British Champion Stakes Guide - 17/10/20

Having landed the this race last season and running behind Enable in the big middle distance Group Ones during her career, it is now where she is looked at as a serious mare.

Magical made a stellar return to racing having been thought to be heading for retirement, Coolmore operations have given her one more season on the track and it has looked to have paid dividends after she romped home on seasonal debut in the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes.

She backed that up in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh and although it was not the strongest race it saw her land a hat-trick of black type events.

She took on Ghaiyyath in the Juddmonte International and was no match for the Godolphin, but reversed the form last time out when landing consecutive Irish Champion Stakes.

She is looking to do the same in this race and has every chance being the most decorated hors in the field with seven Group Ones to her name.

The three year old has exceeded expectations this term being unbeaten on all three of his starts to date, starting in the Listed Newmarket Stakes where he saw off his highly touted stablemate Waldkonig.

He then stepped up to the French Derby at Chantilly and he landed the event in fine style, pulling away from a talented field to take the first Group One of his career.

Gosden went with the approach that if its not broke, don't fix it and he sent him back to France for the Group Two Prix Guillaume daEUR and although only a small field took to post he landed the spoils nicely.

Having swerved the Arc the colt is in flying form and should be fresh for this event with the heavy ground playing to his strengths having already won on the surface this season.

One of the most progressive horses on the the flat this term has been the John Gosden trained runner who last season was running in Handicaps and this year has stepped up to land fiercely contested Group Ones.

Consistency is something that this horse is known for, only finishing outside the top two once in his last seven events and recently showing his class in better races.

This term Lord North was unbeaten on his first two runs landing the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Haydock and off the back of that taking the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes.

He tried to step up again in the Juddmonte International but was outclassed by the whole field and he will need improve a fair amount to go close in this one.

The William Haggas trained gelding is looking to go one better than his second in the British Champion Stakes last season after finishing narrowly behind super-mare Magical.

One of the most talented jockeys in the sport Tom Marquand is once again set to take the ride on the six year old and after the 2020 the young rider has enjoyed it would certainly be the cherry on top if he went on to win this.

The six year old had a break after his second at Ascot last October and then went over to Australia for the first time in his career and at the back end of March became a black type winner for the first time when taking the Ranvet Stakes on his first start down under.

The big target whilst Addeybb was over there was to race in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes and on April 11th, with the rain bringing his favoured soft ground, he went on to take the contest with ease.

Since coming back over to the UK, he made his seasonal debut in the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and he finished a decent second to the stand alone winner Lord North.

Haggas explained that he needed a run before heading to Ascot and was seen earlier this month when taking the Listed Doonside Cup, blowing away the cobwebs.

It looked a perfect prep run and with Magical, who beat him last year in the Group One race since winning another Group One, the form of last years Champion Stakes looks superb and with the rain falling he has a very live chance.

The five year old has been a frequent winner during his career especially on very soft or heavy ground landing back to back Group Two Prix Dollar's at Longchamp, a Group Two in Italy and a Group Three at Deauville.

The gelding saw off a strong challenge from Sottsass that day and he has since gone on to land the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Skalleti last time out gave a superb performance last time out when landing his second Prix Dollar at the Arc meeting and that saw his odds of 25/1 slashed to 8/1 for this event.

If the ground stays heavy he looks to be he value angle in the race.

The three year old has been a real success story for the fairly small yard having made his seasonal debut in June when finishing second at Kempton, but since then improving with every run and showing he is a real black type contender.

He headed to Royal Ascot for his second start of the season and he was a shock winner of the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes.

He was given a Derby entry and went to Epsom but having being bumped in the big field early on he ran no race and as a far as Muir was concerned they drew a line through that run.

He proved how special he can be two starts ago when taking the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York's Ebor meeting, being eased down in the final stages.

The St Leger was next on the agenda and with many pundits fearing he would not stay, they were proved wrong as the three year old finished a length third behind winner Galileo Chrome.

Although seeing out the marathon trip his trainer believes he is best over 1 mile 4 furlongs and he will drop to that trip at the weekend, where he has an outside chance once again.

Japan could be one of the stand out options for the AOB yard having gave some superb performances last season when winning at Royal Ascot in the King Edward VII Stakes and then backing that up in the Juddmonte International.

He went to the Arc and again gave another strong effort to finish fourth in challenging conditions and a lot was expected of him as a four year old.

Like his previous season he needed the run on his first start, fading in the latter stages of the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Ascot but next time out he was back to his best when a narrow third in the Eclipse.

He suffered an injury in the three runner King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was tailed off behind Enable and Sovereign.

Again, he was underwhelming in the Irish Champion Stakes when coming with his challenge and fading late on, but before he was pulled out of the Arc a few weeks back he had some big market support going from 33/1 to 12/1 and that could mean he has shown signs of a revival at home.

Aidan O'Brien's Derby winner Serpentine was supplemented for the Arc but after the issue with the yards contaminated feed he missed the race and has been redirected here.

Connections to Serpentine paid 72,000 euros to enter the three year old for the Arc, after they were pleased with the colts run last time out in the Grand Prix de Paris when finishing fourth behind stablemate Mogul and if they were willing to pay that fee he must have been in some form.

The son of Galileo was a shock winner of the Derby this season when only breaking his maiden a few weeks before the Epsom Classic contest and then under a front running ride by Emmet McNamara landed the Group One by just under six lengths.

He will have to come on a fair bit in this company and may not handle the wet conditions.

The Roger Charlton trained five year old has been superb this term, finishing second three starts ago in a Listed race at Newbury behind a nice type for John Gosden and then since backing that up with two consecutive wins.

The gelding went to Haydock and in a gritty performance landed the Group Three Rose Of Lancaster Stakes and after that stepped up again to see off Fox Chairman to take the Group Three Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor.

He went for more Group Three glory in the Legacy Stakes at Newbury and was weak third of four runners and although he is smart at that level, stepping up to this company is a whole different ball game and he looks opposable.

Desert Encounter has been a veteran in the sport for some time now and although putting in some fair performances of late, at the age of eight this contest looks beyond him.

David Simcock has pitched him in this race more on hope than his talent, but he may be looking for one last performance from the gelding before retirement.

In his prime Desert Encounter was a very smart horse winning Group One glory in Canada and although running well in Group Three and Listed events since this race looks beyond him.

The big outsider of the race is the Roger Varian trained San Donato who at 100/1 will need a miracle to go close, especially off the back of his performances this season.

The four year old has ran four times this term placing on his seasonal debut when second behind Mohaather in the Summer Mile, but since then has been very below par.

Having been tried at a mile and been outclassed in Group One company he was stepped up in trip to 10 furlongs last time out and was much better finishing third behind Addeybb at Ayr.

Much improvement needed.