Racing: Donn McClean preview QIPCO British Champions' Day at Ascot

It is all about the ground on British Champions’ Day on Saturday at Ascot. It’s all about who is going to handle it and who isn’t.

Maarek?  Definitely.  Forgotten Rules?  Probably.  Free Eagle?  We don’t know.  We just don’t know.

It would be a real shame if heavy ground scuppered the Dermot Weld-trained colt’s intended maiden foray into Group One company.  It would be a shame for the colt and for connections, but it would also be a shame for the race, the Qipco Champion Stakes. 

With Free Eagle in it, this race is the quintessential test of proven ability (Cirrus Des Aigles, eight-year-old gelding, 21 wins - including six at Group 1 level - and 20 seconds from 59 runs) against boundless potential (Free Eagle, three-year-old colt, two wins and one second from three runs, none at the highest level), with Noble Mission and Ruler Of The World adding solidity and interesting potential dimensions.  Without Free Eagle, it is an odds-on Cirrus Des Aigles against horses he has beaten before.

The Free Eagle story is a good one so far.  He is the horse who, after he won his maiden on his racecourse debut at Leopardstown in August last year, caused Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen to deviate from their usual pragmatic reaction.  Could be the best ever, was the general message that filtered out of Leopardstown that day, and the message slowly seeped into the Derby market.

The Free Eagle story is a good one so far. He is the horse who, after he won on his racecourse debut , caused Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen to deviate from their usual pragmatic reaction. Could be the best ever, was the general message that filtered through.

The Moyglare Stud colt was duly toppled at the head of the Derby market when Australia beat him in a Group 3 race on his next run, but subsequent events have proven that there was no shame in that, and there was a sense afterwards that he just wasn’t himself that day.  We didn’t see him again last year, and a stress fracture of his fibula kept him off the track in the early part of this season.

When he did return, in a Group 3 race at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend last month, he duly reminded us why we missed him with a display of pace and class and speed that took him to a seven-length victory over decent rivals, eased down.  Afterwards, Weld said Ascot, Champion Stakes.  And here we are.

Pat Smullen thought that easy ground would not be a problem for the High Chaparral colt, who has not yet raced on ground officially described as worse than good.  Heavy ground might be a different matter, mind you.  A lot depends on what the skies do on Friday night.  Dermot Weld says that he will walk the track on Saturday morning and let us know.  Fingers crossed.

Irish hopes in the Champion Stakes do not rest exclusively on the youngster’s shoulders, mind you, because Ruler Of The World is a player.  The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was a really good winner of the Derby last year, and he ran a massive race in last year’s Champion Stakes to finish third, just three parts of a length behind Farhh and just a half-length behind Cirrus Des Aigles.  Same course and distance, similar conditions, and he was only a half a length behind Corine Barande-Barbe’s superstar.

Ruler Of The World was well beaten in the Arc two weeks ago, but he was well beaten in the Arc last year as well before he came on to Ascot and probably put up the best performance of his life.  Before the Arc, he ran out a nice winner of the Prix Foy.  He has not lost his Derby-winning ability.  He is a little bit of a forgotten horse, and soft ground and 10 furlongs could represent optimum conditions for him.