Ground should suit Magical in Champion Stakes

Although Saturday’s Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot in England is open to all runners 3 and older, fillies and mares appear poised to dominate the prestigious 1 1/4-mile grass race.

Five of the nine entrants are fillies or mares, including four of the five betting favorites. Leading the charge is #6 Magical, a 4-year-old daughter of Galileo who looms as the horse to beat for top trainer Aidan O’Brien.

By every metric Magical stands out in the Champion Stakes. The runner-up in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), Magical is a top-level group 1 competitor and has already defeated males twice in group 1 races this season, including the 1 1/4-mile Irish Champion Stakes (G1). Last time out she finished fifth against a top-class field in the 1 1/2-mile Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1), the most coveted race in Europe.

Just as importantly Magical has no trouble handling soft ground. Heavy rains at Ascot have forced course officials to transfer the Champion Stakes from the waterlogged “heavy” round course to the inner hurdles course, which is rated “good to soft, soft in places.”

Similarly soft conditions prevailed at Ascot last October, when Magical proved a comfortable winner of the 1 1/2-mile British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (G1). Her proven ability to handle 1 1/2 miles should ensure her stamina doesn’t betray her at 1 1/4 miles (arguably her best distance) in the Champion Stakes. If she wins as expected, a return trip to North America for the November 2 Breeders’ Cup Turf could be in the cards.

#1 Addeybb is considered Magical’s most formidable opponent, in large part because the 5-year-old son of Pivotal loves heavy ground. But from a class perspective, he has come up short in his runs against group 1 company, and the switch to the dryer hurdles course takes away the advantage he would have gained over heavy ground.

#3 Coronet—the runner-up behind Magical in the 2018 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes—is in peak form, with two group 1 wins this season, and might be a greater danger for the formidable team of jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer John Gosden. Her triumph against males in the June 30 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) came over good-to-soft ground, and on August 18 she prevailed over heavy going in the 1 1/4-mile Darley Prix Jean Romanet (G1).

The ground could be problematic for Japanese hopeful #4 Deirdre (who needs a dry course to excel) and #2 Regal Reality (whose efforts on fast ground include a third behind superstar Enable in the group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes).

Let’s key Magical on top in the exacta and trifecta, while emphasizing Coronet underneath.

$10 exacta: 6 with 3 $5 trifecta: 6 with 1,3 with 1,3 ($10) $3 trifecta: 6 with 3 with 5,7 ($6) $2 trifecta: 6 with 5,7 with 3 ($4)

Good luck!