British Champions Day at Ascot featured four Group I events with Verry Elleegant again failing to figure, while previously unbeaten Baaeed finished out of the placings at his last start - so who were the winners?
The Group I British Champion Stakes (1m2f) was chosen as the signing off race for Sea the Stars stallion Baaeed in preference to the Arc with the William Haggas trained Shadwell homebred shooting for his 11th straight win.
He will however be going to stud with one imperfection in his otherwise perfect formline, unable to catch the first three to finish in fourth place with the win going to Bay Bridge at 10-1 trained by Sir Michael Stoute.
“It was a very brave performance. The staff have done a great job with this horse. Bay Bridge came back from Sandown with a knock and we had to back off him but he was in very good form coming here. I thought the favourite was unbeatable but I thought we had a great chance of being second. He's in terrific shape. He's got a great mind and is an easy horse to train,” said Sir Michael Stoute.
It was the first Group I for the four year-old New Bay stallion, who has won six of 10 starts.
“That's it for the year and we haven't even discussed next year for him. It was very exciting and wonderful to watch. He was always going easily and he fought very bravely. It was a great training performance to bring him back,” said James Wigan, owner-breeder.
Bay Bridge is the best of two winners from Hayyona, a half-sister by Danehill stallion Multiplex to Group II winner Shimraan.
He was one of two Group I winners on the day for Dubawi stallion New Bay, the Champion French 3YO in 2015.
The Group I Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1m) also produced a new Group I winner for New Bay with victory going to Bayside Boy at 33-1.
A progressive three year-old colt that was twice Group I placed at two, the Roger Varian trained Bayside Boy scored by more than a length over Godolphin’s French classic winner Modern Games.
Purchased for 200,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, Bayside Boy is a half-brother to Group II winner Forest Ranger and is the best of six winners from stakes-winning Anabaa mare Alava.
With four wins and three placings from 10 starts, Bayside Boy runs for Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud , who also share in the ownership of Bay Bridge.
Bay Bridge and Bayside Boy are the second and third Group I winners for New Bay, who stands at Ballylinch Stud at a fee of 37,500 euros and his oldest progeny are four year-olds.
The Group I British Champions Fillies and Mares (1m4f) produced no fairytale for Verry Elleegant, who finished ninth with the win going to quality three year-old filly Emily Upjohn.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, the daughter of Sea the Stars bolted in to win by three lengths as favourite.
Bought for just 60,000 guineas by Blandford Bloodstock at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book Two, Emily Upjohn is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Champion 3YO and Epsom and Irish Derby winner Harzand.
With four wins and a second from six starts, Emily Upjohn is the 19th Group I winner for Sea the Stars and is his fourth this year.
The Group I British Champions Sprint (6f) was also won by the favourite with five year-old Kingman gelding Kinross making it back to back Group I wins scoring by two and a half lengths following on from his last start win at Longchamp in the Prix de la Foret.
Trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Frankie Dettori, he has eight wins from 21 starts.
