British Champions Day

Whether or not you liked the 'Bill and Ben' analogies of the Racing For Change days, or the removal of the Champion Stakes from Newmarket to Ascot, you cannot fail to like the man who played a part in some of these attempts to modernise and market racing: Rod Street.  This QIPCO British Champions Day - the 14th since the significant shake-up to the autumnal racing programme in 2011 - will be Street's last as CEO of British Champions Series. He stepped down from his role as CEO of Great...

America's Day at the Races will present live, on-site coverage of the 103rd Far Hills Steeplechase Race Meeting Saturday afternoon from Moorland Farm in Far Hills, New Jersey. New York Racing Association host Acacia Clement will anchor the coverage from Far Hills and will be joined by analysts Joe Clancy and Richard Migliore. The Far Hills card will offer $720,000 in total purses and include five stakes among six races. The highlight of the card is the $250,000 G1 American Grand National, the richest race on the National Steeplechase Association...

All season we seem to have been marvelling at 'another brilliant ride by Ryan Moore.' But the man himself chuckles at the idea that this has been a special year for him. "I suppose looking back there've been good days, but you only remember the last day," he says. "We didn't win the Arc - so it doesn't feel satisfying at the moment." As he says it, he really is laughing at how a recent disappointment can obscure the glories. This is life in the super-elite of world sport, where...

Tom Marquand is "95% certain" to be aboard multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on Oct. 15, according to owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's racing manager Bruce Raymond. The colt's usual rider, Christophe Soumillon, will be serving part of his 60-day suspension for elbowing another jockey out of the saddle in a race, during that time period. A dual Group 1 winner as a juvenile, the bay's most recent victory was in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal...

G1 Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) will run in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot on Oct. 15, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed on Tuesday. She will be part of a two-pronged attack in that race for the trainer on QIPCO British Champions Day alongside G1 Prix Vermeille winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Unplaced in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet to start her European campaign, the 11-time Group 1 winne ran third in the G2 Prix Foy, and was most...

Shadwell's unbeaten Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is reportedly in good order following his recent home work in advance of what is likely to be his final career jump in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot on Oct. 15. The aforementioned 10-furlong contest has always been conditioner William Haggas's preferred option for a final start. The Hills brothers have been putting Baaeed through his paces on the Newmarket gallops alongside some Group 1 stablemates, and the colt appears to have come out of his work with flying colours....

British and Irish racing will participate in 17 World Pool events in 2022 with racing fans from around the world betting on the sport's most prestigious flat racing festivals. The race days have record prize money available of £28.4 million and include Cazoo Oaks Day at Epsom Downs for the first time. As a collaboration of global Totes, World Pool enables racing fans from all over the globe to bet into a single pool. A World Pool "Moment of the Day" will be awarded by an industry representative at the...

Breeders' Cup and Qatar Racing have entered into a multi-year partnership that designates Qatar Racing as the official partner of the $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, starting with this year's running at Del Mar Nov. 6. The deal also adds two races to the 2021 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series--the G1 QIPCO Champion S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. (Sponsored by QIPCO), to be held on British Champions Day Saturday, Oct. 16 at Ascot Racecourse, will offer automatic berths into the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf...

Multiple Group 1 winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) will forego entries at Ayr and Newbury this weekend and instead target next Wednesday's Listed Foundation S. at Goodwood, where rainfall is expected. The 7-year-old gelding with an affinity for soft ground has not been seen since finishing second to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr})-and ahead of world co-top rated Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB})-in the G1 Eclipse S. on July 3. Addeybb is on course for a title defense of the G1 Champion S. at Ascot on Oct. 16. "The...

G1 Coronation S. and G1 Sussex S. winner Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) will revert to the mile distance over which she won those two features for the Oct. 16 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. after beating just one home in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International over a mile and a quarter. The 3-year-old filly, who also won last year's G1 Cheveley Park S., was racing beyond a mile for the first time. "Going up to a mile and a quarter was always going to be a punt," said trainer...

Trainer John Gosden has said that Qipco British Champions Day, where Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has entries in the G1 Champion S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., is likely to be the 4-year-old's swansong before he goes off to stud. Palace Pier, last year's champion 3-year-old off wins in the G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, is a perfect four-for-four in 2021. Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's bay won the G2 bet365 Mile, G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Queen Anne S. before defending his...

A provision has been made that will allow officials to move races on the round course to the inner track at Ascot on British Champions Day should the ground have 'heavy' in the going description at morning inspection. The previous rule stated that the inner course, which is normally used only for jumps races, could only be considered in an abandonment situation. The course will be inspected by Clerk of the Course Chris Stickels as per usual on the morning of the race. If he gives "heavy" in the going...