There was a familiar team in action at British Champions Day at Ascot overnight with the William Haggas trained Pivotal gelding Addeybb taking out the featured Group I Champion Stakes (1m2f) under Tom Marquand.
Australian racegoers are all too familiar with Addeybb , who defeated Verry Elleegant twice in Sydney back in the autumn - image Steve Hart
This combination travelled to Australia earlier this year winning both the Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Ranvet Stakes before returning home and interestingly on both occasions he defeated Verry Elleegant, who won the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.
Second in this race last year to Magical, Addeybb was too good for her this year with Magical having to settle for third place as Addeybb powered away from French entry Skalleti to win by more than two lengths.
“Addeybb has gone to Australia and conquered down under and now he's come back and got his Group 1 here. He deserved that so much because he's been knocking on the door and shows he's a champion but never had his day, said Tom Marquand.
“Now he's got it. He travelled like a truely good horse throughout the race and when I started getting going at the bottom of the straight it's remarkable because he goes over ground as bad as you can get and makes it feel like quick ground. That's why he's so good on it.”
One of 152 stakes-winners for outstanding sire Pivotal, Addeybb was one of two Group I winners on the card for Cheveley Park’s champion sire joining Glen Shiel, who won the Group I Sprint.
Addeybb is a half-brother to Group III placed Mee Kat and is the best of seven winners from Kingmambo mare Bush Cat.
He has the imposing record of 11 wins and five placings from 20 starts.
