John Gosden hoping for another happy Journey

Journey was an emphatic winner of the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes last year for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori, but no horse has won back-to-back renewals of any race on Champions Day.

One obvious stumbling block is Bateel, who beat Journey fair and square in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille last time and has now won seven of her 12 races.

The other 17 entries include seven other Group 1 winners – Queen’s Trust, Left Hand, Seventh Heaven, Smart Call, Hydrangea, Rhododendron and Winter.

In addition to Journey, Gosden has also indicated that Ribblesdale winner Coronet, who was a close fifth in the William Hill St Leger last time, will represent him.

Horseplay finished fourth to Enable in the Investec Oaks in June before filing the same position in a Group 2 contest at Saint-Cloud on July 2.

She has been absent since and her trainer Andrew Balding explained: “She had a setback, but at the moment we are in good shape to try and make it to Champions Day with her. Her Oaks run looks pretty good now and she handles cut in the ground, if it comes up like that on the day.”

FULL LIST OF RUNNERS

Bateel (IRE), Glamorous Approach (IRE), Journey (GB), Left Hand (GB), Mountain Bell (GB), Queen’s Trust (GB), Seventh Heaven (IRE), Smart Call (SAF), The Black Princess (FR), The Juliet Rose (FR), Coronet (GB), Eziyra (IRE), Horseplay (GB), Hydrangea (IRE) ,Rain Goddess (IRE), Rhododendron (IRE) ,Sirrin (IRE), Wild Irish Rose (IRE), Winter (IRE)