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Four horses who will relish Ascot conditions on British Champions Day
When the going gets tough, these four soft-ground lovers can be relied on to get going on Qipco British Champions Day on Saturday
The Revenant
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Already one of the biggest market movers for Saturday’s meeting, The Revenant should relish testing conditions and is now favourite across the board for the Qipco-backed Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, having started Sunday morning as big as 10-1.
Trained by Francis Graffard, The Revenant was scoring for the sixth time in succession when an impressive four-and-a-half-length winner from Olmedo in the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp this month and has been confirmed on target for the QEII.
Although he has won on good ground, four of his eight career victories have come on going described as either soft, very soft or heavy, giving the impression it cannot rain enough before Saturday for this progressive four-year-old.
The wet weather has certainly turned things in favour of Royal Ascot winner Addeybb, who adores testing ground and looks a leading player for the Qipco Champion Stakes.
He powered through the mud to win a Haydock Group 3 with the minimum of fuss last time and was far too strong for his rivals in the Listed Wolferton Stakes on soft ground at Ascot in June.
If anything he might have preferred to be racing on the currently waterlogged outer track come Saturday, but with a mainly wet week forecast, conditions should still be favourable for him.
One Master
Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes
William Haggas, who trains Addeybb, could be in for a good weekend as conditions are also turning in the favour of One Master in the British Champions Sprint Stakes.
She landed the Prix de la Foret for a second year running at Longchamp on Arc Sunday and, while she will be dropping back a furlong in trip at Ascot, the straight course is currently heavy and the 6f will take some getting.
Conditions at Longchamp were officially very soft and although One Master has run with credit on a number of occasions on quicker ground, she is able to produce her best with conditions become attritional.
The Tin Man
Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes
He is not getting any younger, but The Tin Man is something of a rarity in the Champions Sprint field, as he already boasts a Group 1 victory on heavy ground.
The popular seven-year-old landed last year’s Sprint Cup on heavy going at Haydock and it is worth remembering he was successful in this Group 1 in 2016.
That may seem like an eternity ago, but he only failed by half a length to land the Sprint Cup again last month on soft ground and it is hard to gripe about his current form.
fonte : RacingPost