Top 5 Champions Series moments at Royal Ascot

With Royal Ascot just around the corner, we have taken a look back at the best five performances in the QIPCO British Champions Series at the Royal meeting to get you in the mood ahead of the 2015 festival.

In descending order, we name our favourite successes at the Berkshire track.

5. THE FUGUE – Prince of Wales’s Stakes (2014)

With all the anticipation on Criquette Head-Maarek’s emphatic Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Treve, a Series superstar would go under the radar. Displaying one of the most stunning Prince of Wales’s Stakes performances in Royal Ascot history, The Fugue – trained by John Gosden and owned by musical star Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber – cruised to the front before unleashing a lethal turn of speed to smash the track record. Enjoy this one…  

4. BLACK CAVIAR – Diamond Jubilee Stakes (2012)

Black Caviar came to Royal Ascot with a huge weight of expectation. Undefeated in her previous 21 races, Peter Moody’s wonder mare went off at odds of 1-6. Whilst cruising through the majority of the race and seemingly in control, jockey Luke Noden became too comfortable in the saddle to leave a nail-biting finish in the dying stages. We still find it agonising to watch, and we’ve seen it umpteen times now!   

3. KINGMAN – St James’s Palace Stakes (2014)

After his narrow QIPCO 2000 Guineas defeat to Night of Thunder, this was payback. Thought to be better on softer ground, Kingman showcased his capabilities as a true Champions Series hero by dismissing his rivals one-by-one in a matter of strides. As Simon Holt says in commentary, he is all class. And that’s why he’s in a number three!  

2. ESTIMATE – Gold Cup (2013)

Her Majesty The Queen, a superb ambassador and patron of our great sport, could not have been a more fitting winner of the Gold Cup last year. For trainer Sir Michael Stoute and under jockey Ryan Moore, Estimate’s tenacious attitude to defeat the boys in the dying stages presented the Royal meeting with one of its greatest ever triumphs. The crowd were in raptures for the Queen’s success, as were we.

1. FRANKEL – Queen Anne Stakes (2012)

Well, we couldn’t have picked any other winner – could we? If you’re ever having a bad day and need a pick me up, just take a look at this video. Frankel destroyed his rivals in the opening race of Royal Ascot 2012 – arguably his greatest race. To put it into context, the horse that finishes 11 lengths behind the Sir Henry Cecil-trained icon is Excelebration – a three-time Group 1 winner. Sit back and be amazed by our top Royal Ascot British Champions Series moment.

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