QIPCO Fillies & Mares Stakes: Runner-by-runner guide
Tom Thurgood takes a closer look at the potential field of 18 set to line up for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, one of four Group One contests on a stellar Qipco British Champions Day all live on Racing TV on Saturday.
The QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes has had some big-priced winners since the 'inaugural' British Champions Day renewal back in 2011 with Seal of Approval (2013), Madame Chiang (2014) and Eshaada (2021) scoring at double-figure prices, though higher-rated mares have generally held sway in this and it's interesting to note that a relatively small cohort of seven of the 18 currently in the mix are rated 110 or higher.
No horse aged five or older has won this race since from 2011 from 15 attempts, while four-year-olds have only won three times from 47 tries. The three-year-olds are always worth a second look, with the younger brigade accounting for 75 per cent of the winners from 52 per cent of the total runners in the last 12 years.
Here, we take a closer look at every runner in contention for the big race.
���� 1 ABOVE THE CURVE
Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: 125. Best odds: 12-1.
This high-class mare and Group One regular is one of the few top-level winners in this line-up though her first start at this 1m4f trip only came on her latest run when sixth in the Prix Vermeille last month.
The jury is out on whether she really wants this distance but she's worth persevering with, especially since she looked outpaced last time (despite being well-placed) off steady fractions before coming home well. It was a similar story in the Nassau Stakes earlier in the year, where despite being very well placed and a finishing speed percentage of 117 per cent she still looked a little outpaced and rallied late in the last half furlong.
This test doesn't look obvious disadvantage or question mark and, allied with her form, 12-1 looks on the big side.
���� 2 FREE WIND
Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: 126. Best odds: 4-1.
This high-class mare arrives here off the back of a solid campaign - even if it has been a little in-and-out - and this will certainly be significantly easier than the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe she contested last time, albeit only beating two rivals home at ParisLongchamp from a plum draw was a little underwhelming.
She is versatile in terms of ground and the promise of her return success this season in the Middleton Stakes over a steadily-run 10 furlongs suggested she has speed, but perhaps this more intermediate trip on easier ground (she stays 1m6f) will be more suitable now back against her own sex (2111142 in Listed and Group company against fillies and mares).
She's not rock solid towards the top of the market, but she's pretty solid in this company all the same and her unlucky Yorkshire Oaks second a few months ago (form franked) arguably sets the standard. However, she is the only five-year-old in the line-up and no horse aged older than four has won this since 2011.
���� 3 ONE FOR BOBBY
Official rating: 109. Timeform rating: 120. Best odds: 20-1.
She looked a future stakes winner when scoring impressively on debut for Johnny Murtagh at Gowran last spring and she opened her account at Listed level when winning at Nottingham on seasonal debut and on her first start for Hughie Morrison back in May.
Some of her form reads quite well, notably her third behind subsequent Group One winners Al Husn and Nashwa in the Chipchase Stakes - she had to use up petrol to make up ground from the rear at Newcastle, too - while she won at Group Three level in France afterwards before running OK but weakening at the finish in the Prix Jean Romanet last time and the suspicion is that the top level might just be a bit hot for her.
A strong traveller, her relative speed has looked her main forte so far and this test over a mile and a half wouldn't look her ideal bag even if it's somewhat early days on that score.
���� 4 POPTRONIC
Official rating: 108. Timeform rating: 117. Best odds: 33-1.
The Lancashire Oaks winner rallied well late on to land that Group Two prize earlier in the season, even though she was well placed in a prominent position to score at Haydock (over two lengths slower than runner-up Sea Silk Road in the final three furlongs, slower than the fifth home Luisa Casati over those splits and 0.01s faster than the fourth Time Lock) and she is a filly that tends to perform better in the first half of the season.
This trip is no bother but the easy ground would be a concern - especially given she can take a grip in her races - while she has beaten 7 rivas out of 29 in her three Group One assignments so far.
���� 5 STAY ALERT
Official rating: 112. Timeform rating: 124. Best odds: 25-1.
She finished last in this contest last year behind Emily Upjohn and trainer Hughie Morrison said the easy ground didn't suit - a surface described as Good to Soft by Timeform - so that doesn't augur well for her chance this time on ground that could well ride softer.
She is a winner over 1m4f and stayed on well to win the Group Three Arc Trial at Newbury over 1m3f last term (goes particularly well at the track) but the pick of her form is over shorter and that's a niggle over this longer trip on ground that won't be ideal.
She's beaten 15 rivals home from a possible 40 in Group One races so far and, while she's talented and only 2lb shy of the best here on official ratings, she's hard to strongly fancy.
���� 6 TERM OF ENDEARMENT
Official rating: 104. Timeform rating: 116. Best odds: 16-1.
Connections will hope the rain lashes down in the coming days since heavy ground looks pivotal to their filly, who posted a career-best at Group Three level last time on ground described as Heavy by Timeform in the Give Thanks Stakes.
That's not bad form given she had Listed winners behind in second, third and fourth though it's notable that she was doing her best work right at the end of that testing 1m4f and the probable switch to the inner track here on better ground with a shorter run-in doesn't promise to favour the bold endeavour of connections after stumping up the £37,500 supplementary fee.
���� 7 TIME LOCK
Official rating: 112. Timeform rating: 122. Best odds: 6-1.
She is a strong stayer at the trip and this imposing mare and enthusiastic racer has definitely settled better in recent starts, firstly when taking advantage of a decent opportunity in Listed company in France on her penultimate run before outstaying her rivals in the Group Three Rosemary Stakes at the Cambridgeshire Meeting.
The strong fractions in the mid-section of that race and the unrelenting straight of the Rowley Mile were surely to her advantage there and racing over a shorter run-in over likely the tighter inner-track at Ascot is a different test that is unlikely to be optimal, but she is maturing at the right time and has always been well regarded given her SPs throughout her career.
There's every chance she will be better next year and she will be sticking on at the end here, though she looks short enough at the prices strictly on form.
���� 8 TREVAUNANCE
Official rating: 110. Timeform rating: 123. Best odds: 50-1.
While she's fairly easy to pass over for win purposes given she has work to do to reverse recent form with the likes of Jackie Oh and Above The Curve, her top price of 50-1 is a bit of an insult for a good Group Two winner who has run regularly at the top level.
She was fairly readily beaten at Group One level in Germany last time but made a bit of a late rally to stick on for second and she has done well on recent starts for the application of cheekpieces.
This trip is a question mark, but she fared well enough over a mile and a half last time to have another go and her dam stayed this trip.
���� 9 VIA SISTINA
Official rating: 116. Timeform rating: 128. Best odds: 7-1.
A two-time Group One winner this season against her own sex and over ten furlongs, this would only be her second career run over a mile and a half (she finished last in the Prix de Malleret over two and a half years ago).
���� 10 BLUESTOCKING
Official rating: 111. Timeform rating: 119. Best odds: 12-1.
She is yet to win this season and her sole win so far is a Salisbury novice success from last autumn, but she's acquitted herself well in various Group races this term and perhapsd most notably when a narrow second to Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks back in July.
She stuck on well into a quickening pace in the York straight when fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks on her penultimate start and, while disappointing that she couldn't score in Listed company at Chester last time, this test looks fine for her even if a few of her rivals looks more compelling for win purposes.
���� 11 BOOGIE WOOGIE
Official rating: 105. Timeform rating: 109. Best odds: 66-1.
A one-time winner from 10 starts so far, she registered that first success by over five legnths when going away at the finish at Naas back in April but she's struggled to finish with purpose in subsequent starts at a higher bracket.
She has been beaten by fairly wide margins on her last three starts - all in Group company against her own sex and in races for older horses as well as three-year-olds - and it's hard to envisage a different scenario on this first try at Group One level against older rivals.
���� 12 JACKIE OH
Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: 121. Best odds: 4-1.
This likeable and beautifully-bred filly has come a long way in a short time, looking a little raw but still making a good move from the rear for fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas just two months after her career debut and she has improved on each of her last three starts after bombing out when favourite for the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier in the campaign.
She handles easy ground as well as a quicker surface and more than hinted at her stamina when staying on strongly from an unfavourable wide draw to land the Rathbridge Stakes over 1m1f at Gowran, while she wasn't well-placed towards the back at the Curragh in the Blandford Stakes next time but still came home strongly and posted good late sectionals for second.
Only Blue Rose Cen was too good in the Prix de l'Opera last time and that multiple Group One scorer simply had too much pace in the straight, yet the fact that Jackie Oh was ridden very prominently for the first time suggested that connections see this filly's future over further. This extended trip is a question mark, but it's not a huge venture into the unknown by the same token either and her full brother Secret State acted over further. Her chance is much respected.
���� 13 RED RIDING HOOD
Official rating: 104. Timeform rating: 109. Best odds: 66-1.
A useful filly who acts on deep ground and one who has been tried over a range of trips in a busy campaign, she posted her best effort on her penultimate start when landing Group Three honours in a first-time tongue tie on decent ground over 1m1f at the Curragh when she was well-placed at a track which favours forward racers.
She was last of nine on her sole try at 1m4f and at Group One level in the Oaks of Epsom and this distance and level of company are obvious question marks. She has been in the places just twice in seven runs at Pattern level and only Sea Of Roses has a lesser official rating ahead of thid assignment.
���� 14 RUE BOISSONADE
Official rating: 108. Timeform rating: 119. Best odds: 16-1.
The French challenger is an assured stayer and seemingly the deeper the ground the better for her chance.
She doesn't do anything especially quickly but she is lightly-raced and has shown the ability to potentially be a factor here after posting a brace of creditable efforts at the top level the last twice, on both occasions running a bit keen towards the back of the field before picking up nicely and staying on well late on.
Those tactics might prove more problematic at Ascot with a shorter straight than ParisLongchamp and in a big field on the tighter inner track, while a decent pace would seem quite important to her, but she's not one to readily dismiss although trainer Mikel Delzangles is 0-31 with his runners in Britain since Guineas glory with Makfi back in 2010.
���� 15 RUNNING LION
Official rating: 106. Timeform rating: 115. Best odds: 25-1.
She looked really good when running away with the Pretty Polly on Guineas weekend back in May and, while something on a retrieval mission after finishing last of 15 in the French Oaks next time, she has rturned since with two decent efforts at Listed and Group level despite not winning.
She travelled notably well at Salisbury and then better still in the Princess Royal Stakes last time, but she was placed close to a very strong pace at Newmarket and looked to hit the wall two furlongs from home in a visual impression that seems to be backed up by the sectional times.
This 1m4f trip is a question mark - even if it's likely to be less of an examination than the Rowley Mile race last time - and that can't have been an ideal prep for this either.
���� 16 SEA OF ROSES
Official rating: 100. Timeform rating: 108. Best odds: 100-1.
The lowest-rated runner in the field on official ratings, she is strictly a maiden winner - albeit one that has also finished second at Listed and Group Three level. She has plenty to find while her keen-going tendencies aren't ideal either and you can't really argue with her huge odds here.
���� 17 SWEET MEMORIES
Official rating: 105. Timeform rating: 116. Best odds: 12-1.
She's only had four runs this year and looks a fairly stout stayer at this middle-distance trip, staying on behind Time Lock and making up decent ground while still looking a little green for second in the Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket.
She travels nicely and her recent sectionals make for interesting reading while this top yard has a good record in this event since 2011 (3 winners and 5 more placed from 21 runners in nine renewals), but she has a bit to find on this first attempt at Group One level and she doesn't jump out at the current odds.
���� 18 UNLESS
Official rating: 104. Timeform rating: 115. Best odds: 100-1.
The three-year-old has already run 10 times this season and only broke her maiden in May - and at the seventh attempt - before several decent efforts at Listed and Group Three level.
This step-up to 1m4f for the first time is not certain to suit and it's easy to look elsewhere.
Tom's big-race verdict:
To follow after declarations on Thursday.
