QIPCO British Champions Sprint: guide to all the runners

Tom Thurgood looks at all 17 runners in contention for the QIPCO British Champions Sprint and explains why siding with contenders with previous experience in this particular test can prove dividends. See what happens this Saturday live on Racing TV!

The Qipco British Champions Sprint arguably has a reputation for being something of a lottery after the big-priced successes of the relatively unheralded Donjuan Triumphant (33-1 in 2019) and Sands Of Mali (28-1 in 2018) in recent years, but eight of the last 12 winners at Ascot have gone off at single-figure odds with Deacon Blues, Muhaarar and Kinross among the well-backed winners.

Looking at the profile of recent winners, it's interesting to note that horses who have previously run in this race go quite well on their second time lining up with Slade Power (2013), The Tin Man (2016), Librisa Breeze (2017) and Kinross (2022) doing the trick in recent years and others to go close including Jack Dexter, Harry Angel and One Master. Donjuan Triumphant struck on his fourth attempt in 2019.

Horses running in this for the first time are 7 from 132 (18 per cent win and place, 0.75 A.E) while those who have previously contested the race are 5 from 58 (21 per cent win and place, 0.93 A/E) - for the latter group, that's 42 per cent of the the total winners from 31 per cent of the total runners.

Art Power, Khaadem, Rohaan, Run To Freedom and Vadream are among those with previous Champions Sprint experience along with last year's winner Kinross, though to date no horse has defended their crown in the Ascot race.

Here's our guide to all of this year's contenders.

���� 1 ART POWER

Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 20-1.

The likable grey is best known as a Curragh specialist (five from six at Irish Flat HQ) but he's run several good races at Ascot and notably in this contest, with the six-year-old set to line up for his fourth crack at this prize.

He was only beaten a length by Glen Shiel (with Brando and One Master just ahead) on his first attempt back in 2021 and that was probably his best effort of the three, with that run coming on ground described as Soft by Timeform with his other two runs on a slightly quicker surface.

The wet forecast will be to his liking, but you suspect his best chance of landing this might be behind him at this stage and while going back up to six furlongs on testing groud will suit he looks more of an outside place prospect here.

���� 2 KHAADEM

Official rating: 116. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 25-1.

This high-class performer has taken his form to a new level this season courtesy of Group One success at Royal Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes yet that run does look something of an outlier in the context of his overall form (three wins from 20 starts in Group company) and the deteriorating ground is a concern here with his best form coming on a quick surface.

He finished 11th of 17 behind Donjuan Triumphant in the 2019 running of this race but has not been tried here in subsequent years and the suspicion is that this is not an ideal test for him and one that stretches him, for all that he has run with credit in recent starts in top sprints and arrives here in decent-enough heart.

���� 3 KINROSS

Official rating: 118. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 9-4.

This hugely likeable performer bids to strike once again in this race on his likely final start in Britain and, after shaping well enough in defeat earlier in the season, he has found the winning groove once again in recent starts and sets a pretty decent standard for the rest to aim at.

He won a bit easier than the margin indicates in the Lennox at Goodwood (good form) under a cute ride and similarly again in the City Of York Stakes, while the ground was quicker than ideal at ParisLongchamp last time.

He takes his racing well and has a poor record after any sort of break, so the fairly quick turnaround here is no issue and his autumn record is excellent while his assured stamina is an asset.

While official ratings suggest otherwise, whether he is coming here on quite the roll he did last term is open to a little question but he has leading claims and no horse has defended their Champion Sprint title in the last 20 years, despite Glen Shiel and Creative Force going close with repeat bids in recent years.

���� 4 ROHAAN

Official rating: 105. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 16-1.

The two-time Royal Ascot winner has an abundance of decent course-and-distance form and wasn't beaten too far in the race last year when fourth behind Kinross (only 4-1 for that) but has been in something of a freefall this season, dropping 9lb in the weights before bouncing back in a Class 2 handicap over course and distance last time.

He needs things to drop right for him given his from-the-back style and a strong test at this trip on potentially heavy going is a niggle, while he also has plenty to find on the ratings. His Ascot record is fairly notable but, on the balance of recent evidence, he looks short enough at the current odds.

���� 5 RUN TO FREEDOM

Official rating: 116. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 25-1.

An excellent second at a whopping 150-1 in this race last year, the repeat bid has surely been his principal target all season but that hasn't precluded him running some big races in the meantime - notably when second in the July Cup - and there is feasibly a bit more to come from a five-year-old who has improved with each season so far.

He handles quick ground but his best runs have come on Good to Soft ground according to Timeform, even if six furlongs on a surface with some form of Heavy in the description might pose something of a question. Saying that, he should still give a good account all things considered and he looks big enough at the current prices.

���� 6 SAINT LAWRENCE

Official rating: 109. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 40-1.

He's improved in three starts for Archie Watson, making a fine stable debut when landing the Wolingham at Royal Ascot before travelling particularly strong at Group One level in the Prix Maurice De Gheest next time and looking like one to note at the top table for the forseeable.

He took a mighty drift in the market and went off at 40-1 for the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time and was beaten five lengths after not making much of a late impression, but the visuals from his run at Deauville still linger and the strong suspicion is that he still has more to offer for a yard that has recent history in this race.

Heavy ground is a question mark for all he has proven versatile as regards going conditions so far and he's interesting at bigger prices.

���� 7 SPYCATCHER

Official rating: 110. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 12-1.

He is one of the mosre obvious soft-ground performers in the line-up and, with form at seven furlongs, he could help force things from the front here.

He's only had one start at Group One level and that was a very narrow defeat in the Prix Maurice De Gheest back in August. While good form, it's not a top-level race that has worked out especially strongly and you'd like a bit more proof for his reliability at this level, while he was beaten in a steadily-run seven furlongs on favoured soft ground last time and it's hard to see how he reverses the form with Sandrine on that form. He looks short enough to me at this stage.

���� 8 AESOP'S FABLES

Official rating: . Timeform rating: . Best odds: 50-1.

He's lightly-raced with only a handful of starts at Group One level and he arrives here on the back of a career-best in the first-time blinkers when only a lengthb back in third behind Highfield Princess and Perdika in the Prix de l'Abbaye last time.

His overall profile with only 11 previous start isn't a barrier to success but winners to have triumphed with a relative paucity of experience in recent years have been top performers like Creative Force, The Tin Man and Muhaarar while trainer Aidan O'Brien doesn't have a great record in this race (only Caravaggio placed from seven runners since 2011).

You'd have to say there's more to come though and he stayed on well on Arc day last time, so stepping back up to six furlongs will suit and the ground shouldn't pose a real problem. I wouldn't want to lay 50-1.

���� 9 MILL STREAM

Official rating: 111. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 8-1.

He was supplemented for the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time in something of an opportunistic move but he ran pretty well for sixth on ground that would have been lively enough and conditions should be more to his liking here, even if a strong test at six furlongs is something he has to prove.

The shortest-priced of the six three-year-olds in contention, that age group has underperformed in this race since the inception of Champions Day (3 winners from 51 runners, 0.65 A/E) but there is more to come from this colt and he's not readily dismissed, even if he doesn't make great appeal at the current prices.

���� 10 SHAQUILLE

Official rating: 120. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 8-1.

The star sprinter of the current campaign and going for a Group One hat-trick in the Sprint Cup last time, he suffered just the second defeat of his career at Haydock and trailed home last - beaten over 15 lengths - despite going off the 11-10F in a performance that have had connections scratching their heads.

He clearly needs forgiving after that effort, but it was so obviously bad and so out of keeping with his overall career resume that taking a particularly strong view against Shaquille could prove a litle misguided and it's more than feasible he can bounce back here and especially as a lightly-raced three-year-old with more to offer.

It's worth noting that he's done most of his racing on quicker ground though and, if reverting back to his more customary slower starts from the stalls, he could find it harder to make up the ground agaisnt older horses and on much more testing ground than proved the case in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

He's a big price at 8-1 strictly on his July Cup form when in front of Kinross and Run To Freedom but those horses have less to prove in these conditions.

���� 11 MAKAROVA

Official rating: 107. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 40-1.

The four-year-old started the campaign as a Listed runner-up rated 93 and now has an official berth of 107 after creditable runs in all four efforts in Group company on her last four starts.

She showed quite a bit of speed when fourth in the Nunthorpe behind Live In The Dream in keeping with her consistent campaigning over five furlongs on decent ground, but connectiond are stepping back up to six furlongs now after she seemed to stay on well in the Prix de l'Abbaye when sixth behind Highfield Princess last time. She could improve for the trip, but the half of the field towards the stands-side came home strongly at ParisLongchamp on Arc day and it could have just been the way the race unravelled on the day.

This test has a few question marks but you can't dispute that she's a likeable and improving type for a yard still going well.

���� 12 SANDRINE

Official rating: 113. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 9-1.

While still lightly-raced over six and seven furlongs at the start of the campaign after an excellent latest season she proved disappointing early this term before bouncing back after being fitted with a visor on her penultimate start.

She stuck on well under a ground-saving ride to take second behind Kinross in the Lennox Stakes with similar comments applicable to her York run behind that same horse on her penultimate run before doing well to overcome a positional disaadvantage off a modest gallop to win the Park Stakes last time.

She generally sticks on at the finish and racing faster over the shorter six-furlong trip should suit her better as she can take a bit of a grip. She handles soft ground and this test could prove pretty favourable on her first crack at Champions Day.

���� 13 SENSE OF DUTY

Official rating: 108. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 20-1.

She rates one of the more intriguing contenders here given she's not straightforward to assess had after just six career starts so far and none at higher than Group Three level.

Her impressive Chipchase triumph at Newcastle 16 months ago - from some pretty useful performers and by four and a half lengths - doesn't read too badly and her return over an insufficient five furlongs last time after 455 days off the track was always likely to be with a view to Champions Day.

The soft ground and an uphill finish over six furlongs looks a nice test for this filly, even if her six prior starrts gives her an unlikely profile as a potential winner of this (runners with six prior starts or less are 0-19 in this since 2011 though the likes of Minzaal and Twilight Son have gone close).

���� 14 VADREAM

Official rating: 107. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 14-1.

The money has come for this mare given the forecast and that will suit this heavy-ground specialist who is likely to get something like her optimum conditions here and for the first time in a while.

For a professed slow-ground specialist it’s surprising to note that she’s only raced three times on turf on ground officially described as Soft or worse by Timeform and she has won all three, including in Group company from the likes of King’s Lunn and Glen Shiel over course and distance in the Bengough Stakes two years ago.

She travelled really nicely on her prep run at big price in same race last time and she's an interesting prospect for this, and especially so given he ran with real credit in the Champions Sprint last year on ground quicker than ideal when giving everything else a lead and sticking on really well.

She's been well-backed in recent days, but she still looks of each-way interest.

���� 15 BELIEVING

Official rating: 109. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 20-1.

This rapid improver has somewhat come from left-field this year after starting the campaign from a mark of 98 after two runner-up spots in Group Three company as a juvenile and ran an excellent race on her Group One debut last time.

She was supplemented for the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time and that faith was justified with a third-place finish - beaten less then a length - at 66-1 and it's feasible to expect more to come even if Soft or Heavy ground is something of an unknown at this stage and a factor that may not ideally suit this come-from-behind racer.

She did well to land Listed honours given the circumstances at Pontefract on her penultimate start and travelled well at Haydock before finding pretty well in the closing stages and she shouldn't be dismissed here.

���� 16 MAGICAL SUNSET

Official rating: 107. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 50-1.

This looks an exacting spot for stable debut for Dominic Ffrench Davis, with this contest her first Group One assignment and back at six furlongs for the first time in over a year.

She handles heavy ground though and that will be an asset in conjunction with her stamina for seven furlongs, but she did blow out when last of 10 runners in Group Three company at Doncaster last time (trainer's representative could offer no explanation) and there are clearly a few more questions than answers here, as well as a body of form that falls a fair bit shy of the principal players set to the line up.

���� 17 OCEAN QUEST

Official rating: . Timeform rating: . Best odds: 25-1.

This is her biggest test and by far, but she does handle heavy ground and she ran pretty well when fourth in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot when just over two lengths adrift over Shaquille back in fourth when in and around the likes of Swingalong, who is a shorter price here.

Her overall profile is not too convincing in the context of this race though given the weight of her overall form and relative inexperience and she would be a surprising winner.

���� 18 SWINGALONG

Official rating: 107. Timeform rating: . Best odds: 16-1.

This customary pace-setter is one of the few established pace angles here and she could get a nice seam out in front, even if making all over six furlongs at Ascot on testing ground would be a pretty notable achievement.

The testing ground here would be a significant concern too but a stiffer six furlongs is worth a try after a big run in the Sprint Cup last time when ploughing her own furrow from the inner-most draw at Haydock and sticking on well to notable effect inside the final half furlong.

Her two-lenths third to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup doesn't read too badly either but she doesn't look to have optimal conditions and is easy enough to pass over at the prices.

TOM’S VERDICT

To follow after final declarations on Thursday.