Alex Hammond tips: Racing blog ahead of Doncaster, Newbury and Cheltenham

There was so much to take in on British Champions Day – can you give us your five personal highlights from Ascot?

5. The ground. At last, a Champions Day run on a fair flat racing surface.

4. The Long Distance Cup. Who doesn’t love a stayer? Trawlerman was the best horse in the race and his price seemed unusually generous for a record-breaking Gold Cup winner. Well done if you were on the same wavelength because he proved he was the best by holding off his enigmatic stablemate, Sweet William, to win his fourth domestic race of the season. It takes two to tango and Sweet William was gallant in chasing Trawlerman down to give team Gosden a 1-2 in the newly-promoted Group 1 contest.

3. Crown Of Oaks. He blew his rivals away in winning at this track in September over a mile and a quarter and despite running flat when turned out just over a week later in Ireland, he came back with a bang to win the Balmoral Handicap by a neck for William Haggas and Tom Marquand (replay below). Back up to a mile and a quarter next year, he’ll have Group races in his sights and he’s one to watch in 2026.

2. The Champion Stakes. After the 200/1 and 100/1 winners earlier on the card, we needed the right horses to play a leading role in the feature race, and they didn’t let us down. As you know, I was in the Calandagan camp, so it couldn’t have worked out better, but for Ombudsman and Delacroix to track each other in the race and then finish second and fourth, it felt like order had been restored.

1. The day itself. There was such a buzz around the place, and Ascot have absolutely nailed it as showcase event and an end to the season. I’m in the camp that thinks it feels odd to end the season before the turf action is concluded, but if this is what we have to accept, then it’s a decent end to the show, albeit the encore is still to come.

What’s on your radar for Newbury’s Flat season finale meeting this Friday and Saturday?

What and who, because I’m looking forward to seeing Toby Moore take a ride for his grandad and uncle, Gary and Josh, in the opening Apprentice Handicap on Friday. He’s on Yellow Star and he may well have ridden his first winner before then as he’s down to ride one for boss Charlie Appleby at Newmarket on Wednesday that has a favourite’s chance. He has more pressure than some as the son of one of the world’s best jockeys but I’m sure he’ll handle it, those Moores are made of stern stuff.

I’ll be at Doncaster on Saturday for the final domestic Group 1 of the season, the Futurity Trophy, but we’ll also be covering Newbury on Sky Sports Racing where Charlie Appleby will be trying to win his first Horris Hill with Time To Turn, who is Sky Bet’s 5/4 favourite for the seven-furlong Group 3. However, unbeaten Pandemonium has strong claims here for Simon and Ed Crisford who won this race two years ago with Knight.

We may see an old favourite in Hamish on the card too as the ground should be suitable for him. He’s entered, alongside stablemate Al Aasy in the St. Simon Stakes. In the same race Saddadd is worth considering on his first try at the mile and a half trip. He won the London Gold Cup here back in the spring, and whilst that handicap doesn’t appear to have been up to its usual high standard, he looks a lovely type, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares up in trip.

He has a bit to find on ratings but gets a weight for age allowance from those already mentioned plus the Charlie Appleby trained Ancient Wisdom who is also amongst the entries. Roger Varian’s colt is 7/1 with Sky Bet.

Can anything put up a fight to prevent Aidan O’Brien winning a 12th Futurity Trophy at Doncaster?

Not on the face of it, and not if the bookmakers have got this right, but after last weekend, never say never.

He trains hot favourite Benvenuto Cellini, and this colt has the most stunning pedigree being by Frankel out of Grade 1 winner Newspaperofrecord. His full sister is smart but not top class, but this lad has won two of his three starts and looked good in winning a Group 2 over this mile trip at Leopardstown last time out.

Christophe Soumillon was on board for that win, but he would have ridden stablemate Montreal if he hadn’t been taken out on vet’s advice, which says something about that horse. So, he was the super-sub that day, ridden by the super-sub (in the absence of Ryan Moore) and he more than stepped up to the plate.

Benvenuto Cellini is already antepost favourite for next year’s Derby with Sky Bet who have priced him up at 8/1 and as a 1/2 favourite for Saturday’s Group 1, he should be hard to beat.

I wouldn’t be writing off the Andrew Balding-trained Item, though. He was sent to Bath last time out to get some much-needed education and whilst he needs to step up to beat the favourite here, his trainer has won this twice before with Elm Park and future 2000 Guineas winner Kameko.

Finally, could you give us a name to note as Cheltenham opens its doors for the first time this jumps season?

Let’s go with one to get the weekend off to a flyer. East India Express is declared under Freddie Gordon claiming 3lb in Friday’s opening race, the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle.

Nicky Henderson will be hoping he can pick up where he left off last season after he won three from four, his only defeat came in the Martin Pipe at the Festival where he was a respectable seventh.

He goes well fresh and there should be more room in his mark.

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