Skip to content

Racecards

16:05 Ascot

Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Middle Distance) (Class 1)

  • 9 Runners
  • Distance: 1m 2f
  • Going: Heavy, Soft in places
  • Surface: Turf
  • £1,358,750 added
  • Winner: £770,547
  • 2nd: £292,131
  • 3rd: £146,202
  • 4th: £72,829
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 2m 11.23s
  • Off Time: 16:08:25
  • 9 Ran
1(8)
Silk - Royal Blue and White diamonds, White sleeves, Royal Blue armlets, quartered cap

Al Kazeem

13 DCD
16/1
  • Form 26-4150
  • Age 6
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 117

tracked winner, challenged and edged right 2f out, driven upsides and every chance final furlong, kept on gamely, found no extra and held close home

2(9)
Silk - Grey, Maroon braces, Striped sleeves and cap
7/4
  • Form 421115
  • Age 8
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 123

tracked leaders on outside, ridden and unable to quicken when lost 3rd inside final 2f, no impression and weakened into 5th final 150 yards

3(5)
Silk - Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves

Noble Mission

83 h D
7/1
  • Form 211112
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 117

made all, joined 2f out, driven and strongly pressed throughout final furlong, stayed on gamely and found bit extra near finish

4(7)
Silk - Red, Black spots and sleeves, Red cap
  • Form 331911
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 114

took keen hold, tracked leaders in 5th, pushed along over 3f out, unable to quicken when not clear run briefly over 2f out, found nil when in the clear well over 1f out

5(1)
Silk - Silver, gold braid, maroon cap, gold fringe
  • Form 273-019
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 122

tracked leaders on inside, pushed along 3f out, switched left off inside over 2f out, soon ridden and beaten inside final 2f

6(3)
Silk - White, Red chevron, hooped sleeves, Red cap
28/1
  • Form 692111
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 113

held up and detached in rear, driven along and hung right final 2f, went modest 6th inside final furlong

7(4)
Silk - Dark Green, Beige stars on sleeves
50/1
  • Form 51023
  • Age 3
  • Weight 9-0
  • Official Rating 105

held up in last pair, some headway on inside over 2f out, ridden and weakened well over 1f out

8(2)
Silk - Black, White sleeves, Red cap, Black star
5/2
  • Form 12-1
  • Age 3
  • Weight 9-0
  • Official Rating 105

slowly into stride, soon in touch on inside, tracking leaders 6f out, 3rd inside final 2f, ridden one pace and no impression over 1f out

9(6)
Silk - Light blue, dark blue chevrons and sleeves, dark blue and light blue quartered cap

Western Hymn

64 BFD
14/1
  • Form 1-11614
  • Age 3
  • Weight 9-0
  • Official Rating 112

sweating badly, held up in last trio, pushed along and headway on outside over 3f out, hanging right when switched left over 2f out, soon not quicken, continued to hang right, driven and stayed on into well held 4th final 150 yards

Previous results

In depth

Verdict

Noble Mission is, of course, a full brother to the brilliant Frankel but it's taken him until this year to start realising his true potential. He won four times between April and June, including Group 1 races at the Curragh and Saint-Cloud, and may have benefited from a break since narrowly beaten in Germany at the end of July. But he's going to find it difficult to overturn the evergreen CIRRUS DES AIGLES, who won this in 2011, was second to Frankel in 2012 and was only beaten a neck last year. The eight-year-old was only robbed of a fourth win in the Prix Dollar two weeks ago by the Longchamp stewards and has looked as good as ever this season in winning two Group 1 races at Longchamp and one at Epsom. Last year's third Ruler Of The World wasn't disgraced in the Arc but was only a nose ahead of another former Group 1 winner, Al Kazeem. Free Eagle was very impressive at Leopardstown last month and looks the pick of the three-year-olds but Pether's Moon, who has won three of his last four, would probably need another career-best effort just to make the frame.

Formwatch

Al Kazeem 66-1 (9-5) 10th of 20, 6l behind Treve (9-2) at Longchamp(FR) 1m 4f Grp 1 (1) gd.

Cirrus Des Aigles (FR) 1-2fav (9-6) 5th of 6, 1 3/4l behind Fractional (8-13) at Longchamp(FR) 1m 2f Grp 2 (1) gs.

Noble Mission (9-6) 2nd of 11, 1/2l behind Lucky Lion (8-10) at Munich(GER) 1m 2f Grp 1 (1) sft in Jul.

Pether's Moon (IRE) 9-4 (9-6) Tracked leader, challenged going well over 1f out, led entering final furlong, edged right, driven out, won at Ascot 1m 4f Grp 3 (1) sft beating Parish Hall (9-4) by nk, 5 ran.

Ruler Of The World (IRE) 12-1 (9-5) 9th of 20, 6l behind Treve (9-2) at Longchamp(FR) 1m 4f Grp 1 (1) gd.

Sheikhzayedroad 3-1 (8-11) won at Woodbine(USA) 1m 4f Grp 1 gd in Sep beating Dynamic Sky (8-7) by 1/2l, 9 ran.

Ayrad (IRE) 13-2 (8-11) Tracked leaders, effort 2f out, soon every chance, ridden to lead inside final furlong, edged left and bumped towards finish, headed final strides, lost 2nd post, 3rd of 6, hd behind Nabucco (9-5) at Newmarket 1m 4f Listed stks (1) gd in Sep.

Free Eagle (IRE) 9-10fav (9-0) Rear of mid-division, progress approaching straight, led 2f out and soon asserted, in command final furlong, impressive, won at Leopardstown 1m 2f Grp 3 (1) gf in Sep beating Elleval (9-7) by 7l, 10 ran.

Western Hymn 5-4fav (9-2) 4th of 7, 4l behind Gailo Chop (9-2) at Deauville(FR) 1m 2f 3yo Grp 2 sft in Aug.