Toronado primed for Champions Day clash

Toronado battling with Glorious Goodwood against Dawn Approach. Image copyright of Racingfotos.com

Richard Hannon Jnr has reaffirmed that Toronado will be running in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day.

The three-year-old, who won the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood with a powerful display last month, is likely to take on his rival Dawn Approach for the last time at Ascot, in what will be their deciding match-up.

Toronado recently underwent a medical procedure after dislocating his soft palate when last behind Declaration of War in York’s Juddmonte International Stakes, but Hannon feels he is ready for the pair’s clash in the British Flat season’s top-class mile division finale.

He told the Daily Mail: “Toronado is fine. He is on his way back and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is probably where he’ll run.”

Dawn Approach and Toronado have previously met three times this season, with Jim Bolger’s colt prevailing twice – including in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas.

However, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is the one that both sets of connections really want to win.

Tickets to see Dawn Approach and Toronado’s concluding epic encounter are still available here.

This, along with the world’s greatest middle distance horses fighting it out in the QIPCO Champion Stakes for one of the most prestigious titles in racing and the opportunity to witness a possible Royal Champions Day winner with Estimate, is quickly building British Champions Day up to be an outstanding day’s racing. Do not miss out!