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Liverpool Echo

Sport

Chris Wright

Horse Power: Baaeed and Sea La Rosa to star on British Champions Day at Ascot

Baaeed ED (Person) Ascot Group One Tonga William Hill

BAAEED is the star attraction on British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday afternoon and he can end on a high with victory in the Group One QIPCO Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) (4pm). But at cramped odds he is not really a betting proposition but his Willie Haggas’ stable-mate SEA LA ROSA certainly is in the Group One QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (British Champions Series) (2.40pm).

The unbeaten Sea The Stars colt bids to finish his career on a high at Ascot – like another unbeaten star Frankel – and land a magnificent seventh straight Group One victory and 11th overall.

Comparisons have been made between Haggas’ four-year-old and Frankel and it is easy to see why and it looks like he could emulate him by winning the 1m2f contest on his final career start.

Baaeed looks to have few flaws and took his first step up to middle distances in his stride with a superb six-and-a-half-length success in the Juddmonte International at York last time, having already won the Lockinge at Newbury and at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood over a mile earlier in the season.

Having also won over a mile at last year’s British Champions Day in softish conditions he should finish with a flourish. And although last year’s Derby hero Adayar – who made a pleasing return to action at Doncaster last month – will certainly made him work for victory, Baaeed looks like he can remain unbeaten.

Stable-mate Sea La Rosa is also on a roll and she can land a fourth straight success and fifth of the season in the Group One QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (British Champions Series) (2.40pm).

The four-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars won the Group Three Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock Park back in May. Since then she has won at Glorious Goodwood and twice in France, most recently over 1m6f in the Group One Prix de Royalieu at ParisLongchamp.

She stays very well and has good form in the softer conditions which appear likely at Ascot.

Sea La Rosa can get the better of chiefly last year’s winner Eshaada and Charlie Appleby’s Eternal Pearl – who will be ridden by Liverpool FC fan William Buick.

John & Thady Gosden’s Inspiral is a warm favourite to win the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by Qipco) (British Champions Mile) (3.20pm), but a chance is taken on the progressive JADOOMI causing an upset.

The Ed and Simon Crisford-trained four-year-old brought up a hat-trick of wins in fine style in the Group Two Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown last month. He has been supplemented by connections for a first crack at a Group One prize.

This is Jadoomi’s toughest test yet but he may be up to it.

The Group One QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes (British Champions Series) (2pm) looks a wide-open contest with several in with a chance including the in-form trio of Rohaan , Kinross and Brad The Brief . But a chance is taken on Aidan O’Brien’s TENEBRISM getting her head back in front.

The three-year-old filly won the Group One Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket as a juvenile. She has been tried over trips from six furlongs to a mile this season. She has run well but she clearly doesn’t stay the mile and her only win this season was just short of seven furlongs in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.

She was behind Kinross in fifth at ParisLongchamp last time but this drop back to six furlongs may see her reverse form with that rival and come out on top.

Stable-mate WATERVILLE is an intriguing contender in the Group Two QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (British Champions Series) (1.25pm) and could also triumph.

The three-year-old is a fast-improving stayer who landed a big-field handicap, the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh last month, in fine style despite having to come from an almost impossible position.

The son of Camelot steps up into Group company and faces some leading stayers in Trueshan , Coltrane and Quickthorn as well as St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov . But a chance is taken he can take it in his stride to triumph.

Trainer David O’Meara has won the Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored by QIPCO) (4.40pm) twice in the past and ORBAAN may give him a third success.

The seven-year-old has been in fine form this summer, winning the Golden Mile at Glorious Goodwood and also scoring over seven furlongs at Ascot.

He looks sure to make another bold bid for victory and can score ahead of stable-mate Blue For You and veteran Safe Voyage .

At Catterick Declan Carroll’s KING OF TONGA can win the William Hill Catterick Dash Handicap (3.15pm).

The six-year-old is another who has been in good form this season with two wins at Chester and several decent efforts. He can build on a recent third at Nottingham over six furlongs to score back down to the minimum distance.

Roger Fell’s 10-year-old MUNTADAB won at Musselburgh earlier this week and under a penalty he can go in again in the William Hill Pick Your Places Handicap (2.45pm).

Others who may win at Catterrick are the Iain Jardine-trained AFTER JOHN in the Williamhill.com Best Odds Guaranteed Veterans’ Handicap (3.50pm); Grand National -winning trainer Lucinda Russell’s THEWAYTOTHESTARS in the Gaspara Asset Management Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes (For horses In Bands C And D) (GBB Race) (2.10pm); and THE NU FORM WAY , from the Stella Barclay stable, in the Nikki Ward 60th Birthday Handicap (5.25pm).