From the six Ascot races this Saturday, four of them consist of ‘so-called’ Champions Day bankers that punters will either be saying can’t lose – or making a case for them to get beaten.
With that in mind, we take a look at this quartet of Champions Day bankers that are going to make up the bulk of the markets with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK this Saturday at Ascot.
Ascot Champions Day Bankers See Kyprios, Kalpana, Charyn and Economics Topping The Bill
The markets are, of course, subject to change in the build-up to Champions Day at Ascot this weekend, but there will be many horse racing lovers that will be lumping these four horses in doubles, trebles and accas.
With the four-timer expected to pay in the region of 25/1.
However, can they all win? Or are there a few big factors – like ground, trip or track – that they have questions to answer on?
KYPRIOS (Long Distance Cup, 1:20pm)
- ✅ Trip (2m): Has won over trips from 1m 1/2f to 2m4f
- ✅ Ground (Soft): Has won on soft/heavy ground three times
- ✅ Course: Two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner
- ✅ Last Run: 1st Prix du Cadran (Longchamp) – watch below
COMMENT: Prolific stayer that is a two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner at the Berkshire track.
Has had a busy season, with six runs, but showed he’s taking his racing well with an eighth Group One success in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp just two weeks ago.
Has now won 14 of his 18 starts and is versatile in terms of ground – with winning form on soft, which he’s likely to face on Saturday.
Those looking to oppose Kyprios will look to his main rival – Trawlerman – who won this race 12 months ago.
However, this Godolphin horse has only raced twice this season and was a length behind Kyprios in the Gold Cup here in June, which was his last outing. Softer ground is also an unknown for Trawlerman as he’s yet to race on anything worse than ‘good-to-soft’.
Remarkably, if Kyprios can win – it will be Aidan O’Brien’s first British Champions Day winner since Magical won the 2019 Champion Stakes.
KALPANA (Champions Filles & Mares Stakes, 2:35pm)
- ✅ Trip (1m 3 1/2f): Has won over 1m 3f and 1m 4f this season
- ❓ Ground (Soft): Yet to race on anything worse than ‘good’
- ✅ Course: One run (3rd Ribblesdale, Royal Ascot)
- ✅ Last Run: 1st September Stakes (Kempton) – watch below
COMMENT: Fast-improving Juddmonte-owned filly, who caught the eye when bolting up in the September Stakes at Kempton last time out on the AW.
Kalpana was also third in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot in June over 1m4f and will head to Champions Day having won four of her seven career stars.
However, the big unknown is the softer ground – all her races to date have either been on the AW or on ‘good’ or faster.
Her breeding gives hope on this front though with her sire Study Of Man winning the French Derby in 2018 on soft. But her dam – Zero Gravity was unraced on soft and well-beaten on her only run on ‘good-to-soft’
Therefore, the jury is very much out on if Kalapana will handle the soft ground that she’ll encounter for the first time.
When Is British Champions Day at Ascot 2024?
📅Date: Saturday 19th October 2024
⌚Times: 1:20pm to 4:35pm
🏇Racecourse: Ascot, Berkshire
📺 TV: ITV / Sky Racing (ATR)
See here the ITV Racing schedule ahead of this weekend’s Champions Day Meeting.
CHARYN (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, 3:15pm)
- ✅ Trip (1m): Has won over 1m four times
- ✅ Ground (Soft): Has won on soft ground twice
- ✅ Course: Won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot
- ✅ Last Run: 2nd Prix du Moulin (Longchamp) – watch below
COMMENT: Didn’t win a race in 2023, but has improved as a 4 year-old this season – winning two Group Ones, including a 2 1/4 length romp in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
All Charyn’s runs this term have been over a mile and we know the track is fine too. He also won on soft ground on his reappearance run at Doncaster so conditions will be perfect underfoot too.
In short, the third of the so-called Champions Day bankers seems to tick most of the boxes.
However, those looking to take him on will eye-up his last run when beaten into second (watch below) at odds on.
Jockey Silvestre De Sousa seemed to give the horse too much to do and ran out of time to close the gap on the eventual winner Tribalist, who stole the race from the front.
ECONOMICS (Champion Stakes, 3:55pm)
- ✅ Trip (1m2f): Has won over 1m 2f three times
- ❓ Ground (Soft): Raced just once on heavy when beaten on debut at Newmarket (2023)
- ❌ Course: Yet to run at Ascot from his 5 career races
- ✅ Last Run: 1st Irish Champion Stakes (Leopardstown) – watch below
COMMENT: Has done nothing wrong this season with the Haggas camp taking their time with this classy middle-distance performer.
Economics was last seen taking the Irish Champion Stakes in gutsy fashion. Beating the 2023 Epsom Derby winner Auguste Rodin, but many will wonder if that hard race has left a mark.
The form has been mixed since too – with the fourth Los Angeles (who runs here) running well to be third in the Arc, but the third that day (Shin Emperor) was a poor 12th in Paris.
Another factor Economics needs to silence his doubters with is the ground. All his wins this season have been on ‘good-to-soft’ or better – while his only try on heavy resulted in his only career loss (on debut).
Economics will also be taking on a very classy French gelding in Calandagan, who bolted up in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and has since run the useful City Of Troy to a length in the Juddmonte.
A race that also had the subsequent Arc winner Bluestocking back in fourth.
Win, lose or draw for Economics though, his trainer William Haggas has said we can expect to see him back in training as a 4 year-old next season.
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