Balmoral Handicap (sponsored By Qipco)
(British Champions Series)
Handicap, Ascot 16:35
£200,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus, 1m, Class 2   
Saturday 19th October 2024

FormRatings

1 Carrytheone 14/1
2 Lattam 18/1
3 Witch Hunter 25/1 1
4 Thunder Run 7/2F
20 ran Distances: 2l, 1¼l, nse
Time: 1m 46.59s (slow by 7.69s)

Carrytheone swept to comfortable success, providing trainer Michael Bell with a first QIPCO British Champions Day success. 

The Christophe Soumillon-ridden winner challenged on the outside of the 20-runner field before coming clear in the closing stages to score by two lengths. Lattam stayed on well to head a bunch for the minor honours, ahead of Witch Hunter and 7/2 favourite Thunder Run, who held every chance on the front end but got tired late on.

Carrytheone has run several creditable races at the track this season, including finishing third in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot. 

Winning owner Stuart Mizon said: “We freshened him up for six weeks at the back end of August and September with the aim of coming for the big handicap two weeks ago. He didn’t run very well there, as he missed the break 10 lengths, but he still finished sixth. He was still showing plenty at home, so we thought we’d come here.

“He won very well today – Christophe gave him a great ride – and I said to Nick [Bell, assistant trainer] afterwards, he deserves to go back into Group company after that. So he’ll have a holiday now and come back in the new year and we’ll make a plan from there.

“We bought him pretty cheaply out of the horses-in-training sale last year. Nick and I had a relatively shortlist we went through. We homed in on him and really worked hard to get him. I think we bought him very well, and he’s repaid us many times over. He was third at Royal Ascot, so we’ve been there, we’ve been to loads of really big days. It is absolutely fantastic.”

Soumillon said: “Carrytheone didn't jump so good, so I was last in the first part of the race. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be unlucky in the race again, so I brought him out, coming to the stands' side. 

“He made a great effort because it's not easy to come out so early and, when I hit the front, he kept going until the end. He is a very generous horse. I was just hoping he didn't give up in the last furlong because the ground is very deep today.

“The good thing was I had him really relaxed in the first part of the race. It is always very difficult to win this kind of race and I finished with a good win on a big day."

Lattam’s jockey Ryan Sexton said: “Lattam has run very well. We thought the draw [22] was great and it’d be the big difference. All the action seemed to happen on the far side, and he’s a horse who needs plenty of cover. After a bit of a layoff, you couldn’t have asked for a better run.”

Richard Hannon said of Witch Hunter: “I am delighted, he never runs a bad race. It’s lovely that William [Stobart, owner] and his family are here today. He’s run so many good races throughout the year. He was unlucky not to win a G2 and slightly unlucky there [today], but he’s run a super race and got his head down at the right time to finish third. He is a pleasure.”

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Balmoral Handicap (sponsored By Qipco)
£200,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 2
20 ran
Going: Soft

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (5)    Carrytheone 7 9-6 Michael Bell Christophe Soumillon 14/1
2 (22) 2 Lattam 5 8-11 Julie Camacho Ryan Sexton 18/1
3 (18) 1¼ Witch Hunter 5 9-11 Richard Hannon Jamie Spencer 25/1
4 (21) nse Thunder Run 3 8-13 K R Burke Ryan Moore 7/2F
5 (14) nse Elnajmm 4 9-6 William Haggas Tom Marquand 16/1
6 (17) 2¼ Toimy Son 5 8-11 David Menuisier Oisin Murphy 9/1
7 (23) nk Cicero's Gift 4 9-11 Charles Hills Billy Loughnane 18/1
8 (19) 1 Mirsky 5 8-11 David O'Meara Kieran Shoemark 16/1
9 (20) 3 Padishakh 4 8-11 David O'Meara Jason Watson 33/1
10 (9) 1½ Holloway Boy 4 9-12 K R Burke William Buick 12/1
11 (13) ½ Godwinson 4 8-11 William Haggas Silvestre De Sousa 18/1
12 (3) 1½ Bopedro 8 8-12 David O'Meara Daniel Tudhope 17/2
13 (2) 3¼ State Actor 4 8-11 W T Farrell Chris Hayes 8/1
14 (1) hd Sir Busker 8 9-12 William Knight Brandon Wilkie 50/1
15 (7) 1 Popmaster 6 9-6 Ed Walker Ross Coakley 50/1
16 (6) 6½ Daysofourlives 4 9-3 Marco Botti Jack Mitchell 9/1
17 (4) 6½ Mr Professor 5 8-13 Raphael E Freire David Egan 14/1
18 (8) 21 Mexicali Rose 4 8-11 Joseph O'Brien Maxime Guyon 18/1
19 (10) hd Star Of Orion 6 8-12 Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop 33/1
20 (12) 13 Alaskan Gold 3 8-12 Alan King Rossa Ryan 80/1

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