Trainer quotes ahead of the feature action on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot

De Sousa determined to make up for lost time on Charyn

Silvestre de Sousa has been counting down the days of his recent lengthy suspension, with the prospect of riding Charyn in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot keeping him going.

The former champion jockey has enjoyed a good season on his return from Hong Kong, with a Classic victory on Elmalka and further Group One successes on Charyn.

But he was fortunate that a 24-day ban, eight of which were suspended, earned due to the totting-up procedure, finished just in time for him to return for Qipco British Champions Day.

“It was great to find a horse like Charyn to take me through the season,” said the Brazilian.

“He’s been improving since day one, when he started in a Listed race, and he has gone on to win a Group Two and the Group Ones at Royal Ascot and Deauville.

“You could say he’s unlucky not to be unbeaten this year, as things went against him in the Lockinge (second to Audience) and it was a similar story last time in the Moulin (runner-up to Tribalist).

“It’s been a good season apart from the recent suspension, and now I’m looking forward to Saturday. It’s been a long three weeks that I’ve been off and I don’t agree with it, as I’m being punished twice, but I’m back in time for Champions Day and I’m looking forward to Charyn.

“He had a racecourse gallop at Newmarket last week and I rode him again in his final bit of work on Tuesday morning. He’s very laid back and he only does what you ask him to do. You have to ask him questions at the right time, but he’s in very good form.”

The victory of Dylan Cunha’s Prague in Newmarket’s Joel Stakes was one of the feel-good stories of the season, as he was led up by his owner, Amedeo Dal Pos.

Bought for 10,000 guineas unraced out of Ballydoyle, he was supplemented on Monday.

“It’s been the plan since his win at Newmarket and we just needed to scope him and make sure everything was in tip-top condition after a gallop on Saturday. We are not Coolmore, so with £70,000 at stake (supplementary fee) we have to make sure, but the vet was happy. He’s in grand form,” said Cunha.

“The horse has earned the supplementary fee in prize money, so the money is sitting in Amedeo’s Weatherbys account. I said to him that his 10-grand horse was about to become an 80-grand horse, but if anyone could buy a runner in a Group One for 80 grand, they would spend that much, wouldn’t they.

“It’s the British Champions Series, so it’s a strong race and we go there under no illusions. Charyn is the horse to beat. We need to improve another 5lb to win it, but Prague is in flying form and on the up, so we’ve got to take our chance. We are respectful of everyone, but we are confident in our horse.”

Simon Crisford trains Quddwah with his son Ed and he met with his first career defeat when fourth to Charyn at Deauville on his most recent outing.

“Quddwah hasn’t run since the Jacques le Marois, so we are looking forward to seeing him back on the track. He’s been going well and a bit of soft ground will help him,” said Crisford senior.

“He’s obviously fairly lightly-raced, but he’s come a long way and he’s still learning. I thought it was a pleasing effort in the Marois, and he was just two heads off finishing second.

“We also run Poker Face and he’s in good form too. He was second (to Prague) at Newmarket last time and we are very pleased with him.”

Facteur Cheval loves the mud and finished second to Big Rock in this 12 months ago. The Dubai Turf winner was also a fine third to Notable Speech in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last time out.

“This is probably going to be it for this year for him, but we’re looking forward to this race,” said Barry Irwin of Team Valor, part-owners of the five-year-old.

“My trainer (Jerome Reynier) uses one of those smart saddles where they get all sorts of data and information – and his numbers for his big pre-race work were better than they were going into Dubai and that was previously his best work ever heading into a race.

“I wouldn’t say my trainer is over-confident, but I would say he is hoping for a big race.”

Reynier is expecting a bold show and added: “I think you can forget about his run in the Queen Anne Stakes (sixth behind Charyn), as he lost a shoe and raced on the wrong side of the track.

“I thought he ran a good race at Goodwood, even though the ground was a little bit too firm for him, and I think we have him in better shape now.”

French Guineas winner Metropolitan is back at Ascot having finished third behind Rosallion in the St James’s Palace Stakes. He was then second to Charyn in the Marois.

Trainer Mario Baratti expects him to get closer here and said: “Metropolitan has improved again since the Jacques le Marois. He is getting stronger all the time and I have been very happy with his preparation.

“I believe we can get closer to Charyn this time. Charyn was very impressive at Deauville but, in my opinion, he is better on good ground, whereas I think our horse is better on soft ground and that will help our chance.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Henry Longfellow is winless this year having gone unbeaten at two, but he has run several good races.

“Things haven’t really gone to plan for him this year, things have never fallen into place,” said O’Brien.

“We think we haven’t seen the best of him yet and we have him in good form.”

Kyprios and Trawlerman set for Long Distance Cup decider

Kyprios and Trawlerman meet for a third time in an intriguing head-to-head with the score all-square ahead of the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.

John and Thady Gosden’s Trawlerman came out on top in this contest last season after Kyprios had been nursed back to health following a serious injury.

Then, at Royal Ascot in June the two clashed again and once more it was tight, with Aidan O’Brien’s chestnut prevailing by a length.

Trawlerman has since been kept fresh for this contest, but Kyprios has danced every dance after his interrupted campaign last year.

His season began in April and this will be his seventh outing. He did not run in August but is returning to action less than two weeks after winning the Prix du Cadran for a second time.

“He’s incredible really, he keeps coming up with the goods,” said O’Brien.

“He seems to be in good form since France, we just wanted to give him all the time to see how he came out of it but he seems to be in good shape.

“The ground has never seemed to bother him, whatever it is. This year it was fast ground in the Gold Cup and then it was soft in France the last day, it all seems to come alike to him.

“We’ve not had many like him, he’s been an incredible horse.”

O’Brien also runs the three-year-old The Euphrates, who was not far behind Kyprios in the Irish St Leger and then won the Irish Cesarewitch.

“The Euphrates ran very well in the Irish St Leger and then went back to the Curragh and won the Irish Cesarewitch. That was a big handicap prize and we think he’s a horse who is very much on the upgrade,” said O’Brien.

Trawlerman has developed into a top-class stayer, although he needs to prove he is as effective on soft ground.

John Gosden said: “Trawlerman had a hard race in the Gold Cup, so we put him away – he had a nice holiday on his owner’s stud farm. He has come back in and is in great order for the rematch.”

The Gosdens have a strong second-string to their bow in Sweet William, the Doncaster Cup winner.

Robert Havlin gets a good tune out of him and told Racing TV: “He’s never been out of the first three in his life.

“There’s no Trueshan in the race this year but there’s quite a few others. Tom Clover’s Al Nayyir has impressed lately. We’re drawn next to Kyprios, so I hope I can keep tabs on him through the race.

“In his home work, he’s a lot more straightforward and his last couple of bits of work have been his best, so I’m hoping for a big run.

“We’ve been changing things all year, given him a few surprises, fiddle around – and he seems to enjoy it.”

Al Nayyir has only had two runs for Clover since joining from France but he pushed Vauban close at York and then was an easy winner at Newmarket.

“He worked on Sunday morning and seems really well in himself,” said the trainer.

“If he can repeat the two runs he has had for us, we would be hopeful of having a good chance. He is ground versatile as well.”

Caius Chorister has been winless this season for David Menuisier but she has nevertheless run some fine races in defeat, before disappointing in France last time out.

“She was travelling sweet when another runner came on her outside three furlongs out and she felt entrapped and tried to run away, so ran her race in the false straight and had nothing more to offer. She’d beaten the winner (Grateful) at Goodwood,” said Menuisier.

“With Kyprios running, we are just going there for the breadcrumbs, but she has some of the best form of the others and finishing second or third would be great.”

Kinross aiming to reclaim Champions Sprint crown

Kinross has the chance to prove age is just a number and keep Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan’s hot streak going when he attempts to regain the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot.

The Kimpton Down stalwart took home this prize as the final leg of a fantastic four-timer during his brilliant 2022 campaign and was the 5-4 favourite to retain his crown when thwarted by a neck in the race 12 months ago.

The evergreen seven-year-old is amongst the leading protagonists once again having won the Park Stakes at Doncaster in September before going down valiantly to an on-song Ramatuelle in the Prix de la Foret earlier this month.

Those performances prove Kinross is still firing on all cylinders and his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning rider is once again looking forward to being aboard Marc Chan’s popular gelding.

“He ran a super race in France and he just bumped into a really good filly,” said Ryan, who has partnered Kinross on all but one occasion this season following Frankie Dettori’s relocation to America.

“When the ground goes that bad on Arc day and it’s one of the last races, giving all the weight away was a big ask, especially in his older days.

“If he is going to Ascot, he will be 110 per cent right, he’s that sort of customer and he won’t be turning up just to make up the numbers.

“All credit has to go to Ralph and the team, they are the ones who deserve all the praise, as they are the ones to have wrapped him up in cotton wool – and he still hasn’t lost his mojo and it’s great to see.”

Tim Easterby’s reopposing Art Power denied Kinross in 2023, but it is William Haggas’ Sprint Cup champion Montassib who Ryan sees as the main danger, while also giving a nod to Mick Appleby’s Annaf, a horse he knows well having ridden him to a valuable sprint win in Saudi Arabia in February.

“It’s an open division, but I think we all might have to do a bit to get to Montassib, as I was very taken by him in the Haydock sprint,” continued Ryan.

“I also wouldn’t rule out Annaf and I know it’s going to be testing, but I wouldn’t be ruling him out easily to be in the frame. He’s a good horse and you could argue he’s needed his first two runs back. There’s an engine in there but we will see.”

Montassib is one of two in the race for the Somerville Lodge team, with the Haydock hero joined by Wokingham scorer Unequal Love, who was behind her stablemate in third on Merseyside last month.

Haggas said: “Montassib ran well at Haydock. I just can’t get him, really. Since I dropped him back to six, he’s been very good, but he keeps pricking his ears when he gets to the front and you always think when they do that, they have a bit left. I don’t know how much left there is.

“Unequal Love ran a great race at Haydock. I’d be concerned about really soft ground for her, but she’s got nothing else, she’s going to stay in training, so she’s going to run whatever. Hopefully it will be fun.”

Joining Unequal Love in donning the Cheveley Park Stud silks is John and Thady Gosden’s Lockinge winner Audience, who drops back in trip, while splitting the Haggas duo at Haydock in the Sprint Cup was Kind Of Blue, who has been knocking on the door in some of the season’s biggest sprint events.

The son of Blue Point makes his first start for new owners Wathnan Racing and is bidding to become trainer James Fanshawe’s third winner of the race.

“Kind Of Blue is out of a sister to Deacon Blues, who won the first Qipco British Champions Sprint, and a half-sister to The Tin Man, who won the race in 2016,” explained Fanshawe.

“They were both four-year-olds when they won the race and Kind Of Blue is only three but he’s by Blue Point and a big, strong colt, hopefully with a bright future.”

Jane Chapple-Hyam elected to miss the Haydock Group One with July Cup winner Mill Stream, a decision that could be vindicated when he makes his first start since August in the hands of William Buick.

She said: “I think his form is as good as any and he goes there in very good order. He’ll be doing his best and I think he’s good value.

“We are lucky to have William again. He’s my super-sub. He came in for Saffron Beach and he’s come in for Mill Stream. We call him when we need him!”

Karl Burke saddled Spycatcher and Swingalong to finish third and fourth respectively last year and both are back for another crack at the six-furlong contest, joined by stablemate Elite Status, twice a winner at Newbury this season.

The latter will be ridden by Clifford Lee, who is hopeful of a big performance following a recent gallop at Southwell.

He said: “Elite Status has been a great horse for the stable this year and he is going there in top form.

“He went to Southwell for a gallop last week just to blow the cobwebs out and he’s in good order.

“The ground at Haydock last time was probably too soft and I hope it’s not too soft again on Saturday. The way it’s looking, that could be the case and we just hope he will run well.”

Flying the flag for France is Yann Barberot’s ultra-consistent Beauvatier, who drops back in trip having finished a place behind Kinross in third at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.

Meanwhile, representing Ireland is Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker and Adrian Murray’s Bucanero Fuerte, with the latter hoping to regain the form that saw him scoop Group One honours at two.

“He’s in good order, two weeks ago he was in some serious order and hopefully he’s as good as he was then,” said Murray.

“We were all saying that if the race was two weeks ago, he’d have been in serious nick, but he’s still in good form and hopefully he’ll run a big race.

“The five furlongs was just a bit sharp for him (last time out), he was on his head, and the stiff six would suit him better. He won’t mind the ground at all, he’s won on that before.”

Tiffany team hoping she can sparkle at Ascot

Connections of Tiffany are unconcerned by the ground as she bids to end her season on a high with a Group One strike in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

The four-year-old daughter of Farhh has won three of her four starts this season, with the only blip coming at Haydock when she was beaten three lengths by Queen Of The Pride in the Lancashire Oaks.

She launched her season with victory in a Listed race at Baden-Baden in Germany and followed up in the Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes at Newcastle.

The Haydock defeat came just eight days after her win at Newcastle, while she was also hindered by slipping on the bend.

The Sir Mark Prescott-trained filly was then given a 56-day break before returning to Baden-Baden to land a Group Two, with Dan Downie of owners Elite Racing convinced there is more to come.

Downie said: “Ground-wise, I think she’s pretty versatile, I don’t think we know what she wants really. She tends to be pretty effective on any ground she’s run on. We’re not particularly fussed about that.

“She’s never run on really bottomless ground. It will be a different kettle of fish on Saturday, but in terms of how she is, we’re very happy with her. She’s had a good season and she’s been improving. It’s a difficult time of year for fillies, but hopefully she remains in good form.

“She won very well (in Germany), it wasn’t the strongest Group Two, obviously, but she did it really well, she couldn’t have done any more.

“When she won the Hoppings, she was impressive that day. She probably had excuses at Haydock, it came a bit quick. We’re very happy with her and the plan is to stay in training with her next year, as there’s so much more to come from her.”

Andrew Balding’s Kalpana has been favourite for this contest ever since she demolished the field in the September Stakes at Kempton.

However, connections do have concerns should the ground turn extremely testing.

Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte said: “It will be the same for them all, it depends on how much rain arrives.

“She won’t mind soft ground but if it turned heavy, that would be a whole different ball game.

“She’s in good form, Andrew is happy with her work and we’re looking forward to seeing her run.

“She did it well at Kempton, to be fair she’s probably been improving all year, physically, but you’d have to be impressed with how she did it.”

Juddmonte will also be represented by Harry Charlton’s Time Lock, who is set to head to the paddocks after this.

“More than likely, this will be her last race, we had mentioned Hong Kong but realistically she’s probably a pound or two short of being competitive there and the owners were keen to give her another try,” Mahon continued.

“We also felt she was probably better on fast ground but it’s a last roll of the dice, it is what it is and hopefully she can be competitive.”

Aidan O’Brien runs both Yorkshire Oaks winner Content, who disappointed in the Prix de l’Opera last time out, and Grateful, who won the Prix de Royallieu over a mile and three-quarters.

“The trip was a bit short for Content, the ground didn’t suit and she normally wears ear plugs but in France she had to wear a hood as well, so maybe the combination was too much for her,” said O’Brien.

“Grateful will stay very well and like the ground, she seems in good form.”

Queen Of The Pride, Tiffany’s conqueror at Haydock, will look to put a disappointing run at York in the rear-view mirror when they renew their rivalry.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old failed to fire in the Yorkshire Oaks and trailed home 26 lengths adrift of Content.

Jockey Oisin Murphy said: “She obviously has to get over the disappointment of York, but she’s training well at the moment and when I rode her work last week, she felt her old self.

“She was never on the bridle there, but they did all of the tests and found nothing, so we don’t know what happened that day.”

War Chimes was third in the Oaks but has not been seen since finishing down the field in the Irish equivalent and her trainer David Menuisier explained. “We gave her a break after the Irish Oaks and decided to go straight for the Fillies & Mares.

“She hung that day, but she’d had a busy time, finishing third at Epsom, and she was just a bit tired.”

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