by Niamh Townsend
There is no better way to sign off the flat season than a visit to Ascot for Champions Day – a celebration of the best the sport has to offer and the perfect reflection on another brilliant year of racing and some fantastic memories. The 2018 finale offered some of the stars of the season, a role of honour that included the likes of Roaring Lion, Cracksman, Laurens, Stradivarius, etc. The list just goes on and on.
Every year I go to Ascot for Champions Day, it has become somewhat of a tradition following my first visit in 2012 to see the brilliant Frankel sign off his career in thrilling style. Since then, there has always been a connection between Champions Day and that exceptional horse – in 2014 his brother Noble Mission won the Champions Stakes, and of course the last two years Frankel’s brilliant son Cracksman has won that same race in devastating fashion. An added touch is the statue of Frankel overlooking the parade ring at the entrance to the grandstand, leaving a legacy and memories that will live on forever between this connection between a wonderful horse and a course that for the most part has defined his career.
Champions Day lived up to its name today, as it always does, and the first race of the day celebrated a horse that has taken the staying division by storm this year. As if it was not enough to win four cup races, and a £1million bonus to boot, Stradivarius was back one last time this year to seek further glory at Ascot in the Champion Long Distance Cup. A loud cheer broke through the racecourse as soon as Frankie made a brilliant move up the inside to take the lead on Stradivarius, and although Thomas Hobson tried to go with him, he simply could not match the star stayer who signed off a brilliant season with yet another victory.
The sprint threw up a surprise as Sands Of Mali, under a brilliant ride from the front by Paul Hanagan, beat a back to form Harry Angel to register a first group 1 win; following that the O’Brien team registered a sole winner on the day as Magical won the Fillies & Mares as she beat the Gosden pair of Coronet and Lah Ti Dar. Both winners told a similar story – two horses that have been running brilliant races in defeat in group 1 company without quite striking gold, but today they shone and both three year olds registered their first success at the highest level.
Then it was the turn of the milers, and the turn for the lion to roar. But it was not just Roaring Lion stepping up to the plate, by no means was this a one horse race – Laurens, Recoletos, Lord Glitters and Lightning Spear all lined up in the starting gates where there was plenty of drama (Happily was registered a last second non-runner as she and a number of others got upset in the stalls). For Roaring Lion, however, almost everything went against him winning: his best performances have all been on good ground or better and he had not won over the mile for over a year. But class told, and he is of course so brilliantly talented as neither the ground or the trip could stop him from registering his fourth-straight group 1 success. One more run in the States looks likely for him before being retired to stud.
And then came the standout performance of the day, Cracksman was out for redemption having not been seen on the racecourse since his second place finish in the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes. With his preferred ground conditions and blinkers in tow, Cracksman was primed by John Gosden and ready to go. Last year, he emulated his sire Frankel by winning the Champions Stakes, this year he went above and beyond by winning it a second time in almost a carbon-copy of last years race – sent for home three furlongs out and striding clear. The roof nearly came off the grandstand with the amount of noise made by the crowd as they cheered this true champion home in his grand finale.
It has been another brilliant year of racing with some seriously talented horses hitting the track, there is no better place to sign it all off than Ascot at Champions Day and if you are considering going next year I would absolutely recommend it – a great day out for any racing fan.
 |
Image from: Real World News |
0 Comments