QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes
Group 1, Ascot 14:05
£500,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
6f, Class 1   
Saturday 18th October 2025

BetPlay

Wathnan Racing fire a three-pronged attack led by last year’s winner Kind Of Blue, the ever-reliable Flora Of Bermuda, and Jubilee hero Lazzat.

Jerome Reynier’s electric four-year-old, a headline acquisition for the Qatari outfit before Royal Ascot, lit up the Champions Day course and distance back in June—edging out the Japanese raider Satono Reve in a titanic finish to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Since then, he’s been a beaten favourite in both the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Haydock’s Sprint Cup, but the Wathnan camp believe a spell basking in the Marseille sunshine and a return to Ascot’s stiff six furlongs could prove decisive on October 18.

“I’ve spoken with Jerome and we’re going to freshen Lazzat up and go straight for the Champions Day sprint at Ascot,” said Richard Brown, Wathnan’s racing adviser.

“He was of course a little bit disappointing at Haydock and I would say that he potentially had a very hard race at Royal Ascot and sometimes when they put in such a huge effort like he did at Ascot it can take a little while to recover and maybe that is still showing on him.

“We all know he’s better than what we saw at Haydock and in the Maurice de Gheest and albeit he didn’t run a bad race either time, it certainly wasn’t at the level he showed at Ascot.

“He’s back at home in Marseille now, where I think he is potentially happier than he was in Deauville.

“The stiff six furlongs at Ascot is absolutely perfect for him. It’s a fast, flat six at Haydock and perhaps he wasn’t able to go that early pace like he did when winning at Royal Ascot, so we’ll go back to where the best run of his career is and hopefully that will return him to winning ways.”

Earlier this month on Merseyside, Lazzat could manage only fifth as Mick Appleby’s Big Mojo took the prize, though Wathnan still filled out the podium with the resurgent Kind Of Blue in second and the ever-consistent Flora Of Bermuda in third.

“We’ll go three-strong like we did at Haydock and try again,” continued Brown.

“Flora Of Bermuda is such a legend and deserves to win one of these, she’s such a tough filly. She will go straight there, as will Kind Of Blue who is again just coming to himself.

“James’ horses are in fantastic form now. Kind Of Blue has taken his time to come to himself this season, but hopefully he is peaking at the right time to take a good shot at retaining his crown.

“I thought he ran a great race at Haydock and it was his best run this year. The stiff six at Ascot really suits him and hopefully he’s back near his best.”

BoyleSports

Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 2)
£500,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
30 remaining entries
Going:

NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY (form as of Sep 30)
1 00-401 Art Power 8 9-4 Tim Easterby
3 2 3118-6 Devil's Point 4 9-4 David Menuisier
3 113936 Ferrous 5 9-4 Jack Channon
4 -28576 Iberian 4 9-4 Charles Hills
5 0-1796 Inisherin 4 9-4 Kevin Ryan
6 8-5510 James's Delight 4 9-4 Clive Cox
7 1-9832 Kind Of Blue 4 9-4 James Fanshawe
8 52-292 King's Gamble 4 9-4 Ralph Beckett
9 /51332 King Cuan 4 9-4 P Twomey
10 -41125 Lazzat 4 4 9-4 J Reynier
11 6115-3 Montassib 7 9-4 William Haggas
12 252205 My Mate Alfie 4 9-4 G M Lyons
13 701405 Quinault 5 9-4 Stuart Williams
14 0-4830 Run To Freedom 7 9-4 Henry Candy
15 -35102 Short Final 5 9-4 Stuart Williams
16 071109 Solar Aclaim 4 9-4 Julie Camacho
17 157293 Spycatcher 7 9-4 K R Burke
18 245-18 Ten Bob Tony 4 9-4 Ed Walker
19 11-105 Topgear 6 9-4 Christopher Head
20 244870 Toyotomi 4 9-4 David O'Meara
21 -06212 Witness Stand 4 9-4 Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole
22 6-2074 Zoum Zoum 4 9-4 Ralph Beckett
23 147251 Big Mojo 3 9-3 Michael Appleby
24 220008 Ides Of March 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
25 11-85 Powerful Glory w 3 9-3 Richard Fahey
26 212763 Spy Chief 3 9-3 John & Thady Gosden
27 -12600 Whistlejacket 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
28 3-2303 Flora Of Bermuda 4 9-1 Andrew Balding
29 5-9219 No Half Measures 4 9-1 Richard Hughes
30 -38118 Sky Majesty 3 9-0 William Haggas