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14 Oct 2019

Mehdaayih could fly flag for Frankel in QIPCO Champion Stakes

The final contest of this year’s 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series is the £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes, the most valuable mile and a quarter race staged in Europe.

Frankel won the 2012 renewal on the final start of his dazzling career, and in the past two years one of his sons, Cracksman, has been a runaway winner of the race.

This year the baton passes to one of his daughters, Mehdaayih, a Group 2 winner in France this summer who was also runner-up to Deirdre in the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Japan finished fourth in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and is among four entries left in by Aidan O’Brien. He also has I Can Fly, Magical and Hermosa entered.

John Gosden, the trainer of Cracksman, is responsible for Coronet, placed in the past two renewals of the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, as well as Mehdaayih. The last trainer to enjoy three successive Champion Stakes triumphs was Alex Taylor Jr, the Wizard of Manton, a century ago.

Deirdre, winner of the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in August, will seek to provide Japan with a famous triumph, while other fascinating contenders include Addeybb, who beat Pondus in decisive style in the Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock last time.

Fox Tal has been supplemented by trainer Andrew Balding for the race.

WHAT THEY SAY:

William Haggas on Addeybb

“Whether he’s good enough, I don’t know. He’s got a bit to find on the book but he’s a smart horse who likes soft ground and a gallop, like when he won so well at Royal Ascot. Next time at York it was soft but not soft enough – it was “drying soft”, whereas he wants it wet.

“Last year it never rained at all. We kept training him and by the time he got to the soft ground on QIPCO British Champions Day he was not at his best.

“This time his preparation has been different and it was marvellous of Newmarket to let us gallop him before racing last Friday because he will have benefited from that.

“I’d say he’s a longshot on form, but if he gets his conditions he could come into it. He’s proved he goes well fresh and if I can get him right for the day he should run well.

Full Entries

Addeybb (IRE) Regal Reality (GB) Coronet (GB) Deirdre (JPN) I Can Fly (GB) Magical (IRE) Fox Tal (GB) Japan (GB)Pondus (GB) Uae Jewel (GB) Hermosa (IRE) Mehdaayih (GB)