Wonderful Tonight looks for repeat in QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares

Last year’s QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes provided a British breakthrough for Pulborough-based Frenchman David Menuisier, and his stable star Wonderful Tonight heads entries for this years renewal.

The filly is now a leading contender for the Qatar Prix de l‘Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp in October, but Menuisier is not ruling out a return to Ascot, where she is also entered in the QIPCO British Champion Stakes.

He said: “It was an amazing day last year when Wonderful Tonight won the Fillies & Mares. Ascot had been my nemesis until then – I’d never had a winner there. It was a relief too, as she had run over a mile and six in a Group 1 in France only two weeks earlier.

“She’s entered again, and she’s also in the QIPCO Champion Stakes, but I’m not saying she’ll definitely run. We have to see what happens at Longchamp first, but if she went to Ascot and the ground was heavy we might be tempted by the Champion Stakes. Why not – the prize money is more than twice as much.”

Cazoo Oaks fourth Save A Forest returned to winning form with victory in the Listed Chalice Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday to earn an entry alongside Ribblesdale runner-up Eshaada who could represent trainer Roger Varian at Ascot.

“Save A Forest and Eshaada would be the two obvious ones for the Fillies & Mares,” said the Newmarket trainer. “Save A Forest won nicely at the weekend. It’s nice to make her a stakes winner and that gives her options going forward. We have to look at Group options now. She would be a mile and a half minimum. She would go on autumn ground so you would think the stiff mile and a half might suit her at the end of the year.”

Dermot Weld, who won with Sapphire in 2012, has entered both Tarnawa, last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland, and Search For A Song, his dual Irish St Leger winner. Tarnawa could make her reappearance in a Group 3 at Leopardstown on Thursday. 

Weld said: “Tarnawa is very well and she could run at Leopardstown (in the Grant Thornton Ballyroan Stakes on Thursday). She’s being aimed at the Arc but I’ve made provisional entries for her in the Fillies & Mares and the Champion Stakes and we’ll see what happens.”

John Gosden, successful with Journey (2017) and Star Catcher (2019) before formally teaming up with his son Thady this year, admits to currently being “light” in this division, but he has entered Loving Dream, who made her Group-race breakthrough in Royal Ascot’s Ribblesdale Stakes, as did Star Catcher, and recent Newmarket Listed second Free Wind.

Aidan O’Brien has eight entries for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares, among them Group 1 winners Joan of Arc, Love and Snowfall. Other Group 1 entries include the Joseph O’Brien-trained Thundering Nights, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June, and the German-based Sunny Queen, trained by Henk Grewe.

Tickets for QIPCO British Champions Day can still be purchased at the early bird prices, where you can save up to £20 on Queen Anne enclosure tickets. The early bird window will close on Friday 6 August.

Full Entries:

Golden Pass (GB), Love (IRE), Moll (IRE), Passion (IRE), Search For A Song (IRE), Sunny Queen (GER), Tarnawa (IRE), Thundering Nights (IRE), Thunder Kiss (IRE), Traisha (IRE), Tribal Craft (GB), Valia (FR), Wonderful Tonight (FR), Yaxeni (FR), Abstinence (GB), Country Pyle (GB), Divinely (IRE), Eshaada (GB), Free Wind (IRE),Invite (IRE), Joan of Arc (IRE), Lady Hayes (IRE), La Joconde (IRE), La Petite Coco (IRE), Loving, Dream (GB), Mystery Angel (IRE), Nicest (IRE), Noon Star (USA), Ocean Road (IRE), Save A Forest (IRE), Sayyida (GB), Snowfall (JPN), Soft Whisper (IRE), Teona (IRE), Willow (IRE), Yesyes (GB)