Timeform release their British Champions Day ratings

Cirrus des Aigles lands the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot in 2011 – Timeform rate him with a top chance of doing so again. Image copyright of Racingfotos.com

Timeform, the world-renowned horseracing form company, have released their weight-adjusted ratings for QIPCO British Champions Day, and they suggest that both of the feature races, the QIPCO Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, can be considered strong renewals.

Timeform Flat Editor David Johnson explained: “Although British Champions Day is still to convince all, the facts suggest that it is attracting the best horses. Timeform have eight European-based horses with master ratings of 130+, and five of them will be in action on Saturday.”

QIPCO 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner Dawn Approach heads the ratings for the QEII, and although he doesn’t have to take on his Sussex Stakes conqueror Toronado, he’s likely to face stiff opposition from both Olympic Glory and impressive Nayef Joel Stakes winner Soft Falling Rain.

Johnson commented: “The big three in the QEII are all very closely matched, but if Dawn Approach reproduces his early-season form, he can be expected to come out on top. Olympic Glory’s figure is based on a standout effort in the Jacques le Marois and he needs the first-time blinkers to have a positive effect after his lazy display in the Moulin, while Soft Falling Rain was very impressive last time but has produced his best efforts on tapeta or good to firm going, so the more testing conditions on Saturday are an unknown for him.”

The QIPCO Champion Stakes follows hot on the heels of the QEII and Johnson insists it’s another strong contest: “Cirrus des Aigles heads the weight-adjusted ratings on 146, which puts him 3 lb clear of Lockinge winner Farhh with 6 lb and more back to the rest. 

“Cirrus des Aigles, who won this back in 2011, is rated on his second to Frankel in last year’s race, and though he hasn’t matched that form since, conditions have very much come in his favour, and his recent win at Longchamp suggested he could still be capable of running to that kind of level. Farhh will ensure he needs to be, as although he is coming off an absence, he has an impeccable record fresh and the form he showed when last seen in the spring points to him being better than ever as a 5-y-o.”

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO)

143 DAWN APPROACH, 142 SOFT FALLING RAIN, 142 OLYMPIC GLORY, 137 GORDON LORD BYRON, 135 ELUSIVE KATE, 134+ MAXIOS, 133 GREGORIAN, 131 KINGSBARNS, 130 TOP NOTCH TONTO, 127 LEITIR MOR, 126 CASPAR NETSCHER, 115 BURWAAZ

QIPCO Champion Stakes (all ratings weight-adjusted)

146 CIRRUS DES AIGLES, 143 FARHH, 137 MUKHADRAM, 137 RULER OF THE WORLD, 134 HUNTER’S LIGHT, 133 MORANDI, 132 HILLSTAR, 128§ MAIN SEQUENCE, 127 PARISH HALL, 126 TRIPLE THREAT

QIPCO Fillies & Mares Stakes

129 HOT SNAP, 127 TALENT, 126 DALKALA, 125 BELLE DE CRECY, 125 IGUGU, 121+ NYMPHEA, 121 THE LARK, 121 WAILA, 117 SEAL OF APPROVAL