Horse Racing Tips

Saturday Racing Tips: Calandagan the one in Champion Stakes say Timeform

Ascot racecourse
There is top-class racing at Ascot on Saturday

Andrew Asquith provides the Timeform view on the action at Ascot on Champions Day...


Ryan Moore Superboost

Ryan Moore rides the brilliant stayer Kyprios in the opening race at Ascot on British Champions Day (13:20), and the horse is unbeaten so far this season, winning all six starts by at least one length.

The Betfair Sporstbook have super-boosted Kyprios's price to win again today by at least one length from 4/51.80 to 5/42.25. To take advantage of this price just click on the odd in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.


Listen to this week's Racing...Only Bettor Podcast!


Quantanamera will relish conditions

An open renewal of the Fillies & Mares Stakes where the current favourite, Kalpana, has to prove herself on the ground, so she looks opposable and has already been weak in the betting (was as short as 7/4 earlier in the week).

One horse who won't have any problem in forecast conditions is German-raider Quantanamera, who proved better than ever when beating a solid yardstick in Arrest in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville in August.

She looked a filly with a bright future when running away with the Preis der Winterkonigin as a juvenile, so this first win since was overdue, but she stepped up on her previous runs this year returned to a mile and a half, still in last position when turning for home but finding plenty in the straight. Quantanamera is still relatively unexposed at this trip and a big run is expected under ideal conditions back against her own sex.


Charyn looks the one to beat on form

Charyn didn't manage to get his head in front last season, but he held his own in some top company, and has just developed into a much better four-year-old this year.

He started off winning a heavy-ground listed event at Doncaster before following up in a Group 2 at Sandown. Charyn finished runner-up in a Lockinge where everyone let Audience get too far ahead and easily overturned that form in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot next time.

His victory in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, where he beat Metropolitan by three lengths, was a career-best effort, and he wasn't seen to best effect behind an enterprisingly-ridden winner in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. Charyn sets the standard on Timeform ratings and, proven on the ground, he's expected to prove himself the best miler around.


Calandagan can gain first Group 1 win

Calandagan won a couple of Group 3s in France on soft ground earlier this season, but he really announced himself as a potential top-level performer when winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He won with plenty in hand that day, recording the best performance in the race this century on Timeform's figures, and he more than backed that effort up when finishing runner-up to City of Troy in the Juddmonte International at York last time.

Calandagan's effort can be marked up further when taking sectionals into account, too, running the final three furlongs around half a second quicker than City of Troy, but he was asked to make up too much ground in the closing stages. Hopefully he won't find himself too far back here and if in the same sort of form he is expected to prove too strong for the equally promising Economics in what should be an excellent clash.


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