A going concern: the story of Champions Day so far

October 15, 2011
Storm clouds of scepticism and outrage loomed over the inaugural British Champions Day with many in racing unhappy with the new meeting, while riders were on the brink of mutiny over the new whip rules. However, the run-up to the day was unseasonably warm with the day itself bathed in warmth and sunshine. It was good ground for the first meeting, the only time it has been so fast.

October 20, 2012
Racing fans waited with bated breath as Teddy Grimthorpe walked up the home straight prodding his stick into the ground. In the end, he gave the thumbs-up to Frankel running on the soft, heavy in places going, although not all were happy with having such an important day of racing on such testing ground. It was a sign of things to come.

October 19, 2013
Officially soft, the ground was labelled “heavy” by champion jockey Richard Hughes and “bottomless” by William Buick. While conditions allowed for connections of Top Notch Tonto to profit from their sporting decision to supplement for £70,000 when he was second in the QEII, too many quality horses such as Dawn Approach were totally unsuited by the surface.