Champions Day dark horses: Long-range tips for Ascot

BURDETT ROAD – 66/1 for QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2)

Taking on Kyprios feels something close to banging your head against a brick wall but Aidan O’Brien didn’t sound all that certain he’d even be lining up again at Ascot following the Cadran and it could be worth exploring those currently on offer at much longer odds.

Burdett Road isn’t a guaranteed starter either but trainer James Owen and the Gredley Family – who enjoyed some amazing days with top stayer Big Orange a few years ago – must be at least a little bit tempted to have a crack at the Long Distance Cup.

Burdett Road would have a mountain to climb in pure form terms but testing ground this time of year is a great leveller and there’s no doubt this horse absolutely relished it when winning last month’s Listed race at Newmarket by eight and a half lengths.

That represented a new career-best on the level from the four-year-old son of Muhaarar and although a jumps campaign is bound to be in the offing again after he showed a good attitude as a juvenile hurdler last winter, this option shouldn’t be ignored as I suspect he’d stay every yard of the two-mile trip.

One may point at his well-held Ebor run and beg to differ, but the ground was rapid at York that week and a more demanding surface looks far more likely to bring out the best in Burdett Road.

OPERA SINGER – 20/1 for QIPCO Champion Stakes (Group 1)

Aidan O’Brien’s Opera Singer didn’t see it out fully when upped to 12 furlongs for the Prix Vermeille last month but she isn’t one to be giving up on in a hurry.

Considering the Longchamp one-two – Bluestocking and Aventure – went on to fill the first two places in the Arc de Triomphe itself, it clearly was an above average edition of the ‘trial’.

Opera Singer was a bit late to come to hand earlier in the campaign, meaning you’d imagine she’ll be kept on the go right into the back-end of the year, so Champions Day and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf are likely to be on the agenda.

Which race she runs in at Ascot could be the key to identifying the value but the QEII over a mile might be too sharp and the Fillies & Mares event over a mile and a half seems likely to stretch her stamina on the Vermeille evidence.

The Champion Stakes option could be a viable one then with currently engaged stablemates City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin not heading that way. Los Angeles might drop back in trip but he’d probably be short of the requisite speed whereas Opera Singer’s Nassau Stakes win over subsequent scorer See The Fire showed her effectiveness at the intermediate distance.

QUEEN OF THE PRIDE – 25/1 for QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1)

John and Thady Gosden have several Champions Day entries at big prices including Arrest in the aforementioned Long Distance Cup and Audience, who could be a bit of a springer in the market if dropped back in trip for the Champions Sprint, but it’s their Fillies & Mares Stakes options that take the eye.

Prix Vermeille third Emily Upjohn is the most obvious one although it could be worth keeping an eye on Danielle and Queen Of The Pride too, with the latter of particular interest.

A daughter of Roaring Lion – who memorably won the QEII on this day half a dozen years ago – she ran no sort of race when relatively well-fancied (100/30) for the Yorkshire Oaks last time but she’s surely better judged on her progressive form which culminated in a Group 2 win at Haydock (replay below).

She had subsequent winners Tiffany, Lady Boba, Novus and Sea Theme in arrears that day and she has every right to be in the conversation for a race of this nature on that evidence. She’s had a couple of months off and looks just the type to come back to form in the autumn, having shown a liking for some dig in the ground last year as well.

Published at 1600 BST on 12/10/24

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