British Champions Day

[PJMIII]

From brisnet.com

Ascot Racecourse is delighted to announce that Her Majesty The Queen will be attending the inaugural British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, October 15. British Champions Day will be the most valuable raceday ever run in the UK with £3 million on offer and the race named in Her Majesty's honor, The Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1), will be the highest value mile race ever run in the country at £1,000,000. The Queen has graciously consented to present the trophy to the winning connections.

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Champions Day prize pool could hit Breeders' Cup entries - Cecil

The bumper prizemoney on offer at the British Champions Day meeting at Ascot racecourse next month will eventually dry up European challengers to the Breeders' Cup, leading trainer Henry Cecil said on Friday.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/0...78M3B620110923

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Frankel, So You Think headline Champions Day entries

Juddmonte's unbeaten Frankel will be joined by stablemate and three-quarter brother Bullet Train in Saturday's Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, after Sir Henry Cecil confirmed both will take part -- with the latter to act as pacemaker -- in the one-mile contest at Ascot.

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/edito...e.cgi?id=24261

[PJMIII]

Dettori realistic about chances against Frankel

Frankie Dettori is set to partner last year's winner Poet's Voice in Saturday's Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Successful by a nose over Rip Van Winkle 12 months ago, the four-year-old has been winless since, but was third in Newmarket's Group 2 Joel Stakes last time. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor also has the six-year-old Rio de la Plata among the entries, but Dettori is sticking with the younger of the pair.

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/edito...e.cgi?id=24282

[PJMIII]

Overdue Champions Day in England generating buzz

The inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday at Ascot has generated plenty of excitement from trainers as an event long overdue.

The inaugural card will feature five championship races in five different divisions: middle distance, sprint, long distance, mile, and fillies and mares.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...ting-buzz.aspx

[PJMIII]

Ascot's Champions Day threatens Breeders' Cup's pulling power

So much so that Britain's richest raceday is being paid the ultimate compliment of being feared as competition by the Breeders' Cup in terms of attracting the world's best runners.

Although this year's three weeks between Ascot and the BC fixture in Kentucky is considered sufficient to allow horses to appear at both, 2012's provisional fortnight gap is understood to be causing jitters.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/hors...g/15266974.stm

[Ezariah]

Frankel Still Possible for Breeders' Cup

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...r-breeders-cup

[second_glance]

Fame and Glory won the first race on the first British Champions Day card: The British Champions Long Distance Cup

[PJMIII]

From TDN

Dancing Rain Wires the British Champions Fillies & Mares

Dancing Rain registered a second Classic win in August's G1 Preis der Diana at Dusseldorf last time and took the inaugural running of Ascot's G2 Qipco British Champion Fillies' & Mares' S. with a brave frontrunning performance. Setting solid fractions on the front end, the 6-1 chance had the majority of her rivals in trouble approaching the final quarter mile and kept on strongly to defeat Bible Belt (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) by two lengths. Gertrude Bell (GB) (Sinndar {Ire}) stayed on resolutely for third, 2 1/4 lengths further back.

DANCING RAIN (IRE), f, 3, Danehill Dancer (Ire)--Rain Flower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). (€200,000 yrl '09 GOFMIL).
O-M J & L A Taylor; B-Swettenham Stud; T-William Haggas; J-Johnny Murtagh. Lifetime Record: 7-4-2-0, £615,468.

[PJMIII]

From TDN

Deacon Blues Bags the British Champions Sprint

Successful in last month's G3 World Trophy at Newbury, Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) continued a rapid rise through the ranks with a decisive victory in Ascot's G2 Qipco British Champions Sprint. Hard on the steel and close to the pace from the break, the crowd's 5-2 favorite loomed large at the two pole and surged clear under urging in the closing stages to score by 1 1/2 lengths from French raider Wizz Kid (Ire) (Whipper), with a further neck back to Libranno (GB) (Librettist) in third.

DEACON BLUES (GB), g, 4, Compton Place (GB)--Persario (GB), by Bishop of Cashel (GB).
O-Jan Hopper, Peter Hopper & Michelle Morris; B-Mr & Mrs K W Grundy & Mr & Mrs P Hopper; T-James Fanshawe; J-Johnny Murtagh. Lifetime Record: 16-7-4-2, £326,170.

[PJMIII]

From TDN

Galileo's Frankel on Cloud Nine in the QE2

TDN Rising Star Frankel's path to greatness took a winning detour in July's G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood and Juddmonte's World Champion-elect justified odds-on favoritism with yet another stunning performance in Ascot's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. (Qipco British Champions Mile). Keen early as stablemate Bullet Train (GB) (Sadler's Wells) was ignored in front, the 4-11 lock went in smooth pursuit from halfway and burst clear once set alight approaching the final eighth to easily best Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) by four lengths for a ninth straight triumph. Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) finished a further 3 1/2 lengths back in third with Dubawi Gold (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) completing a sweep for the sophomores in fourth.

FRANKEL (GB), c, 3, Galileo (Ire)--Kind (Ire), by Danehill.
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms; T-Sir Henry Cecil; J-Tom Queally. Lifetime Record: 9-9-0-0, £1,372,709.

[PJMIII]

From brisnet.com

Unseasonably warm weather on a bright autumn day boosted crowd attendance to26,749 for Ascot's inaugural Champions Day. "There has been a great buzz, we've had a really good, supportive racing audience who have enjoyed the day and we're really thrilled with the crowd for our first year," commented Ascot's Chief Executive Charles Barnett. "QIPCO has made it possible and they have been behind the event all the way. It makes an enormous difference working with a sponsor that is so involved and supportive."

[PJMIII]

Frankel, Soumillon ban headline inaugural British Champions Day

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...pions-day.aspx