Gleneagles Still Champions Day Question Mark

Ascot Racecourse is hosting the richest day in British racing Oct. 17, with £4.1 million in prize money on a QIPCO British Champions card that has attracted 109 entries for the six races, including four group I stakes.

One of the biggest question marks is whether four-time group I winner Gleneagles will run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Sponsored by QIPCO (Eng-I) which would result in a long-awaited matchup against Solow. Those two are among a dozen horses entered in the £1.1 million Queen Elizabeth II at a straight mile.



Gleneagles, a son of top international sire Galileo trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore Stud connections of Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Derrick Smith, has been entered and scratched from four group stakes due to the soft ground since winning the St. James's Palace Stakes (Eng-I) at Ascot in June.

In a statement issued Oct. 13, Coolmore said O'Brien will walk the course on Champions eve "with a view to running Gleneagles in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Saturday. If the ground is OK, he will run."

If the colt does not run on Champions Day, "permission will be sought from Southwell racecourse to work Gleneagles there, before a possible tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)," the statement said.

Wertheimer & Frere's homebred Solow also has four group I wins to his credit, all this year, including the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World and Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in July, the most recent outing for the son of Singspiel. Other top contenders include impressive Celebration Mile (Eng-II) winner Kodi Bear, and group I winners Elm Park and Territories.

Jack Hobbs, the Irish Derby (Ire-I) winner, heads a 15-strong entry for the £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles.

"We deliberately freshened him up after the Irish Derby," trainer John Gosden said of the 3-year-old son of Halling owned by Godolphin & Partners. "He's a big rangy colt. The classic horses have been on the go from Feb. 1 and have done enough by the end of June.

"We were pleased with his comeback at Kempton (win in the Sept. 5 Totescoop6 September Stakes, Eng.-III), it was a nice race and nice day out for him. It's a contentious race as ever and that kind of money attracts lots of key horses."

Muhaarar will bid for his fourth consecutive group 1 victory in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes at six furlongs, a race that has attracted 21 entries including Muhaarar's Charlie Hills-trained stablemate, Strath Burn.

"Muhaarar needed a break, he had three pretty hard races in quick succession so we've freshened him up and I couldn't be more pleased with him," Hills said. "We took him to Lingfield for a spin over 6 furlongs and (jockey) Paul (Hanagan) was very happy. We're going in pretty confident.

"He's physically come on well and has a huge amount of talent, we know he likes Ascot. We're happy with conditions, it's on the slow side of good but a dry forecast will help. Strath Burn and Muhaarar have never work together but I'm looking forward to Saturday. Whatever Strath Burn does this year is a bonus."

Classic winners Covert Love and Simple Verse are set to take each other on the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Eng-I) which has attracted 16 entries from four different countries.

Covert Love, the Irish Oaks winner, returns to competition less than two weeks after landing the Prix de l'Opera (Fr-I) while Simple Verse will revert to taking on members of her own sex after defeating colts in the Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-I).