ITV Races

Alan Dudman Antepost Tips: Tiffany and Elite Status will have their ground at Ascot

Ascot Racecourse
Ascot stages Champions Day this Saturday and the ground will be testing

Alan Dudman looks ahead to Champions Day at the weekend and he highlights two early plays on the Sportsbook at 14/115.00 and 7/18.00...

  • Ecomonics at 5/42.25 and Kyprios at 8/111.73 Saturday bankers

  • Outsider a big price for each-way bet in the Sprint

  • Alan Dudman looks at Champions Day


Champions Economics and Kyprios the shorties on Saturday

It's an early start at 13:20 on Saturday at Ascot for all six races from Champions Day live on the ITV cameras and after the sugar rush of the weekend's Cesarewitch or the lack of it with Warmonger not running, it's time to plot one or two moves with all six priced up on the Sportsbook.

You don't need me to highlight the rotten weather at the moment and if you have a quick ground horse, this is the meeting to traditionally abandon any such hope and we have to base all selections on pretty testing going with more rain forecast this week.

In two of the races I have no desire to take on either Kyprios at 8/111.73 for the Long Distance Cup at 13:20, nor Economics at 5/42.25 in the Champion Stakes.

Calandagan is 7/42.75 in opposition to defeat the William Haggas wildly unambitious campaigned superstar and he took a few people by surprise with the speed he displayed against the supreme City Of Troy in the Juddmonte back in August.

I'd want a little bigger than 7/42.75, though, and nearer 5/23.50 will do, but I doubt I will get my wish.

Kyprios seems to be on a loop in beating the same horses each time - Trawlerman, Sweet William, Trueshan, Vauban and Queenstown have all been dispatched, but it will be interesting to see if Burdett Road takes his chance here at a massive 25/126.00.

He bolted up by 8L in soft conditions at Newmarket last time and while he appeared a non-stayer at York, he didn't have any problems getting him over the 1m6f at HQ. He made the running and kept grinding and on that is overpriced.

But would he want a bog? At 25s with the three places he is worth monitoring.


As usual, Kinross will have support with his soft ground

There's all likelihood a bet to be had in the Champions Sprint Stakes - a division devoid of any real star and the one star in Bradsell won't be running.

Kinross has his ground, so there, that's solved, but Elite Status is one that will crave a bit of soft and he looks overpriced to me at 14/115.00.

In truth, any sprinter can pop up these days so I wouldn't put anyone off a price, but Elite Status is a relatively fresh horse and he's had a mid-season break to separate his three runs in 2024.

He finished well down the field in the Betfair Sprint Cup last time, although he did show up well for a while until folding completely.

However, the swinger for me here is the ground as he won twice on soft as a juvenile and he just hasn't had the chance to run with testing in 2024.

Some big prices have popped up in this race and while Kinross is a perfectly serviceable 7/24.50 shot to win it again (scored in 2022), I have a gut feeling he hasn't quite been at his best this term.


Tiffany can be all alone across the winner line

"I Think We're Alone Now" was the Tiffany song in the 1980s and won the singer's private battle with fierce rival Debbie Gibson for the No1 spot, but there are more realistic challengers to the Tiff on Saturday.

But the good part - she's 7/18.00 and is a soft ground runner, so we have that on our side.

Two of her victories this season have been at Baden Baden or (Baden x2 as well call it in the trade) and she's gone to Germany in search of the slower ground which she had.

Her defeat in the Lancashire Oaks behind Queen Of The Pride came on quicker going and there was an issue with the turn too at Haydock that day as Tiffany certainly missed a stride before the turn with the problems.

She's excelled this term up to 1m4f, and this is also a sire-based love-in, as Farhh gets such strong stayers as a stallion and his record over 1m4f plus at Ascot is at 11% win and 24% placed from just 17 runners.

Sumiha is another to monitor and she is a massive 25/126.00 for the Fillies and Mares, although I was disappointed with her run at Leopardstown last time in Group 3 company, so she has to improve a lot from that effort.


Now read more ahead of Champions' Day this weekend


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