THERE’S only one problem with Qipco British Champions Day, and that’s that champions often stay away.
That’s no-one’s fault.
It’s purely down to the ground.
In mid-October you have to expect rain in the UK. And boggy going is not what most top class Flat horses want.
Especially when they can wait and get a fast surface at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup a couple of weeks later.
With that in mind, I was left frustrated – I know I know, I should let it go over my head – when in July it was announced that British Champions Series Limited, the British Horseracing Authority and Ascot Racecourse revised track plans for the round course events.
We were told the Outer Course, used for the rest of the season, will remain the default track for QBCD.
However, if there is “heavy” in the going description on the day, racing on the round course will switch to the Inner Course. This replaced the previous rule, which stated that the Inner Course would only come into plan in an abandonment situation.
Immediately I thought to myself: Look, people, just run the meeting on the Inner Course. The faster the better. It’s so obvious.
As a responsible journalist, though, before I went crazy at the powers that be I naturally researched the matter.
And suddenly a different picture emerged. Indeed, it appeared the Inner Course was only any use for horses who like a bit of juice!
The very helpful Nick Smith, globetrotting director of racing and public affairs at Ascot, told me: “It’s not possible to prepare the Inner Track for racing in decent weather (watering in summer) without bringing the two tracks together.
“On anything other than ground with some give, the inner course would be dangerous for Flat racing.
“It isn’t cambered for racing on quicker ground. It’s a safety net – in previous years that safety net was for abandonment but now, it is to avoid racing on heavy ground.”
Smith added: “The outer track is by far and away the ideal track but if heavy is in the description, the inner track, as long as on the soft side, is on balance probably the better option.”
QIPCO British Champions Day is one of the biggest days in the racing calendar
I’m sure the situation frustrates Ascot as much as you and me, the racing fans.
Qipco British Champions Day should decide champions. And don’t get me wrong, some have been there, most notably the greatest of them all, the mighty Frankel.
But more often than not, all it does is decide who is a decent mud lover.
Of course it all came about in 2011. Before that, the Champion Stakes was at Newmarket, which drains much better than Ascot. The ground there was often decent. But countering that was the fact that watching racing at Newmarket is a turn off for most casual observers due to the fact those on course only see the animals as they flash past the furlong pole.
It also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognise Ascot is the place for a showpiece meeting.
So what to do? Rather oddly, I don’t have the answer.
All I can hope is that Ascot’s main track is watered as little as possible between now and October 16.
The entries for Qipco Champions Day are awesome, although of course many of the stars will have possible alternatives.
Top miler Palace Pier, Eclipse hero St Mark’s Basilica, Oaks heroine Snowfall, Derby winner Adayar and 2000 Guineas hero Poetic Flare are all in the running for the Ascot extravaganza.
There’s £4 million in prize-money offered on Britain’s richest raceday, up from £2.5m in 2020, with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes looking set to be one of the races of the season. Let’s just hope it’s not a quagmire.
Today I’m at Ascot for the Shergar Cup, named after one of the greatest Derby winners of all time. Shergar was beautiful at Epsom in 1981, only to end up being stolen from stud, many believe by the IRA.
Some wince at the Shergar Cup, and the team part of the competition doesn’t do much for me.
But as a once-a-year day of racing I absolutely love it, as I enjoy the chance to see jockeys from around the world competing at one of the planet’s greatest tracks.
Added to that, while some put their nose up at betting in the races, I think the different levels of riding standard gives a punter a real edge.
It’s a bit different this time due to Covid restrictions, but enjoy all the action on ITV. The ground will be perfect!
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