By Sean Cronin
Last term's G2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Powerful Glory (Cotai Glory) was the lowest-rated and least experienced contender lining up for Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot and, having beaten just one rival in two starts this season, came home with a career high after posting a 200-1 shock in the straight six-furlong dash.
His odds are the longest for the winner of a European Group 1 contest, surpassing Qirat's 150-1 in this term's G1 Sussex Stakes.
“We always thought he was a nice horse, but at 200-1 nobody thought he'd win,” said trainer Richard Fahey, who won this in 2018 with Sands Of Mali. “That's only the fifth run of his career and I'm delighted.”
The rank outsider of 19–who was tabbed a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, on debut at Pontefract last year–was slowly into stride and raced several lengths off the pace in rear as Quinault (Oasis Dream) set the fractions up front. Thundering forward in the centre of the track once past halfway, Powerful Glory quickened into contention approaching the furlong marker and kept on relentlessly under a Jamie Spencer drive to deny the revitalised dual Group 1 winner Lazzat (Territories) by a neck in the dying strides. Quinault ran on gamely once headed and finished best of the rest, 1 1/4 lengths back in third.
“Powerful Glory was undefeated as a two-year-old, including in the Mill Reef on ground he hated, and the plan was to get him ready for the [G1] Commonwealth Cup,” Fahey explained. “We found he had a tiny wind issue and we had to do the operation and recuperation. This race closed ages ago and the only race I could find was a five-furlong race at Beverley. I always love to get a run into them after a wind operation to get a bit of confidence into them. Since Beverley, he has been training extremely well and we have seen the real Powerful Glory today. I am delighted for everybody, it has been tricky for us this year and to finish with a Group 1 is fantastic, especially for Sheikh Rashid, who has been a huge supporter for me. It is always great to reward owners that are faithful to you.”
Jerome Reynier is pondering Middle East options for the runner-up. “There were nineteen runners and some were a bit everywhere,” he said. “James [Doyle] told us if they were all in one group, then maybe he would have won. Lazzat was kind of on his own on the other side of the track and that wasn't ideal. He will have a bit of a break, then prep for the early season next year. If we want to go to Saudi in February, you need to be ready quickly, so we shall see. There's a options on the international stage, such as Saudi and the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. There's not much going on in Europe for the first couple of months, so we will see with the connections what's the best thing to do.”
Quinault's rider Sean Levey commented, “He has run the best race he has this year. It is always difficult to do it the way he does, in the way his running style is, but he's got nice patter.”
WOW!!!!
🏆 200-1 CHANCE POWERFUL GLORY CAUSES A HUGE UPSET IN THE QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES 🏆@Champions_Day | @Ascot pic.twitter.com/3mfSYi3dO6
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 18, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Powerful Glory, who becomes the third Group 1 winner for his sire, is the first of two reported foals produced by a daughter of Geht Fasteur (Chineur), herself a half-sister to the dual Group 3-placed Listed Firth Of Clyde Stakes and Listed Boadicea Fillies' Stakes winner Ruby Rocket (Indian Rocket), the stakes-winning G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up Inzar's Best (Inzar) and Listed Flame of Tara Stakes victrix Alexander Alliance (Danetime). Ruby Rocket is the dam of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye hero Maarek (Pivotal), while Alexander Alliance (Danetime) threw the multiple Group-placed G2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Mystery Smiles (Mehmas). The February-foaled bay is half to a yearling colt by Minzaal.
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES-G1, £562,500, Ascot, 10-18, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:11.72, gd.
1–POWERFUL GLORY (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Cotai Glory (GB)
1st Dam: Wouldntitbelovely (Ire), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Geht Fasteur (Ire), by Chineur (Fr)
3rd Dam: Geht Schnell, by Fairy King
TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (37,000gns Wlg '22 TADEWE; £190,000 2yo '24 GOUKB). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Con Marnane; T-Richard Fahey; J-Jamie Spencer. £318,994. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $522,869. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lazzat (Fr), 130, g, 4, Territories (Ire)–Lastochka (GB), by Australia (GB). (£2,250,000 RNA 3yo '24 GOFLON). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Sumbe; T-Jerome Reynier. £120,938.
3–Quinault (Ger), 130, g, 5, Oasis Dream (GB)–Queimada (Ger), by Dansili (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€58,000 Ylg '21 BBAGS; 310,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRE; 25,000gns 2yo '22 TATAHI). O-TJE Racing; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof; T-Stuart Williams. £60,525.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 200.00, 2.00, 66.00.
Also Ran: No Half Measures (GB), Inisherin (GB), Rayevka (Ire), Montassib (GB), Spy Chief (GB), Flora Of Bermuda (Ire), Big Mojo (Ire), Kind Of Blue (GB), Run To Freedom (GB), Art Power (Ire), Ten Bob Tony (Ire), James's Delight (Ire), King's Gamble (Ire), King Cuan (GB), Witness Stand (GB), Iberian (Ire). Scratched: Rosy Affair (GB).
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