Ascot ground eased for British Champions Day card following rain overnight

The ground at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day was eased to soft all over on Saturday morning following 4.5mm of rain overnight.

Although more rain is forecast throughout the morning, track conditions, which had been soft, good to soft in places following a dry day on Friday, are not expected to ease further.

Speaking just after 8.30am, clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "We've had five millimetres of rain in total and it's still raining now. The ground is soft on both the inner Flat and the straight track.

"The rain is due to clear by late morning, and it could only last another hour, and providing the forecast is accurate, I'd imagine we'll start on soft ground."

The star-studded meeting, which includes four Group 1 contests, is being partially held on the inner Flat track after Ascot was forced to switch three races from the round course on Thursday due to heavy going.

GoingStick readings were updated on Saturday morning to 6.4 (from 6.3) on the straight track and 6.6 (from 6.8) on the inner course.

The Long Distance Cup (1.20), Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.35) and Economics' clash with Calandagan in the Champion Stakes (3.55) are the races to have been switched to the inner course, in accordance with the meeting's race conditions.

The Champions Sprint (1.55), Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (3.15) – in which Sirona is a non-runner – and Balmoral Handicap (4.35) will be held on the straight track.

Market movers: Champion Stakes favourite Calandagan on the drift

The key market positives have been Al Nayyir, 11-2 (from 13-2) for the Long Distance Cup (1.20), and Facteur Cheval, 6-1 (from 7) for the QEII (3.15), while Calandagan has been eased to 13-8 (from 11-8) for the Champions Stakes by Paddy Power.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: "French raider Facteur Cheval is proving relatively popular in the QEII, while compatriot Calandagan has eased slightly in the Champion, but has been popular all week long. It will take quite a lot of support for Economics [2-1 generally] to usurp him at the front of the market."

Market movers

1.20 Trawlerman and Al Nayyir both 5-1 (from 11-2)
1.55 Kind Of Blue 15-2 (from 8)
2.35 Quantanamera 7-1 (from 8)
3.15 Tamfana 10-3 (from 3), Facteur Cheval 6-1 (from 13-2)
3.55 Calandagan 13-8 (from 11-8), Los Angeles 7-1 (from 13-2), Nashwa 33-1 (from 50)
4.35 Bopedro 10-1 (from 11)

Key non-runners

3.15 12 Sirona (vet's certificate)

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