THE Qipco British Champions Day has another fantastic line up as ever headlined by a proper renewal of the Qipco Champion Stakes Group 1 with Calandagan and Economics heading the market.
Calandagan, winner at Royal Ascot and Juddmonte runner-up to City Of Troy, is Unibet 13/8, whilst Economics, who beat Auguste Rodin at Leopardstown is Unibet 7/4. My preference is just for Economics and this is a race to savour and watch.
There will be a weather watch with 20mm forecast for Saturday morning, though the expected heavy rain on Friday evening looks like early on Friday morning that it won’t materialise. Let’s hope the Saturday forecast changes during Friday.
See you at Ascot for a brilliant Qipco British Champions Day or enjoy watching #athome on ITV Racing.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
1.55 Ascot – Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes Group 1 (6f)
Kind Of Blue will be right in the mix if he does handle conditions and his sire Blue Point won on good to soft, whilst he raced on the heavy too.
Kind Of Blue was unraced as a two-year-old and during his six starts on his debut season he has built up a highly progressive profile, which he showed to best effect when second to Montassib in the Haydock Sprint Cup.
He has course form with a fourth to Inisherin at Royal Ascot and Kind Of Blue has a great attitude to racing with strong each way claims here.
Unibet are paying MONEY BACK as CASH if your pick finishes 2nd or 3rd in this race!
Unequal Love offers each way value in a wide-open renewal which has seen in the last five years 16/1, 33/1 and 40/1 winners including Art Power in 2023.
Unequal Love was marked up in the Unibet blog for the Wokingham when winning from the unfavourable stall 1 over this distance. She had a difficult start at the Ebor Festival when third and instead focus on her performance in the Sprint Cup at Haydock when taking the same position behind Montassib and A Kind Of Blue when doing all her best work at the finish.
The return to Ascot over a stiff six furlongs has to be in her favour from a stamina perspective and Unequal Love won on the soft last year.
2.35 Ascot – Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes Group 1 (1m 3½f)
Doha delivered a career best performance at Saint-Cloud when coming to take the lead late on to win comfortably by one and a half lengths. This four-year-old has the course form with her Kensington Palace Stakes success at Royal Ascot.
Doha will relish the step up in trip and must have strong each way claims with the ground in her favour.
3.15 Ascot – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Group 1 (1m)
Tamfana (nap) can become the fifth three-year-old in the last six years to win the QEll. This will need a career best performance by the filly on ground that will suit her to hold off the four-year-old Charyn, who has been having a fantastic season.
As documented previously Tamfana was very unlucky in the 1000 Guineas when fourth after failing to get a clear run and surely would have finished in the first two at Newmarket. Tamfana was then stepped up in trip at Chantilly in the Prix de Diane and over the Arc distance at Longchamp in the Grand Prix de Paris when placed in both races.
A drop back in trip to a mile was important, as was the change of grade with a success in the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown when beating Doha (runs in the 2.35 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares) by two-and three-quarter lengths when looking very well in herself as I was on course that day.
Tamfana was marked up in my Unibet blog for the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket when she was always travelling well to beat Inspiral by two lengths and as a result go to a career high mark.
This is Tamfana’s seventh start of the 2024 campaign, she is proven in conditions and can take her second Group 1.
Unibet are SUPER BOOSTING the price of EVERY runner in this race!
4.25 Ascot – Balmoral Handicap (1m)
Daysofourlives form figures this season read 3241 with his victory in 2024 coming after nearly three months off when beating the subsequent Cambridgeshire winner Liberty Lane at Doncaster at their St Leger meeting over one mile two furlongs. His previous appearance had been at a mile in the Royal Hunt Cup when fourth to Wild Tiger when marked up in my Unibet blog and he dead heated with Ouzo over this distance last September.
Daysofourlives has been steadily progressive, is ground versatile and stall 6 looks a favourable draw for this four-year-old.
Toimy Son won the Goodwood Mile in great style with Dutch Decoy, Holloway Bay and Bopedro behind him on that occasion, whilst on his latest appearance he was third behind Liberty Lane in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.
Toimy Son has only been out of the first four on one occasion this season, will handle conditions, as he has won on the heavy and you can expect a big run.
The Wine Tipster’s Treble
A super weekend of racing awaits that will see history made and champions crowned.
Roll these three picks from our red-hot tipster into a treble and the drinks really may well be on you! Add to your betslip, hit the ACCA BOOST option and £5 each way potentially returns over £4,000 if they come in! Of course, it’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened!
Please remember to gamble responsibly. Visit our Safer Gambling section for more information, help and advice.
