With conditions set to be testing at Ascot on Champions Day, here are three horses who should relish the ground.
Montassib – Champion Sprint Stakes
This year’s renewal of the Champions Sprint Stakes looks very open at the entry stage, but one horse who arrives in top form, and will certainly relish likely testing conditions, is the William Haggas-trained Montassib.
He proved better than ever when winning the Sprint Cup from Kind of Blue, Unequal Love, Vadream et al at Haydock last time, coming through with his customary late run to get on top close on ground Timeform described as good.
However, Montassib is much better suited to testing conditions, his record on ground Timeform described as soft or heavy reads 011 – the duck egg came over a mile in the Lincoln – and his record over six furlongs is 1511611. The track, ground and distance are all tailormade for Montassib and he seems sure to launch another bold bid. Andrew Asquith
Quantanamera - Fillies & Mares Stakes
With conditions sent to worsen as Champion’s weekend looms, the Fillies’ and Mares’ event looks one of the more interesting betting races with current favourite Kalpana, and a clear one at that, yet to race on ground softer than good.
One that revels in the mud is the German-trained Quantanamera who overcame the run of the race when landing a Group Two against males at Deauville last time, posting a career best, and a repeat of that under her favoured conditions should see her go close. Kieran Clark
Tamfana - Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
There's not much to split Charyn and Tamfana on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings, but soft ground and a stiff track promises to make it a stern test at the trip and that could tilt the scales in favour of the latter.
Tamfana's best performance was when winning the Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile on her latest start but she also has form over further having finished a close-up third in the French Oaks over an extended mile and a quarter and fourth in the Grand Prix de Paris, for all her stamina seemed stretched by that mile-and-a-half trip.
That effectiveness over further could be a useful asset on Saturday and Tamfana, who showed she handles really testing ground when winning the Prix Miesque at Saint-Cloud last year, might just prove too strong for her rivals inside the final furlong. Tony McFadden
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