5 Horses to Watch out for at Champions Day, Ascot

The fourth QIPCO British Champions Day will get underway this Saturday, October 18^th to mark the finale of the European Flat racing season. With an overall prize of £3.75 million, it is the richest raceday in the British calendar, consisting of 5 different races.

We’ve put together a list of Ascot betting tips for our top 5 favourites in this year’s competition:

Ascot 1:45pm – British Champions Long Distance Cup

Name: Leading Light

Age: 4                                                                               

    Jockey: Joseph O’Brien

            Odds: 9/4

Competing in the first of five races, Leading Light is a clear favourite for Ascot’s opener. Despite meeting with defeat in the Irish Leger, this four-year-old beauty has an impressive past, including a gold cup win at Ascot back in June.  

Name: Forgotten Rules                                            

Age: 4

    Jockey: Pat Smullen

     Odds: 7/2

Perhaps a little less known than other contenders within this list, Forgotten Rules is certainly the ‘dark horse’ of the competition. With a terrific performance in the Punchestown race and an impressive display of speed at Galway, this Irish challenger has lots of potential.

Name: Estimate

Age: 5

Jockey: Ryan Moore

Odds: 11/2

Rivalling both Leading Light and Forgotten Rules in the British Champions Long Distance Cup, the Queen’s horse Estimate is the one to watch this year. She is a previous winner of the Ascot Gold Cup and won the Doncaster Cup last week. 

Ascot 3:30pm – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Name: Integral

Age: 4

    Jockey: Ryan Moore

    Odds: 7/1

Another favourite in the competition, Integral comes from a family of winners, with her mother and grandmother both winning Group 1 races under the direction of Sir Michael Stoute. Taking into consideration the recent rainfall at Ascot, this filly could be ideally placed after winning a Group One at Newmarket on soft ground back in July. 

Ascot 4:05pm – Champion Stakes

Name: Pether’s Moon

Age: 4

    Jockey: Richard Hughes

    Odds: 16/1

Priced at 16/1 in the QIPCO Champions Stakes, Pether’s Moon is certainly one to look out with a previous win at Ascot in the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes. Although he’s up against the likes of Cirrus Des Aigles, Free Eagle and Noble Mission, the conditions may well work in his favour as he is a strong performer on soft ground.