2.25pm Ascot confirm moving Champion Stakes to inner course
Ascot will stage this year’s Qipco Champion Stakes on a newly-configured inner course in order to ensure the best possible ground for the centrepiece of British Champions Day on October 15.
Running rails will be put in position to create a bespoke track, which will not have been watered through the summer. The change will also see the start of the race move back approximately 80 yards allowing for a longer run into the first bend, with potential reduction to the significance of the draw.
Nick Smith, director of racing and communications at Ascot, said: “Supported by the BHA, we believe that it is in the best interests of fairness and clarity to make this decision now.
“Changing the course at the five-day stage or at declarations runs the risk of upsetting connections, and indeed punters, by actively deciding to favour certain parties over others. Making the decision now means that everyone knows that the surface will, in all likelihood, be a degree quicker than might ordinarily be the case. They can plan accordingly from the start - the initial entry fee payment stage.
“Of course making a late call on which course will be used without any guarantee of what the weather might do, even at 48 hours, is not palatable - we had 30mm of rain in the 24 hours before last year’s King George [good to firm became soft]. We are confident that this decision not only offers connections greater clarity, but is in the best interest of the race itself.”
Leading trainer John Gosden said: “I understand the decision taken by the team at Ascot and British Champions Series at the entry stage for the intention being to run the Champion Stakes on an Inner Flat Course.
“Having spoken to the Ascot course management, if the day is to continue to attract the best horses and following confirmation that the covers project is unachievable, this seems like a viable solution.
“It will be interesting to see how the course itself rides and I will definitely be taking some horses to Ascot to see how they handle it, nearer the time. I have previously stated my views on the draw bias that the Champion Stakes is currently affected by on the Outer Flat Course and the switch to the Inner Flat Course could help reduce it which is positive.”
Ascot said there remains the possibility that the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes and British Champions Long Distance Cup could also transfer to the new inner track. However, slight distance changes would be required to produce ideal positions for their starts, which would need European Pattern Committee approval. This rules out the possibility of any changes to those races for 2016. In the event of firm ground, with welfare paramount, the Outer Flat Course would be used. PA
Thursday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
There’s been some support for Sword Fighter (3.10) for today’s Goodwood Cup but you can still get 11-2 and I think that’s well worth taking, for reasons I’ve gone over in this piece. Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old has proved he stays and gets a tonne of weight from his older rivals, which might really tell over this marathon distance. I think we might be asking ourselves, after this, why we don’t get more three-year-old runners in the Goodwood Cup.
Ode To Evening (2.00) is my other main interest and can provide Mark Johnston with another Goodwood winner in the opening handicap. He’s 12-1 and is much better drawn than the favourite, Stargazer.
I’m a bit annoyed that Challow has become a non-runner in the nursery. The going is given as the reason, Goodwood having become good to firm all round, but the horse was drawn 17 of 17, which can’t have been welcome for connections. Because of his draw, he was on offer at 16-1 and I was thinking that you rarely get a chance to back such a well-handicapped horse at that price. He’s one to look out for over seven furlongs.
In the closing sprint handicap, I shall give another chance at 16-1 to A Momentofmadness (5.30), having fancied him to cope with the step up to six furlongs at Newmarket last time. That didn’t work out especially well, as he never settled and faded into 19th place out of 20.
Today, he returns to the bare five furlongs and the fast ground and downhill track really ought to suit him. He might have shot his bolt for the year, with three wins on the board already, but he’s certainly not handicapped out of this on a mark just 2lb higher than when he won at Salisbury last month.
Mehmas (2.35) has now strayed as far out as 11-2 for the Richmond Stakes, as the market focuses on the sexy improvers, Blue Point and Intelligence Cross. Mehmas has few secrets from us after five starts but we know for sure that he’s a fast, quality juvenile who appears to be holding his form very well. He comes from a stable that knows what a Richmond winner looks like. The race he won last time has produced the last two Richmond winners.
There is certainly a risk that Intelligence Cross may turn the form around but he’s only 3lb better off today, which doesn’t make a huge difference in a juvenile race over six furlongs. How can he be less than half the price of the horse that beat him last time?
Blue Point looks a weak favourite to me, for all that he is attracting comparisons to Frankel. He hasn’t yet strayed outside novice company and Godolphin does not exactly have an unimpeachable record with well-regarded two-year-olds stepping up into the big time. Sheikh Mohammed’s operation has never yet won a Richmond.
Betfair Glorious Goodwood tipping competition, day three
watermelon12 +17.75
RedmonT +16.88
Harrytheactor +15.75
ID0330506 +14.50
kingklynch +11.38
Fixxxer +7
jakebuckfast +7
AndieAndson +7
slowhandray +5.13
Hibeeman +5.13
James ‘Jimmy’ Runacres +2.75
Esherhammer +1.88
graftonway +1.88
dean055 +1.88
diegoisgod +1.88
dickthebutcher +1.88
jamesstod +0.75
Tiporama +0.75
Blitzwing +0.75
Goldkid999 +0.75
titusisashambles -0.12
Ormrod76 -0.12
Ellandback -0.50
stanflashman -0.50
wiggy12 -0.50
stu1892 -0.50
TheVic -0.50
Lindsey6677 -0.50
Mai11 -0.50
gawpingtongawper -0.50
ps4999 -0.50
wemeanyounoharm -2.37
Harry Bowles -2.37
Toptrapper -2.37
Wrighty87 -2.50
zubica19 -2.50
23skidoo -2.50
fatdeano -4.75
Copshaw -4.75
72luca -4.75
William36 -4.75
kmill68 -4.75
robertkeen -4.75
Shrewdette -4.75
moidadem -4.75
Sportingbest -4.75
moomies -4.75
48Possums -4.75
GForce1 -4.75
Geoff Staddon -5.62
ubikubik -5.62
alleged7 -8 NQ
JahLion -8 NQ
waltersobchak -8 NQ
snowy81 -8 NQ
yasmin11 -8 NQ
Perry Tang -8 NQ
ID5386281 -8 NQ
beverley1976 -8 NQ
eddiesgottheblues -8 NQ
MISTERCHESTER -8 NQ
BatmanKaisers -8
16heathermac01 -8
TommyOrts88 -8
NotABoss -8
Bigboozer -8
factormax -8
melonk -8
PHILYERBOOTS -8
Bacciodilupo -8
Michael Leedham -8
Simon Popplewell -8
jakesnake1 -8
joehow -8
Crasivo -8
SongMcRigobert -8
cerises -8
sandiuk -8
chris1623 -8
gregcwb -8
Mulldog -8
BearRides -8
paul gittings -8
millreef -8
pkhughesy92 -8
Watermelon12 went to the front through Sagaciously, a third winner of the week for him after Dutch Connection and Boom The Groom. Redmon, now second, had Sagaciously AND The Gurkha, along with two other Wednesday picks that didn’t get the best of rides. Harrytheactor, now third, was the only one to find Shady McCoy and he also had Ulysses.
An impressive 24 of you are still going in the Worst Tipster Stakes, which is rather more than I really care to see, considering I’ll have to work out your average SP for the week at some stage. Thankfully, we have the five-runner Richmond Stakes to sort you out today. And no I don’t want to see you all going with Waqaas. Perhaps someone will be brave enough to try Blue Point …
Those on -4 but marked ‘NQ’ are not eligible for the worst tipster prize, having either picked a non-runner or posted their tips after the first race had started.
Today, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 2.35 Goodwood, 3.10 Goodwood, 4.55 Goodwood, 5.30 Goodwood.
Winners so far
Tuesday
Dutch Connection 9-4
Elidor 16-1
Boom The Groom 13-2
Desert Haze 13-2
Wednesday
Ulysses 9-2
The Gurkha 11-8
Sagaciously 14-1
Shady McCoy 14-1
We have two £50 bets as prizes this week, generously offered by Betfair, and, as has become our custom for Glorious Goodwood, we’ll be offering two prizes: one for the tipster that does best and one for the tipster that does worst. It’s a way of recognising what a tricky week this is for punters and how things can go badly wrong for any of us.
Prize 1: Best Tipster
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be four each day up until and including Friday. Non-runners count as losers.
If you have not joined in so far, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -8 and you will not be eligible for Prize 2.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Prize 2: Worst Tipster
As an additional prize for those at the other end of the leaderboard, we’re offering a one-off prize to whoever does worst this week. Our winner will be the one who finishes on -16 having picked horses at a shorter average starting price than all others who finished on -16.
To qualify for this prize, you must select a runner in each of our competition races. If one of your selections becomes a non-runner, you must replace it before the race starts or you will be eliminated. You will also be eliminated if any of your selections should happen to win.
If, at the end of the competition, two or more people on -16 are tied for the lowest average SP, the winner will be whichever of them posted their Friday tips earliest.
Otherwise, the usual terms and conditions apply.
Good luck! (or bad luck, as appropriate)
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
