Flat season review: Racing Post reporters on their best moments, biggest disappointments and an ante-post tip for next year

Champions Day at Ascot marked the end of the Flat jockeys' championship, with turf racing coming to an end in less than three weeks. Here, four of our reporters reflect on the campaign across Europe . . .

Impact was the season's ace

By David Carr

Best horse Ace Impact looked something extraordinary when coming from an unpromising position to run Big Rock down and win the Prix du Jockey Club going away. And even if he had the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe run to suit, he put up the best performance of the season in winning decisively. The only shame is it was six and out and he’ll be covering mares next year rather than defending his unbeaten record.

Best race/moment What a treat it was to be at Royal Ascot to enjoy the celebrations first hand as Shaquille, just Julie Camacho’s second Group 1 runner, did something extraordinary in the Commonwealth Cup. Giving Europe’s speediest three-year-olds a five-length start and catching them all to win a shade cosily was a sight to behold.

Julie Camacho after Shaquille's win in the July Cup at NewmarketCredit: Edward Whitaker

One thing you would change Allow reserves on the day of races. Climate change is here to stay so we need to get used to unpredictable weather patterns and ground conditions and give as many horses as possible the chance to run in our biggest races. 

An ante-post tip for 2024 Don’t let the hoopla surrounding Frankie Dettori’s win on Trawlerman at Ascot last Saturday distract attention from the fine effort by runner-up Kyprios on just his second run back from injury. He is likely to be the one to beat in the Gold Cup once again next June.

Live In The Dream's Nunthorpe win was a thriller

By Jack Haynes

Best horse Shaquille's campaign might not have ended in glory but he was the standout sprinting star of the season. He started the year in handicap company off a mark of 94 and by the middle of summer had landed the Commonwealth Cup and July Cup, defying notably slow starts on both occasions. 

Best race/moment I particularly enjoyed Live In The Dream's Nunthorpe success. It was great to see a smaller operation win a big Group 1, with the victory providing a timely boost to Epsom, and the manner in which the sprinter dominated the race from the front made it a thrilling watch. 

Live In The Dream blazed a trail in the NunthorpeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Biggest disappointment One of the most notable blows to the season came before it had even started when the unbeaten Commissioning was retired in February. She was a big fancy for the 1,000 Guineas on the back of impressive wins in the Rockfel and Fillies' Mile but sustained a career-ending injury in training. 

One thing you would change Stage more amateur races. These contests often provide great storylines, importantly from a punting perspective they regularly attract double-figure fields, and provide a key learning ground for riders. 

An ante-post tip for 2024 Opera Singer was really impressive in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp this month and looks the right ante-post favourite for the 1,000 Guineas at this very early stage. She galloped home relentlessly for a five-length success on Arc day and has won on ground ranging from good to yielding to soft, so she already ticks a few boxes.

Vandeek can light up sprint division

By Charlie Huggins

Best horse I was lucky enough to be at Longchamp to witness Ace Impact's devastating Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victory, and that performance was easily the best of 2023. In a Flat season that was lacking a proper superstar, Jean-Claude Rouget's three-year-old powered home under Cristian Demuro to take up that particular mantle. The only disappointment is, as David has alluded to, that we will not get to see this brilliant son of Cracksman on the track again. 

Best race/moment Highfield Princess was already a mare of a lifetime for owner-breeder John Fairley before her season started due to her progression from a 57-rated handicapper to a Royal Ascot and three-time Group 1 winner. The John Quinn-trained six-year-old was the bridesmaid on her first three starts in top-level company this year having placed in the King's Stand, Jubilee and Nunthorpe. After suffering bad luck when defending her Flying Five crown at the Curragh, it was superb to see her overcome a terrible draw to record a Group 1 victory at a fourth different track in the Prix de l'Abbaye. 

Biggest disappointment Westover's career-ending injury sustained when second to Ace Impact in the Arc was a severe blow as Ralph Beckett's son of Frankel was highly likely to race on as a five-year-old next season. Westover ran so well in defeat when runner-up in the Sheema Classic, Coronation Cup and King George as well as recording a deserved Group 1 success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. His consistent efforts will be missed.

Westover: had a fine season but has had his career cut short by injuryCredit: Mark Cranham

One thing you would change Ensure the gaps between racetimes are no longer than 30 minutes, with the exception of major meetings. The 35-minute gaps make sense over jumps when the races are longer but do we really need the same time between two divisions of a 5f handicap on the all-weather?

An ante-post tip for 2024 Vandeek will be far shorter than 4-1 for the Commonwealth Cup by the time Royal Ascot comes around. The son of Havana Grey provided Simon and Ed Crisford with their first Group 1 win in the Prix Morny and emphatically made it back-to-back top-level triumphs in the Middle Park. There is no reason for the unbeaten colt to step up in trip as all four of his wins have been over 6f and he will be a serious force in the sprinting division. 

Guineas form was a notable letdown

By Joe Eccles

Best horse Quinault started life handicapping off a mark of 59 in April and quickly racked up a six-timer that culminated with a game success at Newmarket’s July festival. He came up short at the Shergar Cup but belied any fears the handicapper had caught up with him when making all at Ascot in September. That was his seventh win of the season and in less than twelve months this 25,000gns buy has racked up more than £190,000 in prize-money.

Best race/moment The final furlong of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe produced a wow moment. Ace Impact’s burst of acceleration made multiple Group 1 winners look like handicappers and on Racing Post Ratings only superstar fillies Treve and Enable have matched or bettered his 129 figure in recent years.

Biggest disappointment Has the form of a British Classic ever worked out worse than this year’s 2,000 Guineas? None of the first 11 have won a race since and the first and second were beaten 49 lengths and 99 lengths in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.  

Glorious Goodwood: Saturday's card could do with a boostCredit: Edward WhitakerMansa Musa

One thing you would change Glorious Goodwood is one of the key meetings of the season but the Saturday is something of a damp squib, and that’s not just referring to this year’s washout. Five of the seven races on the card are handicaps, with the Group 2 Lillie Langtry the only Pattern race. In contrast to Goodwood, York’s Ebor card features a Group 2, Group 3 and Listed race – none of which overshadow the main event.

An ante-post tip for 2024 Recent Arc winners Waldgeist and Sottsass claimed the race having been beaten in the previous year’s running, while Westover improved on his 2022 sixth when beating all bar Ace Impact this year, and I fancy Feed The Flame to be a big player in 2024. The Grand Prix de Paris winner was travelling as well as anything two furlongs out in this year’s Arc before being tapped for toe on the unseasonably quick ground, ultimately fading into eighth. Granted a softer surface in 2024, it’s not hard to see him outrunning odds of 40-1.

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