all fingers crossed!

Yes, he ran on soft the last two years HF, so I think it’s very likely that he will run. His form has dipped in those soft ground Champions Day races but not by much. He lost the first year, and won narrowly the second time. It should be interesting if the ground if softer than the last two years. There’s still heavy rain forecast early tomorrow, so a ground update after 9am tomorrow will tell us how the inside course is taking it, as I think they will write off the outside track tomorrow.

[Morley Street]

Amedeo Modigliani in the Balmoral... big eye catcher last time, receiving nice weight from the fav and will love the ground.

[Quevega]

Looked at Balmoral this afternoon and plumped for...

Commander Cole 25-1 ew
Mitchumswagger 33-1 ew

probably going to back so beloved also

Like a low to middle draw in this race and they tend to stay away from the stands rail, not sure if it's the autumn sun and the shadow of the stand or something like that, that means the far rail tends to dry a little better.

Beckett is in fine form so hope mitchum can run a lifetime best.
Suroor also in fine form and this horse looks bred for a soft ground mile race.

Obviously the favourite could easily win and I also liked Amadeo Modigliani & Beckett's other horse Biometric, but the prices have gone on these. Might put one or two in the odd multiple on saturday morning.

Already backed some in the other races and posted on the weekend thread.

[Run4Home]

Amedeo Modigliani in the Balmoral... big eye catcher last time, receiving nice weight from the fav and will love the ground.

Agreed Amedeo my main selection here & also will have a saver ew on Clon Coulis

[Middle_Of_March]

I’ll be there Saturday. Backed these so far:

Sprint - One Master @ 8/1 E/W
Sprint - Advertise @ 19/4
Fillies & Mares - Star Catcher @ 2/1
Fillies & Mares - Delphinia @ 18/1 E/W
QE2 - The Revenant @ 9/2 E/W
QE2 - Benbatl @ 13/2 E/W
QE2 - Veracious @ 40/1 E/W
Champions Stakes - Addeybb @ 4/1 E/W
Champions Stakes - Magical @ 9/5


Delphinia each way is the bet of the day for me

[ELEGANTLY TASTED]

QEII is all about BENBATL. He wins despite the ground.

[Quevega]

Antonia de vega - 10-1 ew 4places sky.
5pts ew
Like this filly, form is good, excuses for only loss at 2.
First time over the trip.
Fresher than most of the others. Therefore unexposed.
Trainer couldn't be in better form.

Tis a competitive race though , so size of bet influenced by decent winnings from Beckett horses last week.

[Lobos]

Antonia de vega - 10-1 ew 4places sky.
5pts ew
Like this filly, form is good, excuses for only loss at 2.
First time over the trip.
Fresher than most of the others. Therefore unexposed.
Trainer couldn't be in better form.

Tis a competitive race though , so size of bet influenced by decent winnings from Beckett horses last week.

Agree. Just can't ignore the sensational form RB is in and being a fresh horse can only be a positive. Lord Glitters will run a massive race, he always does at Ascot and O'Brien's horse was given a ridiculously easy ride last time and has surely been laid out for the Balmoral HCP.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Amadeo Modgiliani is seriously short for this now. Time to look at one at a price.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Amadeo Modgiliani is seriously short for this now. Time to look at one at a price.

I was going round in circles a bit but ended up on Clon Coulis. The ground, trip and track obviously suit and there is no jockey I'd rather have in the saddle.

9/1 seems fair enough to me

[Quevega]

Looked at Balmoral this afternoon and plumped for...

Commander Cole 25-1 ew
Mitchumswagger 33-1 ew

probably going to back so beloved also

Like a low to middle draw in this race and they tend to stay away from the stands rail, not sure if it's the autumn sun and the shadow of the stand or something like that, that means the far rail tends to dry a little better.

Beckett is in fine form so hope mitchum can run a lifetime best.
Suroor also in fine form and this horse looks bred for a soft ground mile race.

Obviously the favourite could easily win and I also liked Amadeo Modigliani & Beckett's other horse Biometric, but the prices have gone on these. Might put one or two in the odd multiple on saturday morning.

Already backed some in the other races and posted on the weekend thread.

added amedeo last night 7-1 (didn't expect it to go this short)
added Coolagh Forest 16-1
So beloved 80-1 ew

No idea why I've gone mad on this race, won;t even be able to watch it as I'm at a wedding

[Lobos]

Amadeo Modgiliani is seriously short for this now. Time to look at one at a price.

Never really understood this sort of Calculation. A winner is a winner in my book. All about the stake.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Never really understood this sort of Calculation. A winner is a winner in my book. All about the stake.

Every horse has its price in my book so I'd happily let it win if I thought it was too short. If I was consistently backing at under the odds then I can't make money imo.