By Tom Frary
After a week of uncertainty with the dramatic wet spell the key player, Ascot's QIPCO Champions Day was set down for examination on Thursday with the main feature headed by Ballydoyle's Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). As expected, Aidan O'Brien opted to withdraw Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) from the G1 QIPCO Champion S. which leaves the G1 Irish Champion S. heroine to fly the flag in a renewal in which the fillies outweigh the opposite sex. Accompanied by last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. runner-up I Can Fly (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), the 4-year-old is drawn outside in eight as she bids to rebound from a tiring effort when an aggressively-ridden fifth in ParisLongchamp's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 13 days ago. Donnacha O'Brien rides her as he did on that occasion, with Ryan Moore at Randwick for Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) in The Everest.
O'Brien has some choice rides on the card and is hoping that the star turn can provide the stable with a first success in the prestigious affair. “Magical maybe doesn't quite get home over a mile and a half in very soft ground, so that maybe found her out in the Arc and dropping back to a mile and a quarter could suit her,” he explained. “She's a very high-class filly and an unbelievable mare.”
Fears that the meeting would be undermined by the volume of rain seem to have faded in part, with the inner or hurdles course set to be used for the Champion S., G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup now drying to good-to-soft with the possibility of good ground in the description if the venue escapes further showers. That will suit Bjorn Nielsen's star stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) as he bids for back-to-back wins in the Long Distance Cup. John Gosden is due to walk the track on Saturday morning before committing, but the odds of him being there on a day that demands his presence are looking highly favourable at present.
Stradivarius is one of six rides with leading chances for Frankie Dettori, whose Champion S. mount is the 'TDN Rising Star' Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), while fellow 'TDN Rising Stars' Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and King of Comedy (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), as well as Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and the Balmoral H. favourite Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will have the bookmakers fearing another of his attempts to go through the card.
The effect of the draw on the inner course remains to be seen, but it is established fact that on the traditional track high numbers have a distinct advantage over middle distances and beyond. That will be welcome news for connections of Star Catcher in the Fillies & Mares, where she is set to break from stall 11 as she bids to follow wins in the G2 Ribblesdale S. at the Royal meeting here June 20, the G1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh July 20 and G1 Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp Sept. 15. She is certain to start a short-priced favourite along with the fellow John Gosden-trained Stradivarius and Lord North in the Balmoral.
Gosden, who had a treble in 2018 with Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) and Stradivarius, is not expecting a repeat. “I don't think so, no! We'll be thrilled if we have a winner,” he said. “We've just walked into more rain but look what happened at Longchamp; that went heavy in 48 hours. It is autumn, it can happen, but I think we've still got some very good horses running from all around Europe.”
There will be general disappointment among the crowd if the two-year unbeaten run of Stradivarius comes to an end in the second race on the card, but Gosden reports him ready for what could be his sternest test of the season taking on Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the first time. “He's been in very good form since the Doncaster Cup. He breezed yesterday morning and worked on Saturday and Frankie was very happy with him,” he said. “I have made it clear that I will be walking the inner flat track in the morning, which I did last year for him. I shall then discuss everything with Mr Nielsen. Last year we discussed it and decided to run and I hope that it's the same this year.”
Star Catcher, who will be joined by the May 31 G1 Epsom Oaks and Oct. 5 G1 Prix de Royallieu heroine Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and 'TDN Rising Star' Sparkle Roll (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), was also reported in peak condition for a fascinating encounter. “Star Catcher has been great from the Ribblesdale onwards. She won the Vermeille in good style when she got a clear run of it and she's had nice gaps in her races,” Gosden added. “She goes there with every chance. I think it was a difficult choice for Frankie. He had great difficulty choosing going into the Royallieu where one got the run of the race and one did not and he found it a difficult choice again for Saturday, he really did, but he's sticking with the filly who has had the longer time between her races.” Of Sparkle Roll, he continued, “She's in tremendous form and will enjoy the ground and the trip. She's had a funny old summer but she's come back well in the autumn.”
Gosden was in bullish mood about Denford Stud's June 30 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Aug. 18 G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Coronet, who bids to provide her trainer with a third consecutive edition of the Champion which has not been accomplished for a century. “Ever since Coronet won the Romanet we have been waiting to run her in the QIPCO Champion Stakes,” he explained. “We are very, very happy with her and, as I say, it's been the plan for some time. We've been absolutely thrilled with her two group one wins this year. She's such a tough race filly and she will be retiring after this race.”
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