Champions' Day 2013 Preview

Dexter's Fab - Jack Dexter is a major player in the Sprint on Champions' Day

This Saturday is British Champions’ Day at Ascot as the 2013 flat turf season draws to a close.

Twelve months on from the mighty Frankel’s last race the card doesn’t have quite the same excitement around it as a year ago but an incredible day’s racing still looks in prospect in spite of a potential mud bath.

Rather than focus on just the one race in great detail here, given the strength in depth on the card, it seemed right to offer a more succinct take on each of the Group races on the card and to try and pick out my idea of the winner or a horse that offers some each-way value.

The card will begin at 1.45pm with the stayers in the Long Distance Cup (Group 3) and the focal point of the race will rightly be the Queen’s Gold Cup heroine Estimate (9/4).

I tried to get her beat at Royal Ascot and looked a fool for it so I won’t be doing that again here. She looks far and away the most likely winner with the best form to her name, previous course and distance wins in her locker and form on soft ground.

Temple Stakes 2013 Preview

Reck-ing Crew - Unbeaten Reckless Abandon returns in Saturday's Temple Stakes

The big Saturday races keep on coming now for the foreseeable future and with Group racing on both sides of the Irish Sea this Saturday we look set for another fantastic weekend of equine action.

It is domestically that we stay for this preview though, and the 5f contest that is the Temple Stakes at Haydock, part of the British Champions Series.

Won impressively last year by Bated Breath and one for the real speed merchants out there this year’s renewal has a couple of interesting angles to it but doesn’t exactly look a vintage running.

That said I’m particularly excited for this year’s Temple Stakes as it looks set to be the three-year-old debut of one of my favourite juveniles from last season Reckless Abandon.