6f Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+)
The depth of the sprinting division has been questionable all season and with Shaquille out of proceedings the Champion Sprint looks fairly wide-open to me.
Kinross could be the best chance of a winner on the day for Frankie Dettori, who may not quite be signing off his last meeting at Ascot as expected. Nevertheless, Kinross has been in great form again this season, but he hasn’t been unbeatable and was found out in the Prix De La Foret on Arc weekend when beaten by a 25/1 shot.
SANDRINE is one of the few horses in the line-up that can actually boast a victory against Kinross and the Andrew Balding filly has looked better than ever in recent weeks, bouncing back to form with the re-application of a visor and on soft ground.
Sandrine is yet to claim a Group 1 win, but she is a Royal Ascot winner over 6f and has claimed plenty of success at Group 2 level. She looks to be coming into this in great form and she should be fresher than most for what could be a stamina-stretching 6f. Her wins over 7f and her strength at the end of her races gives me great confidence that she should be bang there and I think she looks overpriced at 12/1 as a result.
The other filly I like is SENSE OF DUTY for William Haggas, who could still be anything having only had 6 career starts. Her win at the end of her three-year-old campaign to destroy the now highly rated Annaf was visually impressive and she must of needed her first run of the season a few weeks ago off a huge break.
Sense Of Duty has a pedigree closely related with a miler and sees out her 6f races very well, she looks like she will have no issue with these ground conditions either which all supports her claims that she will see this trip out well. Therefore 12/1 also looks like it could be a nice price for her given her potential and I am keen to have her on side as she could be a top-class sprinting filly next year and beyond.
1pt win Sense Of Duty @12/1, 13:50 Ascot, Saturday
1pt win Sandrine @12/1, 13:50 Ascot, Saturday