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.

O’Brien and Weld are also represented in the Long Distance Cup, the former with Leading Light, the latter with Forgotten Rules. 

Leading Light is simply one of the best stayers around at present.  Winner of the Queen’s Vase last year, winner of the Gold Cup this year, he is two for two at Ascot, and he is back for more.  The ground is a little bit of a concern, simply because he is so good on fast ground, but he did win his maiden on heavy ground at Tipperary two years ago, and it wasn’t fast ground at Doncaster when he won the St Leger last year.

Forgotten Rules, like his stable companion Free Eagle, is all about potential.  Remarkably, he has run just once on the Flat.  Winner of a bumper at Punchestown on his racecourse debut on good ground in April, he went to the Galway Festival in early August and danced in over a mile and six furlongs on soft ground.  He had Shu Lewis eight lengths behind him in second place that day, and Shu Lewis was beaten just over a length by Leading Light on his next run in the Irish St Leger Trial.

The Nayef gelding missed the Irish St Leger because the ground was deemed to be too fast for him, so he should be at home in Saturday’s conditions.  He is another who is really highly regarded by Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen and, while he does lack experience, there is no doubting his talent or his potential.  He has been well found by the market, but he could run a massive race.

There is a five-pronged Irish presence in the Sprint, headed up by Gordon Lord Byron and Maarek.  Winner of the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill in Australia back in March, Gordon Lord Byron is top class over six and seven furlongs, as evidenced by his record in the Haydock Sprint Cup over six (212) and in the Prix de la Foret over seven (122).  Tom Hogan’s horse has not been as prolific at Ascot as he has been at Haydock or Longchamp, but his run to finish second again in the Foret two weeks ago tells you that he is in the form of his life, and he goes well on soft ground.

Viztoria is not as battle-hardened as her compatriots, but she remains a high-class filly with significant potential. Eddie Lynam’s filly ran a cracker on her final run last season to finish third behind Slade Power and Jack Dexter in this race.

As does Maarek.  All of Evanna McCutcheon’s horse’s best runs – his Prix de l’Abbaye win, his Woodlands Stakes win, his defeat of Starspangledbanner in the Renaissance Stakes, his Duke of York Stakes win – have been on soft ground. 

As well as that, he won this race two years ago, he scooted up the near side to win nicely, so we know that he handles the track.  We also know that he loves the conditions, six furlongs probably suits him better than five, and we know that he is in good form, because he ran a big race in the Prix de l’Abbaye two weeks ago on ground that would have been faster that ideal for him, when he had no luck in-running (like several of his rivals admittedly) after missing the break badly.  If he can get away on terms tomorrow, he could put up a big performance.

Viztoria is not as battle-hardened as her compatriots, but she remains a high-class filly with significant potential.  An impressive winner of the Group 2 Park Stakes over seven furlongs at Doncaster last September, Eddie Lynam’s filly ran a cracker on her final run last season to finish third behind Slade Power and Jack Dexter in this race.

She was well beaten in her first two runs this term, in the Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh and in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, but she out those runs behind her with an impressive performance to win last Sunday at The Curragh.

That was only a listed race, but she won it with supreme authority, travelling well through the race for Pat Smullen and showing a really nice turn of foot to come clear of her stable companion Gathering Power (who re-opposes), who was in turn clear of the rest of the field.

That was just six days ago, but Ascot was always on her agenda, as long as everything went well at The Curragh.  It may be that last week’s race will have brought her forward again, she goes well on soft ground, we know that she handles the track, and Eddie Lynam is a bit of a master at these sprints.

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