Looking back at 2022 British Champions Day

With the 2023 QIPCO British Champions Day underway next week, we look back at what happened last year.

Excitement and anticipation are building ahead of the 2023 QIPCO British Champions Day, which is set to finally get underway on Saturday, 21st October 2023. Each year sees some enthralling racing take place at the iconic Ascot, and we expect this year to be no different.

Before the British Champions Day makes its long-awaited return, we thought that we would look back at the most recent Champions Day in 2022 and re-cap all of the exciting racing that took place over the course of a fantastic day. As ever, six races took place, from the British Champions Long Distance Cup to the Balmoral Handicap, which concluded the action for the day.

All seven races are as follows:

• 13:25 – British Champions Long Distance Cup.
• 14:00 – British Champions Sprint Stakes.
• 14:40 – British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes.
• 15:20 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
• 16:00 – Champion Stakes.
• 16:40 – Balmoral Handicap.

Action at the 2022 QIPCO British Champions Day got underway with the British Champions Long Distance Cup. In a tight and competitive race, Coltrane and Trueshan, the leaders, fought closely for the lead. Ultimately, Trueshan emerged victorious to become the first horse to win three times on QIPCO British Champions Day. Coltrane had to settle for second place, whilst Trawlerman rounded off the top three.

Then, at 2 o’clock, the latest Sprint Stakes began, and Kinross was seen by many as the most likely winner of the race following some excellent form. Kinross, trained by Ralph Beckett, lived up to the favourites tag and won by two and a quarter lengths in the end. Frankie Dettori was the jockey and is set to participate in his final Champions Day in 2023.

After some time away, Emily Upjohn returned to action in the Fillies and Mares Stakes. It was a comfortable victory in the end, with Emily Upjohn leading by no less than three lengths at the finish line. It was a wide-open contest initially, but it was a dominant win in the end. Thunder Kiss and Insinuendo came second and third place, respectively.

Tom Marquand put in an outstanding performance on board Bayside Boy in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2022. After a quiet start, Bayside Boy got into gear after two furlongs and never looked back to win the race by a margin of a length and a quarter, ahead of Modern Games in second and Jadoomi in third.

The penultimate race of the day was the highly anticipated Champion Stakes. Baaeed held an unbeaten career record going into this race, but this was lost thanks to Bay Bridge, who won the race in the end. In the end, Baaeed had to settle for fourth spot. After Bay Bridge, Adayar and My Prospero came second and third.

This was a maiden QIPCO British Champions Day win for Bay Bridge’s trainer, Sir Michael Stoute and Bay Bridge’s jockey, Richard Kingscote.

Action on the most recent British Champions Day in 2022 ended with a surprise winner of the Balmoral Handicap. Whilst not the favourite, Shelir won the race after making a late bid for glory to win by a length and a half. This was David O’Meara’s third winner of the Balmoral Handicap. Sweet Believer and Tacarib Bay filled the final two spots in the race’s top three.

The 2022 QIPCO British Champions Day was brilliant, and all eyes will be on Ascot next week when the 2023 edition of this prestigious event finally gets underway.

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