Ascot preview: Champion Stakes (15.05)
Published:
David Metcalf | October 16, 2015
Found has some top class form to her name and looks decent value to land the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot (15.05).
The Aidan O’Brien trained filly won two of her three starts as a juvenile, and looked a very exciting prospect when landing the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac over 1m at Longchamp by 2 1/2 lengths from Ervedya.
It was a most impressive display, and one which saw Found installed as ante post favourite for the English 1000 Guineas and Oaks.
However, the daughter of Galileo suffered a setback in the build up to the former and then got beaten on her belated comeback when sent off favourite for a 7f Group 3 contest at the Curragh.
Found duly came on a ton for that outing when failing by just 1/2 a length to overhaul Pleascach in the Irish 1000 Guineas.
The three-year-old then ran well when beaten a neck in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot before winning a Group 3 at the Curragh four lengths.
Found then ran a blinder to finish a one length runner up to Golden Horn in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, before finishing an eye-catching ninth of 17 behind that rival in the 1m 4f Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp when getting no luck in-running and finishing with plenty of petrol left in the tank.
To me, Found did well to get within five lengths of the winner as she was not knocked about once it was clear she would not be winning.
The drop back to 1m 2f will hold no fears, and with Ryan Moore in the saddle everything points to a big run.
Jack Hobbs missed the Arc in favour of this and looks a massive player judged on his success in the Irish Derby.
The John Gosden trained colt romped to a five length success at the Curragh having previously ran a cracker to finish runner-up to stable companion Golden Horn in the English equivalent.
Jack Hobbs was then given a break before easily landing a Group 3 contest at Kempton by 3 1/4 lengths.
That should have put the son of Halling spot on for this assignment, and on official ratings Jack Hobbs has 3lb an upwards in hand on his rivals.
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