Neil Morrice best bets and tips – Saturday, 17 October 2026

ASCOT CHAMPIONS DAY

Race 1 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY TWO-YEAR-OLD CONDITIONS STAKES

No6 NIGHT IN VEGAS (Each Way)
Trainer: Eve Johnson Houghton – Jockey: Charles Bishop

A cracking opener sees Sales race form matched against juveniles with smart form in Pattern company such as ARAPAHO GOLD, who is the best two-year-old colt in the North. The Group 2 Gimcrack winner lost his unbeaten record when coming out worst in a three way blanket finish to the Mill Reef at Newbury where he was never closer than at the finish, and beaten just a short head and a neck. He sets a high bar for the others to aim at but I prefer NIGHT IN VEGAS, who before being campaigned to win three valuable Sales races finished fifth in the Coventry Stakes here and third in Goodwood’s Richmond Stakes. He’s riding on the crest of a wave, and having taken his races well can prove value for his price. SATELLITE OF LOVE blitzed his field in the Redcar Two-year-Old Trophy and has proved popular in the ante post market. Along with Godolphin’s INNER CITY BLUES he should also take a hand, with the latter colt needing to bounce back from his defeat at Newmarket.

Prediction: 1st NIGHT IN VEGAS, 2nd Arapaho Gold, 3rd Satellite Of Love, 4th Inner City Blues

Race 2 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP (Group 1)

No4 GREGORY (Each Way)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: James Doyle

Few stayers have impressed as much as GREGORY when he made it two from two after a breathing operation to take out a Newmarket Listed race by 11 lengths. The six-year-old was entitled to win but his performance provides evidence that the surgery has helped him turn a corner and rediscover the form that saw him land a gamble in the Queen’s Vase here in 2023. St Leger hero HIGHWAYMAN could be the one to cause the selection most problems after being supplemented in the race by Joseph O’Brien. The Persian King colt emerged from humble beginnings to take out the Final Classic in decisive fashion. He should make a bold fist of showing it was no fluke. CABALLO DE MAR numbers the Doncaster Cup and Longchamp’s Group 1 Prix Du Cadran as his latest triumphs and has to be respected but as there’s little value in him I shall put up DAIQUIRI BAY as another to throw into the melting pot for all exotics. He proved he’s one of the most improved stayers in training with his gritty triumph in the Sky Bet Ebor and is a credit to his trainer Alan King.

Prediction: 1st GREGORY, 2nd Highwayman, 3rd Daiquiri Bay, 4th Caballo De Mar

Race 3 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES (Group 1)

No1 ALMERAQ
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: Tom Marquand

The Group 1 success of ALMERAQ in Haydock’s Sprint Cup last month is proof positive that the Sheikh Hissa-owned colt is the champion of his division in waiting. It was a third success from four outings in 2026 for the son of Dark Angel and a second Group 1 triumph in his career. A last gasp winner of the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes over course and distance in June, he is very hard to oppose and that’s reflected in the prohibitive odds that follow him to post. KIND OF BLUE is a Group performer on his day and will be bouyed by an overdue triumph albeit in handicap company at Kempton, but he has almost ten lengths to find with the favourite from Haydock. The Francis Graffard-trained SAMANGAN gained a career best triumph in the Group 1 Prix Maurice De Gheest at Deauville, and though beaten into fifth in the Foret at Longchamp appeared not to get home after looming on the outer. Now back to 1200 metres he could be the one to chase home Almeraq, while the horse that got closest to him in the Haydock Cup, PABORUS, is a lightly raced individual who probably has further progression in him.

Prediction: 1st ALMERAQ, 2nd Samangan, 3rd Paborus, 4th Kind Of Blue

Race 4 QATAR RACING BRITISH CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES (Group 1)

No2 DANIELLE (Each Way)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: James Doyle

Priced up at around 14-1 for this distaffers’ Group 1 there could be some value in DANIELLE should automatic favourite KALPANA have gone over the top. The last-named filly has been a captain of industry since her ‘King George’ success back in July, engaged first in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks in which she struggled to hold SPARAN NUA, then when falling short by a total of just under four lengths to Daryz at Longchamp. Though staying on after having to be switched it was a slightly below par effort from the blinkered mare, who now sports a pair of cheek pieces. DANIELLE is a Group 3 and Listed winner who needs to take a step forward, but she’s having only a fourth race of the year today, and customarily comes into her own in the autumn. LILT is something of a talking filly as this is only a fifth ever outing for the daughter of Lope De Vega who would benefit from rain. That’s unlikely to happen, so another roughie to put into your exactas and trifectas is INIS MOR who was placed in two Classics earlier in the summer and didn’t do much wrong when chasing home COEDANA in the Princess Royal at Newmarket. Her conqueror renews rivalry but I fancy Inis Mor to turn the tables.

Prediction: 1st DANIELLE, 2nd Kalpana, 3rd Inis Mor, 4th Coedana

Race 5 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES (Group 1)

No11 ZAVATERI (Each Way)
Trainer: Eve Johnson Houghton – Jockey: Charles Bishop

Eve Johnson Houghton had no hesitation in nominating this prestigious contest for ZAVATERI after his comfortable triumph in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood at the end of August. Her stable star has thrived since that seasonal best performance and goes to post with his tail up for this clash with GSTAAD. Aidan O’Brien’s colt was unopposed when taking out the Irish Guineas in the spring and then chased the shadow of Bow Creek at Royal Ascot and Goodwood. He was not seen at his best when again troubling the judge in Longchamp’s Prix Du Moulin but has to go well if high numbers are favoured. RAYIF was a game winner of the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville and figures to get into the argument in the Aga Khan silks as a lightly raced individual who looks to make this a fifth success from just seven career outings. TALK OF NEW YORK outclassed his foes when coming home unchallenged in the Group 2 Joel Stakes which showed the Godolphin-owned colt to be back in the groove, and he’s a player.

Prediction: 1st ZAVATERI, 2nd Gstaad, 3rd Rayif, 4th Talk Of New York

Race 6 QATAR RACING CHAMPION STAKES (Group 1)

No5 OMBUDSMAN (Nap)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: William Buick

Little separates CALANDAGAN and OMBUDSMAN in the Hollywoodbets book for what many consider the best race of the day. The multiple Group 1 winners lock horns with questions to answer however, following the former’s defeat by Kalpana in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes here in July and Ombudsman’s fourth placing behind Item in the Juddmonte International at York when John Gosden blamed the easy underfoot conditions for his five-year-old’s defeat. Previously Ombudsman had taken out the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes here in June, while Calandagan put a Coronation Cup blip behind him by landing the Group 1 Grand Prix at Saint-Cloud. Making this a race to savour are Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner up BAY CITY ROLLER and Coral-Eclipse hero CONSTITUTION RIVER but I anticipate a ‘no shock’ outcome with OMBUDSMAN the pick.

Prediction: 1st OMBUDSMAN, 2nd Calandagan, 3rd Bay City Roller

Race 7 BALMORAL HANDICAP

No20 GAVRIEL
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Rab Havlin

GAVRIEL found himself on the wrong side of the track when starting favourite for the Cambridgeshire, but nevertheless put in a tremendous effort to finish fourth on only a fifth career start out of Clarehaven Stables. In the popular George Strawbridge silks the son of Frankel is strongly fancied to handle this drop back in trip, having squeaked in at the base of the weights on his return to a course where he impressed on his only visit on handicap debut last month. SCOVILLE came out of the wilderness to land some good bets at Doncaster and that form is working out. William Haggas could easily conjure further progression from this Martyn Arbib-owned gelding. His stablemate CROWN OF OAKS needs respecting with Danny Tudhope doing the steering while amongst the roughies the enigmatic MISTER WINSTON has to be considered, granted that Oisin Murphy has remained loyal to him.

Prediction: 1st GAVRIEL, 2nd Scoville, 3rd Mister Winston, 4th Crown Of Oaks