Big races in France and Ireland throw up plenty of QIPCO British Champions Day contenders

Maxios could now be QIPCO British Champions Day-bound. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Maxios ran away with the Group 1 Prix Du Moulin over a mile at Longchamp yesterday, relishing the soft ground in Paris.

Trained by Jonathan Pease, he won by five lengths from the Richard Hannon-trained Olympic Glory.

Maxios had found the ground too quick at Royal Ascot when only sixth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, but this time he showed his true colours.

Both are now likely QIPCO British Champions Day contenders, with Maxios holding an entry in both the one and a quarter mile QIPCO Champion Stakes and the one mile Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, with Olympic Glory pencilled in for the latter race.

The Arc trials at Longchamp were won by Japanese stars Orfevre and Kizuna, who just beat the Investec Derby winner, Ruler Of The World, in a head-bobbing finish, and star filly Treve.

A notable horse missing from the Arc Trials was the brilliant French Derby winner, Intello, indicating more and more that he may be likely to tackle the QIPCO Champion Stakes for trainer Andre Fabre.

In Ireland, Voleuse De Coeurs won the Group 1 Irish St Leger, comfortably beating Godolphin’s Ahzeemah by six lengths, with Saddler’s Rock running his best race of the year in third.

All three are entered in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup which opens the QIPCO British Champions Day card.

Looking back to Saturday, Ladbrokes St Leger runner-up Talent is on course for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes, race three on the card. 

Her trainer, Ralph Beckett, said of his star filly, who ran away with the Investec Oaks before flopping on fast ground in the Irish Oaks: "I am thrilled to bits with her and I feel like I have won because her run in Ireland was so bad and I still don’t really have a reason for it, except the ground.

"We will look at the fillies and mares race on Champions Day, providing the ground is on the soft side."

Tickets are selling fast for QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 19 October, which was a complete sell-out last year, so don’t delay in buying your tickets.

Click HERE to book via the Ascot website now.