Champions Day 2024 saw the stars of the Flat season converged on the famous Berkshire venue for a glittering end of season card. Here’s a look at our five standouts from the Champions Day card at Ascot.
Champions Day 2024: 5 Huge Winners
Whilst punters were perhaps left perplexed with the 40/1 winner of the feature Champion Stakes, there were strong winners of the supporting card, such as the Champion Stayer, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Fillies’ And Mares’ for favourite backers.
Champions Day 2024: Kyprios
The star stayer of his and probably most other generations, Kyprios won the Long Distance Cup for the first time under Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien. No horse has won more Group 1s for O’Brien than Kyprios, while in June he became just the third horse in history to regain the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
For such a strong stayer, he is also blessed with a good change of gear and his connections have confirmed he will race on next year, with a third Gold Cup the main aim. “He’s relentless and has an unbelievable amount of quality. It doesn’t matter whether you go slow or fast, he just goes there and switches off,” said his trainer.
Champions Day 2024: Kind Of Blue
Trainer James Fanshawe knows a thing or two about winning the Champions Sprint at Ascot and Kind Of Blue emulated his close relatives Deacon Blues and The Tin Man in winning the race for the Newmarket-based handler. The Wathnan Racing-owned three-year-old scored for the first time at Group-race level as he held off the challenges of Swingalong and Flora Of Bermuda in a bunched finish, going one better than last month’s Sprint Cup second at Haydock as he turned around form with Montassib – only fifth this time for William Haggas.
“All trainers become attached to the families that do them well and this is one that has done us tremendously well,” said Fanshawe. “It’s the third close relation that has won this race for us.”
Champions Day 2024: Kalpana
Connections of Kalpana are already dreaming of next year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after the Juddmonte-owned filly won the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, giving Andrew Balding and William Buick a Group 1 together. The three-year-old scored readily from Wingspan in second spot, taking her record to five wins in just eight career starts after debuting only in January.
“I’ve never known a horse improve as much,” said the winning trainer. “She’s such a diamond and has a very special temperament.”
Champions Day 2024: Charyn
As with Kyprios, Charyn certainly deserved his Champions Day coronation as the best miler of the season. Roger Varian’s charge had won the Queen Anne here in the summer and also the Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August, while his only setbacks in seven runs this season saw him finish second behind Audience in the Lockinge and Tribalist in the Prix Moulin, both Group 1s in which the winners pinched major advantages up front.
Silvestre De Sousa wasn’t going to let that happen this time, travelling powerfully on the bridle at the two-furlong marker before seeing off the challenge of French raider Facteur Cheval for a clear-cut win with the field behind strung out as Charyn confirmed his position as Europe’s best miler in 2024.
Champions Day 2024: Anmaat
Anmaat stunned the crowds at Ascot with his 40/1 success in the Qipco Champion Stakes for Owen Burrows, Jim Crowley and owners Shadwell. Like plenty of the field, Anmaat was struggling for racing room on the tighter inner course but, once he saw daylight, the previous Group 1 winner flew home to make a mockery of his starting price.
Runner-up Calandagan for France was left to ponder what might have been after repeatedly meeting trouble up the home straight, but ultimately he did get to the lead late on with the running rail to help and couldn’t fend off Anmaat under the Crowley drive as they came from an improbable position to win. “I’ll be honest, I put my binoculars down halfway up the straight and thought we had no chance,” said a delighted Burrows afterwards.
By Adrian Mills
Please note that the information provided in this article with Champions Day 2024 article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.
18+ | BeGambleAware.org
