Ascot Placepot picks: Paul Kealy provides his selections for Champions Day

You have to take chances if you want a decent payout in a Placepot, and while Trueshan and Stradivarius are the obvious ones for the opening leg (1.25) at Ascot, their tough match in France might have taken the edge off them.

I'll be disappointed if at least one of or doesn't make the frame, so they're going in against the big two.

The Sprint (2.00) is wide open, so it's three here, with main selections and joined by , who can do best of the favourites.

I think has a shot against in the next (2.35), but not enough to leave the jolly out, especially given only one non-runner will take us down to two places.

will be hard to kick out of the three in leg four (3.10) even if not quite at his best, but the fresh goes in as well.

It's banker time in the Champion Stakes (3.50) with ready preference for over Adayar, with the latter coming here after his run in the Arc on heavy ground and the former being fresh and primed solely for this.

Low draws tend to to better in the last, so while Sunray Major is a strong favourite, I'll go with my two selections and , and add the so-called Gosden second string , who shaped really nicely when third on his belated return at Newbury last month.

Champions Day Placepot selections

1.25
1 Baron Samedi
3 Hamish

2.00
6 Gustavus Weston
13 Rohaan
18 Happy Romance

2.35
1 Albaflora
8 Snowfall

3.10
4 Palace Pier
8 Master Of The Seas

3.50
4 Mishriff

4.30
13 Rhoscolyn
15 King Leonidas
17 Marie's Diamond

2x3x2x2x1x3 = 72 lines

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