StableTalk

isn't he a beauty
a stallion in making too

Yes and Godolphin are really hoping he will be a champion. He's a home-bred - a son of SHAMARDAL out of a Dalakhani mare called LAVA FLOW who won at 2200m in France. This is her third foal - her first two by Dubawi were nothing special.

The breeding tells me PINATUBO will certainly stay 2000m and should get 2400m. He's currently rated 128 which makes him SHAMARDAL's joint top rated progeny - the other is ABLE FRIEND who was a champion in Hong Kong over 1600m but he was out of a Volksraad mare and you'd know far more about him than me but he seems to throw sprinters and milers.

Good to hear from you and hope all is well with you both.

A busy weekend with a lot of action in the Northern Hemisphere so quite a long review.

Friday saw day one of the Future Champions Meeting at Newmarket - the ground was good to soft but there was a very strong wind albeit slightly behind the runners.

The feature was the Fillies Mile for the juveniles and this looked an interesting heat but they sent QUADRILATERAL, a daughter of Frankel who had impressed when winning by nine lengths at Newbury off the 9/4 favourite with CAYENNE PEPPER a Group 3 winner last time trained by Jessica Harrington, 11/4 and Moyglare winner LOVE at 4/1.

Ryan Moore soon had LOVE prominent racing with WEST END GIRL but from halfway went on. QUADRILATERAL was travelling okay but as the pace quickened and the field down the hill into the dip, Jason Watson was getting anxious. Meanwhile. POWERFUL BREEZE, who had missed the start and sat out the pack, was improving strongly.

300m out POWERFUL BREEZE went on and looked to have sealed the race but she began to idle and Jason Watson got to the rail and as the incline to the line started QUADRILATERAL got rolling and she ran down POWERFUL BREEZE close home to win by a head.

LOVE was beaten a length and a quarter in third with CAYENNE PEPPER, who never really got involved, the same distance back in fourth. BOOMER, who had chased POWERFUL BREEZE home in the May Hill at Doncaster, was a close fifth.

The two Irish fillies in third and fourth ran perfectly well but I suspect in neither case are they the best of their gender in their stable so for both Aidan O’Brien and Jessica Harrington, it will have been a useful fact finding mission.

I tipped up POWERFUL BREEZE each way on here and at 7s made a few quid but I really thought it was going to be better than that. She did take a tug early and perhaps she was idling and tiring on the ground but I’d certainly rate her a serious 1000 Guineas prospect on this evidence. The winner did it well but needed every inch of the 1400m and while I imagine she’ll be given a tilt at the Guineas her running suggested she’d be more of a stayer so the Oaks looks the race for her.

The supporting Group 2 Challenge Stakes saw an end-to-end win for MUSTASHRY who had won the Lockinge in the spring and mixed it with the likes of ENABLE in the Eclipse. Back to 1400m, he was able to gallop his rivals into submission though LIMATO chased bravely throughout and ran with credit in second.

Overnight we saw a number of European runners at the Caulfield meeting, PRINCE OF ARRAN ran a blinder in the Herbert Power and remains on course for the Melbourne Cup. RAHEEN HOUSE ran okay in sixth and will hopefully come on for the run. In the Ladbroke Stakes, DREAM CASTLE was well held but the race went to the ex-Ballydoyle CAPE OF GOOD HOPE who was fourth in the Jockey Club back in June.

The second day of the Newmarket Future Champions meeting took place on ground which had been downgraded to Soft after further rain. The future Group 1 was the Dewhurst over 1400m which is widely regarded as the top juvenile championship race in the UK and for which the unbeaten PINATUBO was sent off a very short favourite to follow up his impressive performances at Goodwood and The Curragh last time.

From the start, William Buick had the favourite in midfield as he tried to get some cover behind ARIZONA who set the pace. The apparent favoured O’Brien runner, WICHITA, was down near the rails and was certainly close enough as they went through halfway.

Buick began to get PINATUBO rolling with 600m to go but he took a while to master ARIZONA though to be fair he ran on strongly up the hill and was pulling away at the line winning by two lengths.
WICHITA was a one paced third beaten four and three quarter lengths with YEAR OF THE TIGER and MONARCH OF EGYPT completing a 2-3-4-5 for Ballydoyle well in front of POSITIVE with the others coming in at long intervals.

It’s always worth remembering the strength in depth of the Coolmore squad and for all they didn’t win the Dewhurst they have, in the likes of ARIZONA and WICHITA, seriously likeable colts for next season and both will, I suspect, turn up at Newmarket next May with claims.

Some were hoping for a National style demolition of the field by PINATUBO but the soft ground almost certainly didn’t play to his strengths. That said, I particularly liked how he pulled away up the hill and 1600m will be no problem. Whether he has the tactical speed for a Guineas is perhaps the only question but he looks every inch a Derby horse and could be the middle distance colt who ends up giving ENABLE a race or two next summer.

Off to North America and a number of European horses were challenging for the big autumn prizes across the Pond. At Keeneland MAGNETIC CHARM represented the Queen in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup but she was well held and the race went to the Del Mar Oaks winner CAMBIER PARC who toughed it out from the front and was able to hold off the late run of CASTLE KING, the Pouliches winner who had swerved Arc weekend.

In Canada, there were British, French and German challengers in the EP Taylor for the fillies and mares over 2000m but the race stayed with the locals in the form of STARSHIP JUBILEE who had too much speed for the French challenger PLATANE and the German raider DURANCE who had run third in the German Oaks.

The feature Canadian International over 2400m went for a second consecutive year to DESERT ENCOUNTER who got the ride of the day from Andrea Atzeni. He missed the gate but I think this was intentional and he has kept quiet at the back as the French favourite ZIYAD, who had previously been runner up to CORONET in the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, made the running.

Atzeni brought DESERT ENCOUNTER into the race on the home turn and then weaved his way between runners to lead at the 200m mark and came away for a smooth win. This was DESERT ENCOUNTER’s fourth win on the bounce and this 7-y-o gelding is enjoying a wonderful autumn to his career. He was also helped by some morning rain which took the rattle out of the surface and made the 2400m a real test. He owes his owner nothing and I wonder if they’ll have a look at Sha Tin in mid December.

I've had a busy few days at work so apologies for the lack of update in this key week.

First, the huge news announced yesterday morning that ENABLE will race on as a 6-y-o in 2020. This is a brave sporting move by Prince Khalid Abdulla for whom it would have been so easy to pack her off to the paddocks but he loves seeing his horses run and she stays with John Gosden and while no programme has been announced, I strongly suspect the Arc will again be the target - she might of course run into PINATUBO in Paris but that's a very long way off.

It's Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday and the current phenomenally wet spell has forced a significant change. While the straight course is Heavy, it drains well but the older Round Course is waterlogged so the decision has been taken to run the round course races (the three events further than 1600m) on the hurdles track on the jump course. This turf hasn't been used since March and isn't watered in the summer so it often looks brown and parched alongside the lush turf of the Flat track but not this year. The track is good to soft, soft in places but is raceable so while the distances of the Stauers and the Fillies & Mares have been shortened slightly, they will be run on a reasonable surface.

The entries are in for the four Group 1 races and the single Group 2 (the Stayers). The card kicks off with the Sprint over 1200 for which 17 have been entered. ADVERTISE is 4/1 favourite and he won the Maurice de Gheest after a fine second in the July Cup and of course won the Commonwealth Cup over the course and distance on good to soft back in June but summer wet isn't the same as autumn heavy and I have my doubts as to whether he'll be as effective on the heavy turf. HELLO YOUMZAIN is 9/2 and won the Haydock Sprint Trophy on slow ground but was two lengths behind ADVERTISE in the Commonwealth Cup. He shouldn't reverse the form but I think the ground will be far more in his favour.

MAKE A CHALLENGE has come through Irish handicaps and won a Listed last time and he will love the ground while ONE MASTER won the Foret for the second time and it may well be the slow ground will help the 1400m horse see out the 1200m strongly.

14 have been entered for the Group 2 Stayers over 3150m. STRADIVARIUS has dominated the division and it's hard to see what's going to stop him again. DEE EX won the Cadran last time but has been beaten three times by STRADIVARIUS and a more interesting may be KEW GARDENS, the 2018 Leger winner who was second in the Coronation Cup and the Irish Leger last time. He has a bit of class and it's interesting to see him tried over this trip.

16 have been entered for the Fillies & Mares over 2400m. MAGICAL is well clear at the top of the ratings but I suspect she will go for the Champion Stakes which leaves this event very open. ANAPURNA and DELPHINIA were first and second in the Royallieu on Arc day and re-oppose.

21 have been entered of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over 1600m on the straight course. The French raider THE REVENANT has been backed into 5/2 favourite after his impressive win in the Wildenstein last time but this is a step up and it's fascinating to see 2000 Guineas MAGNA GRECIA among the entries along with BENBATL who was very impressive at Newmarket the other day, the Queen Anne winner LORD GLITTERS and the St James's Palace winner CIRCUS MAXIMUS. This could be a really strong championship race.

The Champion Stakes over 2000m has 12 entries. ADDEYBB is a formidable horse on slow ground but this is a big ask for him against the likes of MAGICAL, CORONET and JAPAN all of whom have Group 1 winning form to their names.

I'll do a proper preview once the final declarations are out tomorrow.

Earlier in the day (UK time), the likes of Ebor winner MUSTAJEER and MIRAGE DANCER go in the 2400m Caulfield Cup. GOLD MOUNT and RED VERDON also represent European stables while the field is replete with ex-British, Irish and French runners.

The final fields are through for Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday. The ground remains heavy on the straight course but the inner flat track (as it is being termed though it's actually the hurdles track used in the winter) has been upgraded to good to soft.

Sprint: - 1200m (Straight):

17 go to post and this is a quality renewal. I discussed this yesterday and am still with HELLO YOUMZAIN though at 25/1 I rate DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT a huge each way price. He was third in this last year and has done all his best running on slow ground. I've had a few pounds on as they pay down to fourth place.

Stayers - 3200m (Round):

10 go to post but it's 1/2 STRADIVARIUS and the improving ground will only strengthen his case. KEW GARDENS is a worthy opponent while WITHOLD returned to form with a vengeance at Newmarket after flopping in the Ebor but it's very hard to look beyond STRADIVARIUS who has dominated the staying division again this year.

Fillies & Mares - 2400m (Round):

12 go to post and John Gosden looks to have a big say fielding both his Oaks winners, ANAPURNA (English) and STAR CATCHER (Irish). Both also won Group 1 races in France last time - STAR CATCHER won the Vermeille while ANAPURNA won the Royallieu but the fact Dettori has chosen STAR CATCHER is significant. FLEETING has placed in any number of quality races this year and at 13/2 is an each way bet to nothing but he has been held and I don't see why he should reverse form.

The most interesting of the other runners is ANTONIA DE VEGA who comes here off a 128 day break since trotting up in a Listed at Newbury. His stable is in red hot form with Ralph Beckett saddling five winners at Newmarket last Saturday.

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - 1600m (Straight):

16 go to post for the final mile championship race of the European season. THE REVENANT has been backed in on the strength of his proven heavy ground form but he's got a lot to prove in this exalted company. BENBATL is clear top rated but has no form on heavy ground and that's a big negative. MAGNA GRECIA is of course the 2000 Guineas winner but was well held in Ireland and it would be a fantastic achievement by Aidan O'Brien to get him back but I would never rule him out on that basis and he has some form on slow turf. There are some class runners among the older horses - two Queen Anne winners in ACCIDENTAL AGENT and LORD GLITTERS and the latter has serious claims.

John Gosden is putting cheekpieces on KING OF COMEDY and let's not forget he was a close second in the St James's Palace. I'm not playing in the race but I think LORD GLITTERS will be close.

Champion Stakes - 2000m (Round):

Connections of ADDEYBB are already complaining about the switch of track. Had they stayed on the original waterlogged track, their horse would have had a huge chance but the drying ground goes against him. MAGICAL is favourite and she is a class act at this trip - like ENABLE she ran out of steam in the Arc. She won this last year beating CORONET a length and they re-oppose on the same terms. CORONET won the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud and the Romanet on Heavy at Deauville but I just think on better ground she's better at 2400m. It's probably too slow for DEIRDRE for all she won the Nassau but she's held by MAGICAL on Irish Champion form. It's remarkable to see so many class older fillies dominating this race - neither the older colts nor the 3-y-o look anywhere good enough.

6 mm of overnight rain have reverted the inner flat track at Ascot to Good to Soft, Soft in places and I suspect it won't get appreciably faster. The main round flat course remains waterlogged and the straight course is heavy but raceable.

No such worries in Australia and it's a huge day of racing there on Saturday. Two features starting at Randwick with the Everest over 1200m which has a pot of £3,342,541 to the winner and the sixth trousering nearly a quarter of a million sterling. TEN SOVEREIGNS runs for Aidan O'Brien and on his July Cup effort he'd have every chance. He was on the wrong side of the speed over an inadequate 1000m in the Nunthorpe. He's an outsider and probably rightly so against the battle hardened home team.

The Caulfield Cup has a pot about half that of the Everest at £1,657,000 but there's far more European interest as you might expect for a race which fits beautifully into preparations for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday November 5th. A strong field of ex-European horses now trained in Australia and European horses still with European trainers stand for the 2400m race.

Looking at the second group of raiders first, there are three UK trained and one Irish trained runner. GOLD MOUNT has a serious chance. He went to Hong Kong and came back to the UK and has run two good races over 2800m at York. He goes well fresh but I just wonder if it's all going to happen too quickly for him. RED VERDON was eleventh in this last year and I struggle to see why he should win thought he should run well. PRINCE OF ARRAN ran a blinder in the Herbert Power last week but is fourth reserve and probably won't get a run.

TRUE SELF represents Willie Mullins and although sixth in the Ebor is no less than 9 lbs better off with MUSTAJEER for being beaten less than two lengths. However, he's third reserve and again many not get a run. MER DE GLACE runs for Japan and has looked very good winning over 2000m but he's been drawn out in the car park at 21 and that tempers optimism somewhat.

As I said, ex-European runners are well represented. I've already mentioned MUSTAJEER and we also have MIRAGE DANCER, who is a class act as well as ROSTROPOVITCH and CONSTANTINOPLE who were formerly with Aidan O'Brien. I'm very interested in the latter for whom the 2400m will be a little sharp but he has always seemed the type who could go well at Flemington and his profile isn't a million miles removed from the likes of REWILDING and CROSS COUNTER.

As for who wins the 2019 Caulfield Cup, if I had $5 from Father's collection plate, I'd go each way on VOW AND DECLARE who has a 3 lb pull with FINCHE from their run in the Turnbull a fortnight ago.

They've done a piece on the Melbourne Cup in the Racing Post and the selection is ISPOLINI at 20/1. I'm not convinced but it's a long way to go until the big day.

Well, TEN SOVEREIGNS ran about as I expected in The Everest. The truth is the European sprinters are inferior to the Australians and have been for some time.

The Caulfield Cup told a very different story when we get up to 2400m. I thought MER DE GLACE ran an extraordinary race and was given a fine ride by Damian lane from the car park. He looked plenty far back down the far side but made the ground up despite travelling further than many and I thought he was going away at the line. On that evidence, he'd have every chance in the Melbourne Cup.

Of the Europeans, MIRAGE DANCER ran a fine race in third and I'd be happy to on him at Flemington. There seems to be a lot ofcomment about CONSTANTINOPLE and Luke Nolen seems adamant he would have gone close with a clear run. I'm far from convinced he'd have beaten the winner and he's a horse who finds one to beat him often enough. He's a knocking each way bet for the Melbourne Cup but the likes of CROSS COUNTER and REWILDING were perhaps better and the closing of the weight loophole makes CONSTANTINOPLE's job harder.

I also thought MUSTAJEER ran a pleasing race and GOLD MOUNT did better than the final placing suggests.

Damian Lane presumably rides LYS GRACIEUX on the Cox Plate next weekend and he may think it will take all the beating after MER DE GLACE's win.

Review of Champions Day at Ascot in the works.

Plenty of European and ex-European runners in the Geelong Cup tomorrow morning (UK) which is, I presume, a "win it and you're in it" race for the Melbourne Cup. PRINCE OF ARAN ran really well in the Herbert Power and if he can reproduce that he'll have a leading chance. TRUE SELF didn't get a run in the Caulfield Cup but was fancied for the Ebor before running sixth.

RED GALILEO was fifth to AUSTRALIA in the 2014 Derby but that was a long time ago. He was beaten 10 lengths by ISPOLINI and then by much further behind CROSS COUNTER at Meydan in the spring but ran a blinder when second in the Ebor last time at a huge price. STEEL PRINCE, who raced in Ireland as a 3-y-o, is probably best of the locals along with SUPERNOVA.

I enjoyed or endured a wet afternoon at Plumpton yesterday hoping to play up my winnings from DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT which I gave you in my Champions Day preview but three seconds and a third later I didn't have the proverbial pot to pi$$ in.

The final Group 1 of the UK season takes place on Saturday at Doncaster - the Vertem Futurity is for 2-y-o over 1600m and the last two winners, SAXON WARRIOR and MAGNA GRECIA, both won the next season's 2000 Guineas. 12 have been entered but 11 are from Ballydoyle which is ridiculous. Only KAMEKO, representing Qatar Racing, stands in opposition so we'll see what happens later in the week. MOGUL is 2/5 favourite after his impressive win in a Group 2 over Irish Champions Weekend and with the Doncaster ground improving to good to soft he's going to take all the beating.

MAGIC WAND will fly the flag for Coolmore in the Cox Plate and the runner up in both the Arlington Million and the Irish Champion has a real chance as does DANCETERIA representing trainer David Menusier. It looks unlikely DREAM CASTLE will get a run.

2019 Arc winner WALDGEIST has been retired while Champion Stakes heroine MAGICAL (more in the review) will go head to head with the top American turf filly SISTERCHARLIE in the Filly & Mare Turf on November 2nd.

On then to Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot and the official climax of the British flat season which saw Oisin Murphy crowned as champion jockey for the first time.

After three weeks of heavy rain, the normal round course was waterlogged so the three round course events were switched to a new inner flat track which was in fact the hurdles track for the winter jump fixtures. Despite the switch, the ground on the new round course still rode Soft while the straight course was Heavy.

The opening event was the Sprint over 1200m for which Commonwealth Cup and Maurice de Gheest winner ADVERTISE went off 4/1 favourite with Foret winner ONE MASTER at 9/2 in a race full of past winners and placed horses. Haydock Sprint Trophy winner HELLO YOUMZAIN was prominent from the start and set a steady pace which was understandable in the conditions. The 2018 winner of this race, SANDS OF MALI, also raced close to the pace as the field headed for the far side rail.

Even at halfway, some were in trouble including the likes of DREAMS OF DREAMS and SO PERFECT while ADVERTISE was beaten 400m out. HELLO YOUMZAIN saw off SANDS OF MALI but was done with 300m out as MAKE A CHALLENGE came to seek an unlikely win but that was soon him done and it was ONE MASTER who challenged despite not getting the clearest of wins.
FOREVER IN DREAMS made his move but as they battled who should come from an unpromising position having been checked in his run but DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT who swept home to score at 33/1 AS TIPPED BY STODGE!!!



Yep, I gave you this winner and had a fiver on each way – after Mrs Stodge picked me up off the floor I realised it would be a steak and lobster dinner on the winnings.

It was of course a truly poignant success for all connected as DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT was the first horse bought for King Power Racing, the ownership of the chairman of Leicester City FC, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who perished barely a year ago in a horrific helicopter crash. Trainer Andrew Balding was very emotional after the race and the horse has always run his race – he was third in this in 2017 but needs almost bottomless ground to show his form and he’s nowhere near this good on quicker turf.

ONE MASTER ran another blinder in second – he’s really a 1400m horse but the very slow turf helped bring his stamina into play and he’s arguably the best around at that specialist distance. FOREVER IN DREAMS ran a career beat in third with BRANDO another old stalwart to run home well in fourth.

MAKE A CHALLENGE, who has come through the Irish handicapping ranks, was fifth followed by SPEAK IN COLOURS, ADVERTISE and HELLO YOUMZAIN and it’s probably fair to say none of those three found the ground of any help.

MABS CROSS was disappointing in ninth as were the likes of KHAADEM and CAPE BYRON who, along with DREAM OF DREAMS and SO PERFECT were lost on the heavy ground.

The second race was the stayers over 3200m and STRADIVARIUS was again backed into 8/13 favourite with the only serious opposition looking to be KEW GARDENS at 7/2 and that’s basically what happened in the race. To be honest, I never thought Frankie Dettori looked happy on STRADIVARIUS – he was struggling to hold a midfield position early while Donnacha O’Brien looked very happy on KEW GARDENS up closer to the pace.

WITHHOLD and CAPRI set the pace and by the time the field turned for home they were starting to string out. 400m out and WITHHOLD folded as Dettori launched STRADIVARIUS toward KEW GARDENS and the favourite definitely nicked a head lead but O’Brien got going on KEW GARDENS and STRADIVARIUS was in trouble and for all Dettori tried to get the champion stayer’s head down at the right moment it wasn’t enough and KEW GARDEN won by a nose.

ROYAL LINE was five lengths back in third in front of MEKONG and WITHHOLD and CAPRI but this was all about the front two and their final 300m duel was every bit as epic as ENABLE and CRYSTAL OCEAN in the King George.

This time Dettori was on the wrong side of the result but both he and trainer John Gosden were quick to blame the ground saying it had blunted STRADIVARIUS’s tactical speed and the petrol had been used in one burst to get to KEW GARDENS and there was nothing left when the Irish horse rallied. STRADIVARIUS will, I think, have one more season which may or may not end with a tilt at the Arc which many have always thought would be a good race for him.

As for KEW GARDENS, redemption for a horse who has won a Leger and ran a decent race in the 2018 Arc but was sick with colic after finishing runner up in the Coronation Cup. The journey back was superbly plotted by the genius that is Aidan O’Brien and the Irish Leger run put him spot on for this and to be fair if you’re going to beat a Group 1 horse you need a Group 1 horse.
Talk now is of KEW GARDENS going down the staying route next year and the thought of a rematch with STRADIVARIUS over 4000m in the Gold Cup next June is one to keep us warm through the winter ahead.

Race three was the Fillies & Mares over 2400m and another very strong field headed by the Irish Oaks and Vermeille winner STAR CATCHER who faced stable mate, English Oaks and Royallieu winner ANAPURNA with the likes of FLEETING, DELPHINIA and PINK DOGWOOD all representing Ballydoyle.

DELPHINIA led from the start with SOUTH SEA PEARL and a free running ANAPURNA close up. SRAR CATCHER was settled in fourth by Dettori and after an early tug was going well just off the pace.
On the home turn Seamie Heffernan kicked on into the lead with DELPHINIA as both ANAPURNA and SOUTH SEA PEARL quickly weakened. Dettori brought STAR CATCHER through with her run but at the same time SUN MAIDEN came to challenge but started to lug right into the rail under Jim Crowley’s left hand drive.

As SUN MAIDEN drifted, FLEETING’s run was cut off and it got very tight with DELPHINIA and STAR CATCHER still battling as they entered the final 100m but Dettori wasn’t going to be on the wrong side of the argument twice and STAR CATCHER toughed it out to win a short head from DELPHINIA with SUN MAIDEN a length back in third just in front of FLEETING.

KLASSIQUE ran home fifth followed by ANTONIA DE VEGA who I thought ran a race full of promise in sixth. The likes of PINK DOGWOOD and TARNAWA trailed home in mid division with ANAPURNA and SPARKLE ROLL occupying the last two places for John Gosden.

FLEETING has been consistent, well, consistently unlucky this season. Since running last in the Englsih 1000 Guineas, she’s run in six Group 1 races and been second in two (Irish Oaks and the Opera), third in the English Oaks, fourth in the Champion Fillies & Mares and the Arlington Million and fifth in the Vermeille and that’s nearly £400k in place money. One day, if they keep her in training, she’ll bag a Group 1 of her own.

SUN MAIDEN was, back in her 3-y-o career, once considered an Oaks possible but it hasn’t really gone well for her since and this was her first run on slow turf which you wouldn’t think she would like but for all her quirks she’s got an engine.

DELPHINIA has come of age in the autumn of her 3-y-o career and after her runner up place in the Royallieu she now has a second Group 1 place and that will only enhance her broodmare value.

STAR CATCHER rounds off her 3-y-o season as the top middle distance filly having won the Irish Oaks and the Vermeille and the great news is she stays in training last year and of course there’s the possibility she may run into another mare from the Gosden stable – ENABLE – in Paris next autumn and if she continues to improve as a 4-y-o, she will be a serious threat to her stable companion. It will be a fascinating dilemma for Frankie Dettori as early October 2020 approaches.

The Queen Elizabeth II over the straight 1600m had a big field which only served to emphasise the weakness of the mile division this year. THE REVENANT had been well fancied in the week before the race but on the day the money came for the Godolphin horse BENBATL.

As with the other straight course races, the runners headed to the far rail from the stalls and VERACIOUS set the gallop to a well grouped field through halfway. As the leader lifted the pace 400m out many of the field were quickly struggling but KING OF CHANGE travelled strongly into the race and led 300m out but was immediately challenged by THE REVENANT.

However, KING OF CHANGE kept on far too well and held THE REVENANT at the line by a length and a quarter. SAFE VOYAGE was a further length and a half back in third at a big price while VERACIOUS finished fourth beaten just over four lengths and just in chance of MOHAATHER and KING POWER.

A number of the more fancied horses disappointed in the ground. LORD GLITTERS was, as usual, well off the pace early but this wasn’t the ground on which to be giving so much start and he came home eighth. PHOENIX OF SPAIN was tenth, KING OF COMEDY thirteenth and MAGNA GRECIA fourteenth and none of them laid a blow on the principals while BENBATL trailed in last beaten more than forty lengths.

MOHAATHER hadn’t been seen since winning the Greenham back in the spring and this was a decent effort and I understand he stays in training and will be a fascinating contender for the mile races. VERACIOUS put up an admirable show in fourth and her stamina came into play while SAFE VOYAGE belied his 1400m credentials with a fine third.

THE REVENANT relishes these conditions and went close to a fifth successive win and I expect he will be back next year and if the ground comes up Heavy at Newbury he’ll take a lot of beating in the Lockinge.

It seems a very long time since KING OF CHANGE, at 66/1, chased home MAGNA GRECIA in the 2000 Guineas but connections reported Newmarket had taken plenty out of the horse so they rested him over the summer swerving all the big meetings and prizes. He won a small race at Sandown before this fine effort which left trainer Richard Hannon Junior contemplating an active 4-y-o campaign for this son of Farhh who is often remembered for being thrashed by Frankel in the Queen Anne and the Sussex but who on his final outing won the Champion Stakes in 2013.

Hannon talked about the Queen Anne but I wonder if connections might be tempted to move up to 2000m for races like the Eclipse and the Prince of Wales. It’s a nice dilemma to have and obviously the horse’s future as a stallion is now assured.

The feature race was the £770,000 Champion Stakes over 2000m. In truth this was probably not a vintage renewal but it did feature MAGICAL, who is rated 122 for all she had been a shade disappointing in the Arc.

From the start, REGAL REALITY set the pace but Donnacha O’Brien soon had MAGICAL prominent in second and travelling well with main market rival ADDEYBB not far away along with the likes of FOX TAL and CORONET.

On the home turn, MAGICAL was sent up to challenge and readily went on with 400m to go but she faced a stern and persistent challenge from ADDEYBB in the final 300m. He got to her quarters but no further and she began to draw away in the final 50m to win by three quarters of a length.

DEIRDRE ran on to finish third beaten three lengths with FOX TAL fourth and MEHDAAYIH a fair fifth.

CORONET, for whom this was the final race, was beaten nine lengths in sixth and a disappointing end for this multiple Group 1 winning filly.

DEIRDRE was thought not to like the soft ground but ran a huge race in third backing up her Nassau win and it’s to be hoped she will return to Europe one day.

ADDEYBB is a serious horse when the ground is soft or worse but he doesn’t get those conditions every day and on good or quicker ground he’s moderate in comparison. He won a Group 2 at Sandown on heavy ground and I suppose had the race been run on the normal flat track he’d have won but he ran into a special filly.

MAGICAL will perhaps always be in the shadow of ENABLE but she’s rated 122 for a reason. Her last seven races have been at Group 1 level and she’s won three of them (the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Irish Champion Stakes as well as this race), been second three times (twice to ENABLE in the Eclipse and the Yorkshire Oaks and once to CRYSTAL OCEAN in the Prince of Wales) and her only poor run was when fifth in the Arc.

Her optimum trip is 2000m as the form would suggest but she is hugely effective at 2400m and the form line with ENABLE and CRYSTAL OCEAN let alone WALDGEIST suggests she’d have been very close in the King George as well. She’s still won nearly £3.5 million in prize money and the plan is to take on SISTERCHARLIE in the Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita and that will for many be the highlight of the meeting.

I suppose it could be argued the bad ground took the edge off Champions Day 2019 and it’s a risk the meeting has always lived with but the action to use the hurdles track saved the fixture and Ascot now know they have a fallback position if the normal round course becomes waterlogged. Some feel the defeat of STRADIVARIUS also detracted from the card but it was a salient reminder nothing lasts forever and KEW GARDENS will be a player in the staying races next year.

KING OF CHANGE looks a miler to follow but for me the real potential champion is STAR CATCHER who I think may meet both MAGICAL and ENABLE next season and that’s before we have any potential 3-y-o stars to bring to the party such as PINATUBO or perhaps MOGUL.

Just six go for Saturday's Vertem Futurity at Doncaster where more rain has downgraded the track to Soft. KAMEKO has been declared so it's five for Ballydoyle and one for Qatar racing. MOGUL is 1/2 favourite and did it very well last time but INNISFREE won the Beresford on soft ground last time and is , I think, a live rival at 4/1. KAMEKO was just beaten by ROYAL DORNOCH in the Royal Lodge last time but we've no idea how he would handle really soft ground.

I'm going to have a few pounds on INNISFREE and hope 5/1 is available out there.

France also has a Group 1 on Saturday - the Criterium de Saint Cloud for the juveniles over 2000m. 9 go and the ground on the outskirts of Paris is also Soft. Aidan O'Brien has entered three and he's put Oliver Peslier on ARTHUR'S KINGDOM, a son of Camelot (there's a surprise) who won nicely on the heavy at Gowran last time. Andrew Balding runs VIA DE VEGA, a son if Lope De Vega whose progeny seem to love slow ground. VIA DE VEGA won a Sandown maiden over 1600m on debut and that's a race that often throws up one to follow. This will be a much bigger test. The locals don't look very strong in all honesty.

Sunday sees the final Group 1 races of the French season at Longchamp. The Criterium International is for the juveniles over 1600m. WICHITA was third to PINATUBO in the Dewhurst two weeks ago and that was a fair effort. ALSON and ARMORY were second and third in the Jean Luc Lagardere over this course and distance on Arc day. The ground now is Heavy and this will be a real test but WICHITA looks the one if he runs.

The Royal Oak over 3000m is known as the French St Leger. As with the Irish version, it's open to older horses and you get the staying 3-y-o taking on the Cadran veterans. Among the 3-y-o Aidan O'Brien has entered DELPHINIA who ran such a huge race in defeat to STAR CATCHER at Ascot last weekend. TECHNICIAN represents Martyn Meade and he won the Chaudenay (basically this race but for 3-y-o only) over Arc weekend after being well held in the English Leger. LAH TI DAR has been entered by John Gosden while the local stayers are well represented with HOLDTHASIGREEN and CALL THE WIND who were first and second in the Cadran and who will both appreciate this slog on heavy ground.

That will basically be it for the European season and attention up here will turn to the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita next weekend.