The schedule for the six races on British Champions Day 2015 at Ascot is as follows:
12.45 Group 2 Long Distance Cup
13.20 Group 1 Sprint Stakes
13.55 Group 1 Fillies and Mares Stakes
14.30 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Champions Mile)
15.05 Group 1 Middle Distance Stakes
15.45 Balmoral Handicap
Showing posts with label British Champions Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Champions Series. Show all posts
16 October 2015
14 September 2015
British Champions Series - fantasy racing 2015
A very eventful running of the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday earned us a useful 99 points and moved our stable inside the top 250.
Aidan O'Brien and Bondi Beach (2/1f) won the race in the stewards' room after an enquiry which saw Simple Verse demoted to second place for interference, despite being first past the post. The reversal saw us earn 76 points as a result.
There are no more races in the series in September. Next month, after The Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, all attention turns to the finale - QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 17 October. With double points on offer, it can all be won and lost. Luckily we still have some transfers to use up.
Aidan O'Brien and Bondi Beach (2/1f) won the race in the stewards' room after an enquiry which saw Simple Verse demoted to second place for interference, despite being first past the post. The reversal saw us earn 76 points as a result.
There are no more races in the series in September. Next month, after The Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, all attention turns to the finale - QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 17 October. With double points on offer, it can all be won and lost. Luckily we still have some transfers to use up.
26 June 2015
British Champions Series - fantasy racing 2015
Royal Ascot 2015 review
65 points was the rather measly return for Gleneagles' (8/15) victory in the St James's Palace Stakes with jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien earning just 6.5 points each for the win.
Much more healthy was the 325 points that trainer Robert Cowell earned for Goldream's (20/1) first place in the King's Stand Stakes.
Jockeys Graham Lee (164 points) and Frankie Dettori (94 points) also made good contributions to our tally for the week for their wins aboard Trip To Paris (12/1, The Gold Cup) and Undrafted (14/1, The Diamond Jubilee Stakes) respectively.
The next race in the British Champions Series' calendar is the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on 4 July 2015.
65 points was the rather measly return for Gleneagles' (8/15) victory in the St James's Palace Stakes with jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien earning just 6.5 points each for the win.
Much more healthy was the 325 points that trainer Robert Cowell earned for Goldream's (20/1) first place in the King's Stand Stakes.
Jockeys Graham Lee (164 points) and Frankie Dettori (94 points) also made good contributions to our tally for the week for their wins aboard Trip To Paris (12/1, The Gold Cup) and Undrafted (14/1, The Diamond Jubilee Stakes) respectively.
The next race in the British Champions Series' calendar is the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on 4 July 2015.
19 October 2014
British champions series: fantasy racing 2014
It was a case of "Mission accomplished" for our two fantasy stables on the British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday.
With five races to tackle and double points on offer, this one meeting can really salvage the entire performance of the stable.
We put most of our eggs in the Lady Cecil/Noble Mission partnership in the QIPCO Champions Stakes and the gamble paid off, although Al Kazeem threatened to spoil it.
The horse-trainer combination earned 430 points for the returned price of 7/1 and the second selection of Free Eagle (third at 5/2) added a further 90 points with Dermot Weld also in our leading stable.
Our first stable earned over 1,200 points on the day and leapt up into the the top 3,000, finishing just inside 2,900th place with a total of almost 3,600 points.
The second stable earned 898 points on British Champions Day and finished back around 8,000th place.
It looks like the winning stables were up around the 5,000 points mark for the competition overall, so there is improvement needed for next year.
With five races to tackle and double points on offer, this one meeting can really salvage the entire performance of the stable.
We put most of our eggs in the Lady Cecil/Noble Mission partnership in the QIPCO Champions Stakes and the gamble paid off, although Al Kazeem threatened to spoil it.
The horse-trainer combination earned 430 points for the returned price of 7/1 and the second selection of Free Eagle (third at 5/2) added a further 90 points with Dermot Weld also in our leading stable.
Our first stable earned over 1,200 points on the day and leapt up into the the top 3,000, finishing just inside 2,900th place with a total of almost 3,600 points.
The second stable earned 898 points on British Champions Day and finished back around 8,000th place.
It looks like the winning stables were up around the 5,000 points mark for the competition overall, so there is improvement needed for next year.
05 July 2014
British Champions Series: fantasy racing 2014
Royal Ascot and the Coral Eclipse have produced quite reasonable returns for both of our stables and each has now comfortably passed 1,200 points - admittedly still some way off the leaders.
One stable picked out Mukhadram as the winner of the Coral Eclipse at Sandown, earning 120 points, whilst the other accumulated nearly 400 points in the one race thanks to Mark Johnston's Somewhat clinging on for third place at 100/1!
Some stable highlights from Royal Ascot a few weeks back are:
One stable picked out Mukhadram as the winner of the Coral Eclipse at Sandown, earning 120 points, whilst the other accumulated nearly 400 points in the one race thanks to Mark Johnston's Somewhat clinging on for third place at 100/1!
Some stable highlights from Royal Ascot a few weeks back are:
- Earning over 100 points for picking out The Fugue (77.5) and Magician (32) as the first two home in the Prince of Wales's Stakes
- Sole Power and Richard Hughes earned a combined 95 points in winning the King's Stand Stakes
- 90 points earned by Leading Light (54.5) and Estimate (36) as the first two finishers in the Gold Cup
The next chance to continue the good run comes with a couple of races at Newmarket's July meeting next week in the Falmouth Stakes and July Cup.
21 October 2013
A Day At The Races: Qipco British Champions Day
It was an excellent day out for British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday. There were some exciting finishes, a good crowd, and some shock results.
The winning SPs for the six races were: 20/1, 7/1, 16/1, 11/2, 11/4, and 12/1. The fact that there were no winning favourites could be interpreted in two ways, depending on your view about Champions Day taking place in mid-October.
Either: it shows how competitive the racing is, which it should be given the prize money on offer
Or: the soft ground (not unexpected in autumn) deters the fast ground horses from turning up at all and favours those who handle the conditions the best on the day but who are not necessarily the ‘best’ horse.
The presence of Frankel in previous years did set a very high standard but, in general, Saturday did not feel like great champions were being crowned.
But that is not to deny the fact that there was some great entertainment. The finish to the Qipco Champion Stakes was a suitably close one for Champions Day – Farhh (11/4) holding on by a nose from Cirrus Des Aigles with Derby winner Ruler Of The World half a length back in third.
Similarly, the opening race, the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, had another tight finished with Royal Diamond (20/1) coming back to pip Harris Tweed by a nose on the line. The winner was both ridden and trained by Johnny Murtagh, who was had a successful time at Ascot this year.
Olympic Glory (11/2) was very impressive against his opposition in the British Champions Mile under Richard Hughes, with 2/1 favourite Dawn Approach back in fourth place.
At the end of a long day’s betting, cheering, and going up and down escalators in the grandstand, the delicious steak burger from the Cock n Bull Rotisserie was a much needed restorative before the journey home.
The winning SPs for the six races were: 20/1, 7/1, 16/1, 11/2, 11/4, and 12/1. The fact that there were no winning favourites could be interpreted in two ways, depending on your view about Champions Day taking place in mid-October.
Either: it shows how competitive the racing is, which it should be given the prize money on offer
Or: the soft ground (not unexpected in autumn) deters the fast ground horses from turning up at all and favours those who handle the conditions the best on the day but who are not necessarily the ‘best’ horse.
The presence of Frankel in previous years did set a very high standard but, in general, Saturday did not feel like great champions were being crowned.
Hot Snap and Talent in the parade ring
But that is not to deny the fact that there was some great entertainment. The finish to the Qipco Champion Stakes was a suitably close one for Champions Day – Farhh (11/4) holding on by a nose from Cirrus Des Aigles with Derby winner Ruler Of The World half a length back in third.
Farhh returns victorious
Similarly, the opening race, the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, had another tight finished with Royal Diamond (20/1) coming back to pip Harris Tweed by a nose on the line. The winner was both ridden and trained by Johnny Murtagh, who was had a successful time at Ascot this year.
Olympic Glory (11/2) was very impressive against his opposition in the British Champions Mile under Richard Hughes, with 2/1 favourite Dawn Approach back in fourth place.
Olympic Glory streaks clear
Away from the track, the exhibition of objects and memorabilia from Sir Henry Cecil’s life and racing career was very popular with race goers as was the collection of sporting trophies in the grandstand.
Frankel's trophies
At the end of a long day’s betting, cheering, and going up and down escalators in the grandstand, the delicious steak burger from the Cock n Bull Rotisserie was a much needed restorative before the journey home.
04 October 2013
Good Friday racing approved for 2014
Good Friday has been a day traditionally free of racing fixtures in the UK. But that could change in 2014 after the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) “approved the principle” of racing taking place on Good Friday. The 2014 fixture list is due to be published shortly and we will see which courses are allocated a fixture for Good Friday – Friday 18 April.
One concern was that the racing stable open days which take place at Middleham and Lambourn on Good Friday would be hurt by racing taking place on the same day.
But Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, reasoned (albeit in the language of marketing non-speak): "We have long been advocates of making the sport more customer-focussed and these new initiatives are progressive. Good Friday will deliver significant new revenues and give our many different customers a compelling reason to participate on an important leisure day.
"A well-coordinated national promotion of Good Friday fixtures will ensure it is a special racing day. It also provides the opportunity to give more exposure to the excellent stable Open Days as part of a broader publicity campaign. We support the BHA in placing minimum performance criteria against the Good Friday fixtures they award, which will promote good quality racing and customer led marketing initiatives.”
A further interesting development in the 2014 fixture list is the creation of a British Champions Weekend. It will see Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Day moved to the day before Qipco British Champions Day. The British Champions Weekend will, therefore, feature six Group One races and GB£4.5 million in prize money.
The British Champions Weekend could be seen as a response to Horse Racing Ireland’s (HRI) July announcement of its own Champions Weekend to be held on 13-14 September 2014. HRI’s CEO Brian Kavanagh said the Irish Champions Weekend will feature 10 Group race, including five Group One contests (so the BHA has outdone the HRI with six).
13 September 2014 will host the Champions Stakes at Leopardstown, and the following day will have the Irish St Leger at The Curragh.
The HRI’s announcement ruffled feathers at Doncaster and Ladbrokes because it clashes with the St Leger on Town Moor, which Ladbrokes has done so much to improve and promote through its sponsorship.
Whatever the racing politics, it does mean that the late summer, early autumn period is getting pretty stacked with some top quality racing in 2014, particularly when you throw Arc weekend into the mix too. Racegoers might face some difficult decisions as to which meetings to attend.
One concern was that the racing stable open days which take place at Middleham and Lambourn on Good Friday would be hurt by racing taking place on the same day.
But Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, reasoned (albeit in the language of marketing non-speak): "We have long been advocates of making the sport more customer-focussed and these new initiatives are progressive. Good Friday will deliver significant new revenues and give our many different customers a compelling reason to participate on an important leisure day.
"A well-coordinated national promotion of Good Friday fixtures will ensure it is a special racing day. It also provides the opportunity to give more exposure to the excellent stable Open Days as part of a broader publicity campaign. We support the BHA in placing minimum performance criteria against the Good Friday fixtures they award, which will promote good quality racing and customer led marketing initiatives.”
A further interesting development in the 2014 fixture list is the creation of a British Champions Weekend. It will see Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Day moved to the day before Qipco British Champions Day. The British Champions Weekend will, therefore, feature six Group One races and GB£4.5 million in prize money.
The British Champions Weekend could be seen as a response to Horse Racing Ireland’s (HRI) July announcement of its own Champions Weekend to be held on 13-14 September 2014. HRI’s CEO Brian Kavanagh said the Irish Champions Weekend will feature 10 Group race, including five Group One contests (so the BHA has outdone the HRI with six).
13 September 2014 will host the Champions Stakes at Leopardstown, and the following day will have the Irish St Leger at The Curragh.
The HRI’s announcement ruffled feathers at Doncaster and Ladbrokes because it clashes with the St Leger on Town Moor, which Ladbrokes has done so much to improve and promote through its sponsorship.
Whatever the racing politics, it does mean that the late summer, early autumn period is getting pretty stacked with some top quality racing in 2014, particularly when you throw Arc weekend into the mix too. Racegoers might face some difficult decisions as to which meetings to attend.
14 May 2013
Racing Preview: York Dante Meeting
The Dante Meeting takes place over three days from 15 – 17 May 2013 at York racecourse, also known as the Knavesmire.
As well as being a very enjoyable early summer Flat meeting, the three days’ racing at York provides some useful clues to the upcoming Classics races at Epsom in June, namely the Oaks and the Derby.
The two key trials races at the Dante Meeting are the Betfred Dante Stakes for three-year-old colts and the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes for three-year-old fillies. Both are run over 1 mile 2 furlongs and act as trials for the Epsom Derby and Oaks respectively.
The Dante Stakes has proved a good trial for the Epsom Derby and several recent winners have gone on from York to win at Epsom in June, including North Light (2004), Motivator (2005), and Authorized (2007).
2012 Dante winner Bonfire finished sixth in the Epsom Derby, whilst Carlton House was third in 2011, and Tartan Bearer (2008) finished second to New Approach.
For 2013’s running of the Dante it was expected that Sir Michael Stoute’s Telescope would feature prominently because the colt was a leading contender for the Epsom Derby. But on Tuesday Telescope was withdrawn from the Betfred Dante Stakes after suffering a minor infection in some cuts on his legs.
Eight horses remain in Thursday’s race including Aidan O’Brien’s Indian Chief. The trainer has been winning many of the Epsom Derby trial races. Mark Johnston’s unbeaten Windhoek is also still in the line up.
Away from the Epsom trial races, another highlight of the Dante Meeting at York is the Qipco Yorkshire Cup, a Group 2 race for Flat staying horses over 1 mile 6 furlongs. The Yorkshire Cup is part of the Qipco British Champions Series.
As well as being a very enjoyable early summer Flat meeting, the three days’ racing at York provides some useful clues to the upcoming Classics races at Epsom in June, namely the Oaks and the Derby.
The two key trials races at the Dante Meeting are the Betfred Dante Stakes for three-year-old colts and the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes for three-year-old fillies. Both are run over 1 mile 2 furlongs and act as trials for the Epsom Derby and Oaks respectively.
The Dante Stakes has proved a good trial for the Epsom Derby and several recent winners have gone on from York to win at Epsom in June, including North Light (2004), Motivator (2005), and Authorized (2007).
2012 Dante winner Bonfire finished sixth in the Epsom Derby, whilst Carlton House was third in 2011, and Tartan Bearer (2008) finished second to New Approach.
For 2013’s running of the Dante it was expected that Sir Michael Stoute’s Telescope would feature prominently because the colt was a leading contender for the Epsom Derby. But on Tuesday Telescope was withdrawn from the Betfred Dante Stakes after suffering a minor infection in some cuts on his legs.
Eight horses remain in Thursday’s race including Aidan O’Brien’s Indian Chief. The trainer has been winning many of the Epsom Derby trial races. Mark Johnston’s unbeaten Windhoek is also still in the line up.
Away from the Epsom trial races, another highlight of the Dante Meeting at York is the Qipco Yorkshire Cup, a Group 2 race for Flat staying horses over 1 mile 6 furlongs. The Yorkshire Cup is part of the Qipco British Champions Series.
24 April 2013
Qipco British Champions Series - Fantasy Racing Game
There is still plenty of time to submit a stable for the Daily Telegraph's Fantasy Racing game, which runs throughout the Qipco British Champions Series over the summer.
The game begins on Saturday 4 May with the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and finishes on Saturday 19 October with Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot.
Over the six months the Qipco British Champions Series takes in the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, the Yorkshire Cup at York, the Epsom Derby and Oaks, seven races at the Royal Ascot Meeting, and the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, to name but a few.
Enter the competition here: http://fantasyracing.telegraph.co.uk/
The game begins on Saturday 4 May with the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and finishes on Saturday 19 October with Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot.
Over the six months the Qipco British Champions Series takes in the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, the Yorkshire Cup at York, the Epsom Derby and Oaks, seven races at the Royal Ascot Meeting, and the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, to name but a few.
Enter the competition here: http://fantasyracing.telegraph.co.uk/
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