From Charlie Hall to Churchill Downs: feast on this day of fantastic action

Girl friend?

Of the six Breeders' Cup races in which a European-trained runner does not feature, four are on Saturday, chief of which is the Distaff ().

Likely favourite has crossed the line first on all six starts this year. Only trouble was, last time she was disqualified in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx after hampering neck runner-up Midnight Bisou.

The two meet again in the Distaff and look sure to be in the shake-up along with Abel Tasman, despite her defeat last time at 1-10 in the Zenyatta Stakes.

Churchill Downs card, form and betting

The Filly & Mare Sprint, Dirt Mile and Sprint are the other all-domestic Breeders' Cup races on Saturday, but with the betting-friendly off times this year they will inevitably attract more interest from British and Irish punters than is sometimes the case.

The Tote, meanwhile, will be offering win, place, exacta and trifecta pools on all Breeders’ Cup races, with bets commingled into the US 'show' pool. There will therefore be dividends for horses finishing in the first three regardless of the number of runners in the race.

A placepot and quadpot will also be hosted by the UK Tote on Saturday. The placepot starts with the fourth race, the Filly & Mare Turf at 6.04pm GMT, and the quadpot begins with the Mile at 7.36pm GMT.

First Samcro, now a Champion Hurdle Trial!

It may appear extraordinarily early for a Champion Hurdle trial, but that's what we've got at Ayr on Saturday, albeit a Scottish Champion Hurdle Trial.

The main event takes place at Ayr in the spring. Saturday's is backed by Tennent's and is worth a not-to-be-sniffed at £40,000 on a decent card with a total of £124,700 up for grabs.

Rolling Maul bids for a four-timer in the 3m handicap hurdle at Ayr on SaturdayCredit: Mark Cranham

Popular ten-year-old Rolling Maul bids to complete a four-timer in the Schweppes 1783 Handicap Hurdle (), but must concede weight all around.

Number of the day – 22

That's how many European-trained runners are guaranteed a run in the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs (there are also two reserves) on Saturday, a remarkable number in many respects, especially given British Champions Day was just a fortnight ago.

Travel allowances help, of course, but it is testament to the enduring appeal of the meeting, and owners' and trainers' interest in taking on a different challenge – and long may it last as it gives the meeting so much more depth.

Padding up

Nicky Richards will be seeking just the third winner of his career at Ascot on Saturday, when Caius Marcius bids to complete a hat-trick in the Bet With Ascot Handicap Hurdle ().

Richards has had two winners from 31 runners over jumps at Ascot since beginning his training career in 1998-99, and Caius Marcius will have plenty of supporters after wins at Market Rasen and Perth.

The nine runners chasing a share of the £60,000 prize-money will be doing so over padded hurdles, which are in use for the first time at Ascot on Saturday.

Newton Abbot was the first British track to use them, in 2013, and six courses have since followed, with Ascot becoming the eighth and highest profile to install them.

Chris Stickels: 'We like the idea of them because they are a development on the current birch hurdle'Credit: Alan Crowhurst

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "They've been used now for five years and we've been following their performance. We like the idea of them because they're a development on the current birch hurdle.

"The positive sign is that vets are finding fewer superficial injuries with horses running over padded hurdles, so from an equine welfare point of view they are a positive move, and that's the reason we are investing in them."

This time, more than any other time

Could Saturday be the day when finally reappears? He has been declared for the bumper () at Ascot 931 days on from his last appearance, since when he has been a non-runner on no fewer than eight occasions.

The now six-year-old, trained in Lambourn by Brendan Powell, won on debut at Kempton in March 2016 and was sixth at Ayr the following month.

However, between November that year and April this year have come a succession of frustrations.

Connections self-certified on four occasions, three no-shows were due to unsuitable ground, and one due to travel problems. Fingers crossed for the M4!

Williams dual-handed at Auteuil

Down Royal is not the only track hosting a Grade 1 jumps contest on Saturday as Auteuil stages the Grand Prix d'Automne ().

The top-level hurdling prize features two runners from the Devon stable of Nick Williams in Le Rocher, the mount of James Reveley, and Aubusson, who will be ridden by the trainer's son Chester.

Williams and Reveley combined to win the contest in 2013 with Reve De Sivola; the same year then three-year-old Le Rocher was on the mark at Auteuil, but he has raced exclusively in Britain for the past four years.

Aubusson has more stamps in his passport and finished second and fourth in this race in 2015 and 2016.

Bye bye HQ

Newmarket goes into hibernation for the winter after Saturday's meeting, and it signs off with three Listed races.

Perhaps the most eyecatching runner on the card is the Willie Mullins-trained True Self in the Weatherbys-sponsored Jane Seymour Stakes ().

was the Irish champion jumps trainer's first ever runner at Bath when hacking up in a Listed race there last month. She again has the assistance of Colin Keane and will likely be a warm order to complete a hat-trick.

She faces seven rivals, the most experienced of whom is nine-year-old Air Pilot, who won this race in 2014.

Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news