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| Staff Writer |
The Gr.1 QIPCO Champion Stakes provided a thrilling climax to British Champions Day at Ascot, with Anmaat causing a 40/1 upset for trainer Owen Burrows and jockey Jim Crowley.
The 6YO Shadwell runner overcame trouble in running to storm home and collar 6/4 favorite Calandagan in the final strides. The winning margin was half a length, with Royal Rhyme 25/1 a further two lengths back in third.
Anmaat, who landed last year's Gr.1 Prix d'Ispahan on his only other appearance at the highest level, had disappointed when fifth in the Gr.2 Prix Dollar on his previous start. However, he bounced back to form in spectacular fashion on Champions Day.
Winning trainer Owen Burrows, enjoying his first winner at the meeting, said: "We've always thought a lot of this horse. I know it sounds easy afterwards, but last year after he won his Group One in France, I did really fancy him for the Eclipse – but he had a very complex foot injury, which took a long time to come right."
He added: "It just went wrong in France two weeks ago. It was a muddling old race and I think Jim will admit it probably wasn't his finest hour but the horse came back fine. I had to convince Sheikha Hissa to come today but credit to her, I spoke to her on Monday morning and sent her a video of an easy piece of work he did last Saturday. She was happy with it and so was I."
Jockey Jim Crowley commented on the troubled passage: "We had a nice draw and I wanted to go and sit third or fourth, one off the rail, and give myself an option. But I could see early on that Los Angeles wasn't taking Ryan [Moore] at all and, when we turned into the straight, I had horses on my outside keeping me in."
He continued: "I was going well, but then we had to try and work our way through and we got completely stopped. There was no option at the time, we were just stuck. I won't tell you what I was thinking. But when he got the gap, it was extraordinary the way the horse picked up and, believe me, it was no fluke."
Crowley added, "I thought he'd win the Eclipse last year against Paddington. I was convinced he would win and he went wrong the day before. It looked like he would never race again and everyone has done a wonderful job to get him back."
Calandagan's trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said: "Second again - I am so upset! We had a very difficult draw and, in that ground this horse makes too much effort. But we had a very good race; he quickened clear and I thought the race was for us. Then I got caught on the line, so that's it. Another second!"
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The Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes saw Charyn secure his third Group One prize of the season with a top-class performance. The Roger Varian-trained winner moved through the contest like a class act but needed to dig deep when French raider Facteur Cheval threw down a strong challenge entering the final furlong.
Charyn responded like a champion, finding plenty for Silvestre de Sousa's urgings to pull away and score by two lengths. Facteur Cheval filled the runner-up spot for the second successive year, with Tamfana four and a quarter lengths further back in third.
Trainer Roger Varian said: "Charyn is a super horse and that was fantastic. Everything went very smooth, and it was a lovely race to watch. Silvestre got me a bit nervous! He just sat comfortable and you could see the second coming, and then Charyn had to get to work and he showed his battling qualities. He's got everything, that horse."
Varian added, "I promise you, he's got the most amazing constitution. Every time I've run him in his life, I've thought he was too heavy, because he just holds his condition like no other horse. Touch wood, he's sound, he loves his work, he loves his racing. He's just got such a good mentality for the game, and an engine to go with it."
Jockey Silvestre de Sousa added: "Charyn just had a look there at the big screen, but he's such a good horse and I hope it's not going to be too long before I sit on something like him again. Roger has done such a great job with this horse, and the whole team at home as well."
Facteur Cheval's trainer Jerome Reynier said: "You can't really be frustrated by being beaten by such a big champion like Charyn – he is the number one miler in Europe. Obviously, we beat him last year in the Sussex on testing ground, so we were hoping to be able to do it again, but obviously he has been improving a lot this year and Charyn is just unbeatable."
Kind of Blue followed in the footsteps of relatives The Tin Man and Deacon Blues by winning the Gr.1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint for trainer James Fanshawe.
The lightly raced sprinter travelled strongly towards the middle of the track before finding plenty under pressure to hold off Swingalong and Flora Of Bermuda by a head and a neck.
Fanshawe said: "Kind of Blue is the third close relation that has won this race, all from the same family and all bred by the Hoppers, the Grundys and the Morrises. All trainers get attached to families that do them well and this is a family that has done us tremendously well."
He added, "Wathnan Racing bought him three weeks ago and he's a really exciting horse for them going forwards. He's got the Group One under his belt now. It's been a big team effort to get him here."
Jockey James Doyle commented: "It was a long last 10 strides! He was very brave. For a very inexperienced horse to lead a furlong and a half out and still knuckle down when he felt the second horse come to me is a true testament to not only his ability but the heart that he has."
Swingalong's trainer Karl Burke said: "I am delighted with the filly. Three seconds in Group Ones in a year is a bit frustrating, but she's a fantastic filly to have and credit to everyone in the yard. She's brilliant."
Juddmonte 3YO Kalpana continued her progression with a dominant victory in the Gr.1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
The Andrew Balding-trained favorite could be called the winner a long way out, travelling sweetly under a confident William Buick, who unleashed the daughter of Study Of Man approaching the final two furlongs.
Kalpana quickly put the race to bed and galloped out strongly to beat Wingspan by two lengths, with Tiffany three lengths further back in third.
Trainer Andrew Balding said: "I have never known a horse improve as much as Kalpana. I think I even mentioned to Barry [Mahon, Juddmonte] that we might put her in a sale this time last year! Just every time we started doing more with her, she's just improved and improved, from Wolverhampton to here in 10 months."
He added, "She is just an absolute diamond, as you can see afterwards. She has a very special temperament and is by an exciting young stallion. She's from the first crop of Study Of Man, so it's pretty exciting for them as well."
Jockey William Buick said: "Kalpana has an incredible mind and is a jockey's dream. I parked her up three wide with no cover but she was always comfortable, never wasted any energy and saved the whole way in that ground."
The concluding Balmoral Handicap saw Carrytheone sweep to comfortable success, providing trainer Michael Bell with a first QIPCO British Champions Day success.
The Christophe Soumillon-ridden winner challenged on the outside of the 20-runner field before coming clear in the closing stages to score by two lengths. Lattam (18/1) stayed on well to head a bunch for the minor honours, ahead of Witch Hunter (25/1) and 7/2 favourite Thunder Run.
Winning owner Stuart Mizon said: "We freshened him up for six weeks at the back end of August and September with the aim of coming for the big handicap two weeks ago. He didn't run very well there, as he missed the break 10 lengths, but he still finished sixth. He was still showing plenty at home, so we thought we'd come here."
Jockey Christophe Soumillon added: "Carrytheone didn't jump so good, so I was last in the first part of the race. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be unlucky in the race again, so I brought him out, coming to the stands' side. He made a great effort because it's not easy to come out so early and, when I hit the front, he kept going until the end. He is a very generous horse."
Oisin Murphy Secures Fourth Champion Jockey Title
The day also saw the crowning of the season's champions. Oisin Murphy was presented with his fourth Champion Flat Jockey trophy, regaining the title he won in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The 29-year-old ends the campaign on 163 winners, more than 50 clear of his closest challenger Rossa Ryan.
Murphy said: "This is something I really tried to achieve this year. I have had great support from so many trainers and owners, and having a fair lead has meant I have been able to enjoy it over the last month or so."
He added, "It has taken a lot of hard work from my agent [Gavin Horne]. With the one meeting a day rule, it is paramount that he chooses the correct meeting to send me to, which is not easy when there are three or four meetings. I think he has done a great job, and that has been key to me riding so many winners."
Reflecting on the future, Murphy said: "There are many races that I have not won. The two standouts for me are the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Derby. The Arc has so much international appeal and recognition nowadays, while the Derby has so much history."
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Aidan O'Brien wrapped up his seventh British Flat Trainer's Championship, the first time he has landed the title since 2017. The Ballydoyle handler leads the standings by more than £3 million after a string of big-race victories.
O'Brien said: "It is a big team effort from everyone in Ballydoyle and Coolmore. There are so many special people in so many different areas that if I started talking about them, I would be here until tomorrow. You can have the horses and the place but, if you don't have the people, it won't happen."
He added, "The owners are the people who put the resources in every year, to try and help us make it better. They put a lot of time in and give us advice. We do our best, give information back, and try to follow the roadmap that they draw for us. Some years it goes very well, some years it is ordinary, and some years it is medium."
Godolphin was crowned Champion Owner in Britain for a 16th time thanks to a campaign that has yielded Classic success and more than £4 million in prize money.
Hugh Anderson, Managing Director of Godolphin (UK and Dubai), said: "Everyone at Godolphin is immensely proud to receive the UK Champion Owner trophy for a 16th time. It has proved to be another exceptional season, led by our brilliant 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech."
He continued, "It's also particularly exciting to see the next generation coming through, with Shadow Of Light and Desert Flower establishing themselves as the best two-year-olds in the country. With several of our senior stars set to remain in training, we can look forward to 2025 with great anticipation."
Sean Dylan Bowen clinched the Champion Apprentice title following a hard-fought battle with Joe Leavy. The riders were neck and neck entering the final week of the season, but Bowen partnered crucial winners at Chelmsford, Haydock Park and Catterick to swing the pendulum in his favour.
Bowen, who finishes the campaign with 45 successes, said: "My plan at the start was to go jumping, but everyone said I was mad because I was too light. They said I should go on the Flat first and switch after if I did get heavier. My weight is reasonably good at the minute, so we will see how long I can get out of it."
Jack Berry MBE and connections of Dubai Millennium and Goldikova were presented with QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame medals at Ascot. Berry, a former jockey and trainer, is synonymous with his fund-raising initiatives for the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Berry said: "To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a huge honour. I always knew I wanted to be a jockey from when I was five years old and now, at almost 87, to be added to such a list of horses and humans who have had such an impact on the sport is truly humbling."
The day's events celebrated not only the thrilling races but also the season's outstanding achievements, providing a fitting finale to the British flat racing season. With record declarations, fantastic racing, and a diverse crowd of over 29,000 racegoers, including 6,000 18-26-year-olds, QIPCO British Champions Day once again proved its status as the ultimate finale to the flat racing season.