That’s it for Champions Day for another year. I think we did anoint a couple of genuine champions at Ascot today with Kyprios winning the Long Distance Cup and Charyn winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes but there was a spectre at the feast and that was City Of Troy who would surely have won the Champion Stakes if he had lined up given how he dealt with the runner-up Calandagan at York in the summer. City Of Troy, trained by champion trainer Aidan O’Brien, is instead heading to Del Mar in the United States for the Breeders’ Cup on the first weekend in November. Will he prove himself a great there?
Timeform, the racing ratings experts, discussed the matter this week and concluded: “A Breeders’ Cup Classic for O’Brien would be both special and something we haven’t seen before. It would certainly give extra substance to the ‘City Of Troy is O’Brien’s best’ argument, as well. For some racing fans and the likes of Timeform to agree, though, a career-defining wow performance will be needed.”
That’s some race to look forward to and Greg Wood will be live blogging on the big night. Good night and good luck until then.
Balmoral Handicap (4.35pm) result
1 Carrytheone 14/1
2 Lattam 18/1
3 Witch Hunter 25/1
4 Thunder Run 7/2 fav
Carrytheone takes the Balmoral Handicap at 14/1 👏#ITVRacing | #ChampionsDay | @Ascot pic.twitter.com/rq1PHmSMYy
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 19, 2024
Updated
