79 Stars Line Up for £200,000 Balmoral Handicap Finale on QIPCO British Champions Day

Last year’s winner Carrytheone, Group performers Skukuza and Holloway Boy, and exciting three-year-olds Crown Of Oaks, Gladius and Fifth Column are among the 79 entries revealed today for the £200,000 Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored by QIPCO), the final race on QIPCO British Champions Day.

Carrytheone was an easy winner of the contest last year for trainer Michael Bell, winning by two lengths from Lattam after running consistently well all season, although he is yet to reach those heights yet this campaign in two runs this term. The third-placed horse that day, Witch Hunter, is again entered in this race for trainer Richard Hannon who could also run Angel Hunter, Classic, and the lightly raced Linwood.

Skukuza has been in fine form this year for Ed Dunlop, winning a Premier Handicap then a Listed race at the Curragh – the four-year-old was also second in the Britannia Stakes over course and distance last year and most recently finished a close-up fourth in the Group 2 Solnoway Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. He’s joined in the entries by fellow Group performer Holloway Boy, who famously won the Chesham Stakes on debut at Royal Ascot in 2022, and twice finished second in Group 2 company in Meydan earlier this year. Meanwhile Checkandchallenge has run in the last three editions of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) – he has that option again this year but has now been handed an entry in this race too.

Fifth Column has been a revelation this year for John & Thady Gosden and owners Godolphin, winning four of his six starts including most recently a Heritage Handicap at York in August. The three-year-old could bid to give the Gosdens a first win in the race after an agonising five second-places in six years between 2014 and 2019, including Gm Hopkins’ first runner-up effort in 2015 behind the Godolphin-owned Musaddas. The Gosden team have also entered Earl of Rochester, Mudbir and Nebras.

Crown Of Oaks could not have been more impressive in winning over ten furlongs at Ascot on 6th September, then finished third in a Premier Handicap at the Curragh just last Sunday. He is one of four potential runners for trainer William Haggas, who has also entered Lincoln Handicap winner Godwinson, Royal Hunt Cup second Bullet Point, and Treasure Time. The Haggas team most recently won the race in 2021 with the well-supported Aldaary.

Jessica Harrington sent over Njord from Ireland to win this race in 2020 and there are four entries looking to make a similarly successful journey across the Irish Sea. Tribal Nation and Glen To Glen are potential runners for Joseph O’Brien, whilst Tony Martin’s Irish Lincolnshire winner Orandi and Kevin Coleman’s Akecheta have plenty of big-field handicap experience in both Ireland and Great Britain.

Fellow Irishman David O’Meara, training just outside York, has a fine record in this race with three wins in the last eight runnings of the race (Shelir 2022, Escobar 2019, Lord Glitters 2017). This year he has four potential contenders including Bopedro who was fourth in 2023, Cerulean Bay, Duke’s Command and Theoryofeverything.

This year’s race will once again draw proceedings to a close on Britain’s richest raceday, with the seven-race card offering a record £4.35million in prize money. For the first time ever, there will be five Group 1 races on the card, alongside the brand new £250,000 conditions race for two-year-olds.

Individual tickets are £37, with Group rates available from £32 per person. Tickets in the King Edward VII and Winning Post enclosures are selling extremely fast.

Book today to secure your spot at the ultimate raceday – https://www.ascot.com/racedays/champions-day.