Champions Day has come of age despite shortage of class acts for this renewal
It will take something out of the ordinary to put the champion into Champions Day. For the first time since the event’s inauguration in 2011, none of the top six horses on Racing Post Ratings will be present at Ascot on Saturday.
It is not entirely down to rain-soaked ground. Two of the best, Blue Point and Crystal Ocean, have already retired while three others – Battaash, Enable and Waldgeist – were in action on Arc day at Longchamp. That leaves Pinatubo, for whom there is no suitable race.
It could get worse. Japan is seventh on that list but connections have yet to commit to the Champion Stakes after his strength-sapping run in the Arc. And a decision on the participation of Stradivarius, one of racing’s genuine poster boys, will be left until the day itself.
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