Racing in Australia on Saturday was dazzlingly good in Sydney and Melbourne, but we weren’t the only place on the planet celebrating the very best in thoroughbred racing with Ascot in the UK hosting Qipco British Champions Day featuring four Group I races, so let’s take a look at the winners.
G1 Champion Stakes (1m2f) – This is the race won last year by three year-old Wootton Bassett colt King of Steel over a gallant Fastnet Rock mare Via Sistina, who was subsequently sold to Yulong and will run as one of the favourites in the Cox Plate next weekend.
This year’s race produced a shock result two geldings fighting out the finish with 40-1 shot Anmaat scoring a half length win over the favourite Caldangan, who was a last start second in the G1 Juddmonte International behind City of Troy.
Already a Group I winner in France last year, six year-old Anmaat is a Shadwell homebred by Awtaad trained by Owen Burrows and has the overall record of nine wins and five placings from 15 starts.
Anmaat is a half-brother to Group III winner Syntax and is the best of seven winners from African Moonlight, a full sister to Group III winner Mkuzi.
G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1m) - The favourite got the cash in this one with four year-old Dark Angel stallion Charyn picking up his third G1 mile win this year and one of those was at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes when he beat the OTI owned Docklands, who makes his Australian debut in the Cox Plate.
Charyn is a full brother to Group II winner Wings of War from stakes-placed Kodiac mare Futoon.
G1 British Champions Sprint (6f) – Three year-old Blue Point colt Kind of Blue was unraced at two, but has had a busy year in the James Fanshawe stable lining up to win his first stakes race at his seventh start following a string of placings including a last start second in the G1 Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock.
Kind of Blue is the 13th stakes-winner and third Group I winner for Blue Point, who is currently at Darley in Victoria covering his fifth book of mares in Australia. He’s been super consistent this year with three wins and three placings from seven starts with his only unplaced run a fourth in the Group I Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Kind of Blue is the best of two winners from Blues Sister, a half-sister to elite sprinters The Tin Man and Deacon Blues, who both also won the British Champions Sprint.
G1 British Champions Fillies and Mares (1m3 ½ f)- Juddmonte Farms homebred three year-old filly Kalpana was also unraced at two and has worked through her grades this year for the Andrew Balding stable coming into her first G1 race at her eighth start. Winning her last two starts in Listed and G3 company by daylight, she started favourite for this with William Buick on board and scored a dominant win.
With five wins and three placings from eight starts, Kalpana looms as a very exciting prospect for next year and is the first Group I winner among five stakes-winners for her sire Study of Man, whose oldest progeny are just three year-olds. A Group I Prix du Jockey Club winner by Japanese super sire Deep Impact, Stud of Man stands at Lanwades Stud at a fee of £12,500.
Kalpana is the best of five winners from stakes-winning Dansili mare Zero Gravity, a full sister to Group I winner Zambezi Sun.
