British Champions Day 2014: Date, Race Schedule, Odds and More
The fourth British Champions Day takes place at Ascot on Saturday, marking one of the biggest dates on the horse racing calendar.
However, the six-race card is threatened by absentees and potentially poor conditions as the day draws closer.
One of the huge superstar attractions, Australia, will be missing from the event after sustaining a foot injury and the Derby winner has prematurely been retired to stud, per Greg Wood of The Guardian.
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Here is the schedule for Saturday, and the times to catch each race:
| 13:45 | British Champions Long Distance Cup |
| 14:20 | British Champions Sprint Stakes |
| 14:55 | British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes |
| 15:30 | Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (British Champions Mile) |
| 16:05 | Champions Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) |
| 16:45 | Balmoral Handicap |
| Long Distance Cup | Leading Light | 5-2 |
| Forgotten Rules | 9-2 | |
| Estimate | 11-2 | |
| Champions Stakes | Cirrus Des Aigles | 13-8 |
| Free Eagle | 3-1 | |
| Noble Mission | 5-1 | |
| Fillies and Mares Stakes | Silk Sari | 6-1 |
| Chicquita | 7-1 | |
| Hadaatha | 7-1 | |
| Queen Elizabeth II Stakes | Charm Spirit | 10-3 |
| Night of Thunder | 10-3 | |
| Toronado | 6-1 | |
| Sprint Stakes | G Force | 7-2 |
| Lightning Moon | 6-1 | |
| Gordon Lord Byron | 7-1 | |
| Balmoral Handicap | Baraweez | 12-1 |
| Chatez | 12-1 | |
| Cornrow | 14-1 |
Estimate On Course For Champions Day
Despite the absence of the big names from Champions Day, the Queen's horse Estimate is in line to make an appearance.
Joining Australia in absence is the Grey Gatsby, Kingston Hill, Kingman and Mukhadram, but the 2013 Gold Cup winner will race in the coveted Long Distance Cup.
The BBC's Francis Keogh confirmed Estimate's involvement:
The loss of the big-names is a massive blow for the Ascot event but Estimate will have punters excited, especially at her current odds of 11-2—she could easily be the favourite on Saturday morning.
Royal racing adviser, John Warren, spoke to BBC Sport, per Cornelius Lysaght, and said the expected heavy ground will not stop their effort for glory:
"In all probability we'll give it a whirl. We'll keep monitoring the going until the last minute, I imagine. She's a daughter of the stallion Monsun, whose progency tend to like it soft. Maybe when she didn't run so well on this type of going in the race last year, she was feeling the effects of a long season.
"
The expected soft ground could indeed be an issue on Saturday for many of the field but Estimate will hopefully go well.
The Grey Gatsby—who defeated Australia in the Irish Champions Stakes—is a horse who simply would not cope with the expected soft ground, and therefore it is no surprise he will not go to post.
A win on Champions Day will be a significant success for Estimate, as the Queen looks for better form from her mare.
Cirrus Des Aigles Is The Bookies' Favourite
Despite the Grey Gatsby still being present for Saturday's entries, per RacingUK.com, the horse will not run and Cirrus Des Aigles is once again the focus of the Champions Stakes.
The French machine won in 2011 and ran superbly in his last two renewals—placing runner-up in 2012 and 2013.
Cirrus Des Aigles is the favourite with the bookies at present, trading at 13-8, clearly favoured by many who are betting on the race.
With The Grey Gatsby a confirmed non-runner, the French raider is officially the best horse in the race. And as he is proven on soft ground, if Cirrus Des Aigles turns up in top form, the rest of the field may find him a tough nut to crack.
For those looking to oppose the favourite, Free Eagle will have a fair crack of the whip and at 3-1 looks very tempting. If Cirrus Des Aigles underperforms, Dermot Weld's charge could be the one to capitalise.
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