Champions Day 2024 Betting Tips, Predictions and Race by Race Preview

1:20 Ascot

The first race on Champions Day is the Long Distance Cup. A Group 2 for the stayers over the 2-mile trip.

At the prices, it’s BURDETT ROAD (28/1) EW. He’s a very talented dual performer who put up a career best on the flat last time out when making all at Newmarket 3 weeks ago. This is obviously a huge step up in class but he may well get his own way out in front again here. He’ll handle cut in the ground and this previous Ascot winner could well run a big race for a long way here. Hopefully, he can manage to stay in the frame at the very least at a huge price. If the going is as bad as we expect, it can be hard for horses to pick up from off the pace.

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1:55 Ascot

Next up at 1:55 is the Group 1 Champion Sprint Stakes over the 6f trip.

The horse I like is MONTASSIB (6/1) NB. This progressive 6 year-old has had a fine campaign this year winning four of his five starts. He was an impressive winner of the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock over this trip when we last seen and this stiff 6f of Ascot should arguably suit him more. He handles plenty of cut so the conditions should hold no fears and I think he’s the one that all have to beat here on this season’s form.

 

2:35 Ascot

At 2:35 we have the Group 1 Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over 1m4f.

I like the German raider here QUANTANAMERA (10/1) EW. The softer the ground the better for her so the forecast looks ideal. She was an impressive winner when we last saw her in France in August. She duly bolted up by 4 lengths and beat a solid yardstick in Arrest who chased her home in second. I feel the German horses are always underrated when they come over and whilst some of her opposition may well hate the deep ground, this mare will absolutely relish it. I find it hard to see her out the frame given the conditions and the fact she is coming here off the back of a career-best performance last time out. She’s had a nice break since and should be ready for this.

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3:15 Ascot

The 3:15 is up next and it is the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over the mile.

I’d chance the supplemented PRAGUE (14/1) EW in this for the shrewd Dylan Cunha yard. Since joining the yard after being unraced with Aiden O’Brien, he’s really caught the eye. An impressive winner on debut despite being 40/1, he’s proven that was no shock with plenty of fine efforts since. He should have won at Haydock in September two starts back but he was very unlucky in running and just got going too late to finish a close second. He then went to the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket last time; that was his first encounter with soft ground. He appeared to relish it as he powered clear to win that comfortably. This is a step up in class of course but I think this Group 1 pace will bring out further improvement. The stronger the pace, the better the performance I think we could see. I expect a career best here and that should have him hitting the frame at the very least.  

 

3:55 Ascot

The final Group 1 on the card is the Champion Stakes over the 1m2f trip.

I think ECONOMICS (15/8) NAP will land the feature. This 3 year-old from the William Haggas yard has gone from strength to strength this season with two Group 2 victories followed by a win at Group 1 level last time out when landing the Irish Champion Stakes. He showed a willing attitude there to get up and I think he’d have actually learnt a lot from a race of that nature. He’s capable of continuing on that strong upward curve and I think he can fend off the French and Irish challengers and win this.

 

4:35 Ascot

We finish off with the competitive Balmoral Handicap over three straight mile. 

I’ll chance BOPEDRO (12/1) EW here who has run plenty of cracking races this season and deserves to land one of these big handicaps. He excels here at Ascot as he showed when finishing a close third in the Challenge Cup here last time out over 7f. The mile trip is fine for him as he displayed when finishing 4th in this race last year. He’s 6lb lower this time round and I expect him to go close.

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