It's Champion's Day at Ascot, one of the best days racing on the global calendar, and the Racing And Sport's Priceline has been run to help us find a few winners.
The bumper card starts with the Long Distance Cup for the stayers and the star of the staying scene this year Stradivaruis is out to complete the perfect year. He's unbeaten but this will be no snack with the Priceline suggesting that odds-on is too short against the up and coming Flag Of Honour. Desert Skyline has been outgunned by Stradivarius all season but has a hope if the champion isn't at his top at the end of a long year.
Assessed Prices: Stradivarius $2.20; Flag Of Honour $3.30; Desert Skyline $11.00.
We roll on from the stayers to the sprinters and soft (even heavy) conditions won't trouble the favourite here The Tin Man. He stormed through the slop to win the Haydock Sprint Cup and loves Ascot. So it's a favourable scenario for him. No so for Limato but the Priceline finds him regardless. At double figure odds a revived Limato could be worth a ticket to overcome less than ideal conditions for him.
Assessed Prices: The Tin Man $2.80; Limato $6.00; Harry Angel $8.00; Brando $10.00; Librisa Breeze $12.00.
Again the edge sits at the top of the market in the Fillies And Mares with Lah Ti Dar another well-fancied favourite for John Gosden. She was outstanding at York and backed it up with a strong performance in a good edition of the St Leger last time. It looks the form and she's certainly not clocked up too many miles this season. She's fresh and ready to fire. the French raider Kitesurf is going from strength to strength and looks to head an even set of dangers.
Assessed Prices: Lah Ti Dar $1.90; Kitesurf $6.00; Magical $9.00; Hydrandea $11.00; Coronet $11.00.
Roaring Lion heads to the QEII as the Gosden favourites keep on coming. There is some edge in the French raider Recoletos who won a fast and deep Moulin and chased home a superstar before that but the general feel all year has been that the milers have been modest and so the king from the 2000m scene will surely be hard to beat if he can cope back in trip - and there isn't a great deal of reason to think that he won't.
Assessed Prices: Roaring Lion $2.50; Recoletos $4.50; Laurens $9.00; Happily $13.00; Lightning Spear $13.00.
The Champion Stakes was turned into a procession by Cracksman last year. It's been a year of ducking and diving for him since that moment but, for all that much has been made of his underwhelming form, he's still raced at a high level when he has been allowed out. It's been a cotton wool season, unfortunately, but he gets his chance to end it on a high. The Priceline comes up with toss of the coin odds, which are not available in the early betting. Perhaps better betting value presents itself in the form of Capri. Last season's Leger winner stuck on well in the Arc and appears to be getting fitter and fitter in a late season cameo that could peak here.
Assessed Prices: Cracksman $2.00; Crystal Ocean $4.00; Capri $6.00.
