Champions Deliver on Champions Day at Ascot

Mark Smith - Sunday October 21

While The Cliffsofmoher (IRE) pulled up one and three-quarter lengths short of crediting Galileo with his 74th Group 1 winner when a gallant third in the Caulfield Cup, Coolmore's super sire hit that mark when the Aidan O'Brien-trained Magical won the QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes on a magical Champions day at Ascot.

Galileo eased past the mark set by his own sire Sadler's Wells and now only bows to another Coolmore legend, Danehill who has a total of 84 winners at the highest level worldwide.

In defeating the Dubawi fillies in Coronet and Lah Ti Dar, Magical joins her triple Group 1-winning sister Rhododendron on the honour board for Pivotal's remarkable daughter Halfway To Heaven who numbered wins in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Group 1 Nassau Stakes and G1 Sun Chariot Stakes in her career on the track.

Advertisement

There were three remarkable and emotional victories at Ascot for the champion trainer John Gosden with the ageless Frankie Dettori on two of them.


After earning his connections a £1million bonus with wins in the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup, Stradivarius kept his season at a perfect five for five in the Group II QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (2m) when defeating last year's Melbourne Cup sixth Thomas Hobson.

The son of Sea The Stars will be back next season but it's unlikely his stablemate Cracksman (pictured) will after defending his title in the Group 1 QIPCO British Champion Stakes, the same race that brought the curtain down on the career of his sire Frankel.

No stud plans have been announced for the Anthony Oppenheimer homebred whose winning margin of six lengths was just a length short of his winning margin 12 months ago.

The rising 5yo retired with a record of 8 wins, 2 seconds and 1 from 11 starts with four at the highest level.

He is another out of a mare by Pivotal, this time the stakes-winning Rhadegunda who also produced the Group III Solario Stakes winner Fantastic Moon (Dalakhani).

Another fan favourite Roaring Lion made it four Group 1 wins on the trot in the Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes (1m).

With Oisin Murphy in the saddle, Qatar Racing's grey son of Kitten's Joy toughed out a fighting neck victory over Fastnet Rock's daughter I Can Fly.

Sheikh Fahad said the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 3 is under consideration before he retires to Tweenhills Stud, which is also the Northern Hemisphere home of Zoustar.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Melbourne Cup Dream Alive for Kiwi Stayers
Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dreams are still alive for connections of Kiwi stayers Mark Twain and Trav.
Tara Talks Racing Podcast Online
We’re talking Cox Plate and whether Bucky can win the Cup, plus Godolphin colts, how can you not, they have had a fabulous spring and it’s not over yet!
One to Watch – Sha Tin – You Don’t See That Every Day!
The Mark Newnham stable has been on fire in Hong Kong since the start of the new season and the former Sydney trainer produced a super promising winner at Sha Tin on Sunday by Capitalist that did everything wrong and miraculously still won the race!
Rewarding Weekend for Waikato Stud
A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend.
Maher and Waller Strike at Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale
Champion Australian trainers Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher have been active during the first session of the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale, which was topped last year by Sir Delius (GB) at 1.3million guineas.
First Winner for King of Comedy
Novara Park Stud stallion King Of Comedy (IRE) is on the board as a sire, with his son Sir Ruby becoming his first winner when victorious over 1300m at Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Monday October 27
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Impressive First winner for Armory
Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale (November 12 and 13) is online with breeze up video now in place and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.