Ground staff apply the final touches before Saturday’s Champions Day
PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos), By Lee Mottershead 5:52PM 19 OCT 2012
FRANKEL will have to cope with the most gruelling ground he has ever faced when contesting what is set to be the final race of his career in Saturday’s Qipco Champion Stakes.
The inclement weather has even cast a shadow of doubt over Frankel’s participation in the race, with his owner’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe stating connections would keep a close eye on weather and ground conditions.
“If the ground is soft and safe, we are keen to run. If there is a significant amount of rain then we’ll have to look at it,” said Grimthorpe.
Ascot on Friday suffered the sort of weather it had hoped to avoid with morning drizzle turning into afternoon rain and prompting clerk of the course Chris Stickels to make an official change to the going description.
Stickels said: “We had drizzle all morning that didn’t amount to much but then steadier rain came on in the afternoon and by 4.15pm we had had 3mm, which prompted me to change the ground to soft, heavy in places on the round course.
“The heavy bits are going down the hill towards Swinley Bottom, starting midway between the mile-and-a-half and mile-and-a-quarter starts to just before you enter Swinley Bottom but Swinley Bottom itself isn’t heavy yet.
“We could easily get another couple of millimetres tonight but I’m not expecting any more than that and I don’t anticipate any further deterioration in the ground with the forecast we’ve got.”
Stickels confirmed that Ascot is due to be dry on Saturday.
4:05 p.m. (eng. time), Ascot. SAT 20 OCT 2012
Qipco Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) (Group 1) (CLASS 1) (3yo+) Winner £737,230 BBC1
Soft 1m2f Number of runners:6
| NO. DRAW FORM |
HORSE | AGE | WGT OR |
JOCKEY TRAINER RTF% |
TS | RPR | BEST ODDS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 8-4645 |  |
BULLET TRAIN
59
|
5 |
9-3
113
|
119 | 124 | ||
| 21 2112d1 |  |
CIRRUS DES AIGLES
 14 |
6 |
9-3
130
|
121 | 142 | ||
| 33 1-1111 |  |
FRANKEL
  59 |
4 |
9-3
140
|
147 | 153 | ||
| 42 233181 |  |
MASTER OF HOUNDS
48
|
4 |
9-3
115
|
102 | 126 | ||
| 56 15-122 |  |
NATHANIEL
 42 |
4 |
9-3
126
|
134 | 138 | ||
| 65 471131 |  |
PASTORIUS
17 |
3 |
8-12
122
|
— | 133 | ||
