Aidan O’Brien has had a late change of heart over Gstaad and Constitution River, and Scandinavia will not run at Ascot. Dan Skelton enjoyed a Ffos Las double with two former Paul Nicholls inmates, and Arkle fancy Kabral Du Mathan goes chasing at Perth this afternoon. Final declarations for Champions Day are also due this morning.
Here is the racing news today, rounded up ahead of Thursday’s action.
O’Brien U-turn on Gstaad and Constitution River
Just days after supplementing Constitution River into the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Aidan O’Brien has reverted to plan A. Gstaad will stay at a mile in the QEII under Ryan Moore, with Colin Keane partnering stablemate Hawk Mountain, while Constitution River sticks to a mile and a quarter in the Champion Stakes.
“We think it might not be fair to him to run in the Champion Stakes first time out against older horses and such a seasoned bunch,” O’Brien said of Gstaad on the Coolmore website. He believes illness may explain Constitution River’s Irish Champion Stakes defeat. “We think maybe the last day when he ran at Leopardstown all our horses were a little bit sick, and we think that could have been a major contributing factor to his run.”
There was also a big blow for the Long Distance Cup, as Gold Cup winner Scandinavia has been put away for the year. “With a view to next year and there’s a little bit of rain in the forecast, we would probably leave him for the year,” O’Brien explained. Queenstown and Amelia Earhart will instead fly the Ballydoyle flag.
Skelton double with ex-Nicholls pair at Ffos Las
Champion trainer Dan Skelton struck twice at Ffos Las on Wednesday, beating Paul Nicholls’ favourite on both occasions with horses who began their careers at Ditcheat. Sinnatra, fifth in the County Hurdle and second in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree last season, made a striking chasing debut in a two-mile novices’ handicap chase. He travelled strongly, jumped well and cruised clear after the last to beat Nicholls’ 2/1 favourite Pourquoi Pas Papa by seven-and-a-half lengths at 9/4.
“I was blown away by it,” said Skelton, who had warned connections not to be disappointed given the soft ground and his big weight. “He was in first gear really,” added Harry Skelton, speaking to Sky Sports Racing. Sinnatra was cut to 16/1 in places for the Arkle. Later on the card, former Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner Captain Teague reeled in Nicholls’ 8/11 shot Tutti Quanti to land the Listed novices’ chase on his first start for the yard, as covered in our full report. The double came just days after Skelton brought up the fastest century of winners in a British jumps season.
Kabral Du Mathan goes chasing at Perth
Another of Skelton’s ex-Nicholls stars, Kabral Du Mathan, makes his chasing debut in the two-mile beginners’ chase at Perth at 1.25. The 156-rated hurdler won two of his three starts for the yard last season and signed off with fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He is already an 8/1 shot for the Arkle and faces three rivals, including Olly Murphy’s Hold The Serve.
Skelton is not getting carried away just yet. “Kabral Du Mathan is going for a beginners’ chase tomorrow with a bit to work on,” he said on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. Sinnatra runs for the same owners, and Skelton has suggested he will try to keep the pair apart this season.
Champions Day declarations due
Final declarations for Saturday’s Champions Day at Ascot are made this morning, and they should finally confirm who goes where. The Champion Stakes is set to feature defending champion Calandagan, who will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon, along with Ombudsman, Bay City Roller and now Constitution River. Talk Of New York, Rayif and Gstaad head the QEII entries, while Caballo De Mar and St Leger hero Highwayman are the big names in a Long Distance Cup without Scandinavia.
Elsewhere, Almeraq heads the British Champions Sprint entries and Kalpana bids for a third straight Fillies & Mares Stakes. For the full background on O’Brien’s dilemma, read our Constitution River & Gstaad cheat sheet.
Yesterday’s principal result
Gorgeous Tom made light work of the Grade 3 Matchbook Betting Exchange Chase at Punchestown (16:30), winning by 22 lengths at 4/6 under Darragh O’Keeffe for Henry de Bromhead. Croke Park was a distant second, with Apple’s Of Bresil third.
Racing today
Perth — first race: 12:55 · last race: 16:50
Curragh — first race: 13:02 · last race: 17:07
Brighton — first race: 13:32 · last race: 17:25
Fontwell — first race: 13:44 · last race: 17:14
Southwell — first race: 16:30 · last race: 20:30
[View today’s racecards] · [Latest non-runners] · [Today’s results]