TRAINER Aidan O'Brien described Magical as "the ultimate racehorse" as the four-year-old filly ridden by his son Donnacha, won the £1,358,750 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot last Saturday, writes Dave Wright.
Just 13 days on from a fifth-placed effort in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, even-money favourite Magical, living up to her name, travelled powerfully throughout the 10-furlong contest and ran on strongly to score by three-quarters-of-a-length, defeating the staying-on Addeybb (5/1).
This was Magical's fourth Group One victory and took her career earnings over £3.36 million.
Donnacha commented: "She's such a tough filly and so full of talent, which is why she can run so well after a hard race in France two weeks ago."
The O'Briens were completing a double, having earlier taken the British Champions Long Distance Cup on Kew Gardens. The 7/2 chance produced a tremendous performance to dethrone racing's superstar stayer Stradivarius, the 8/13 favourite, in a thrilling race which carried prize money of £450,000.
Kew Gardens rallied gamely in the closing stages to deny Stradivarius and Frankie Dettori an 11th victory in succession.
The pair were separated by just a nose at the line and the winner could take on Stradivarius once again in next year's Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
"Kew Gardens is an incredible horse and it was a great performance," said the trainer.
Dettori did not have long to wait for the 250th Group One winner of his career, getting the John Gosden-trained Star Catcher (7/4fav) home by a short head from in a great battle with Delphinia, trained by O'Brien and ridden by Seamie Heffernan, in the £550,000 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Tears were shed after Donjuan Triumphant had landed the £583,130 British Champions Sprint Stakes.
It was a first Group One winner for the six-year-old's owners, King Power Racing Co Ltd, and came almost exactly a year after King Power's chairman and CEO, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, was killed in a helicopter crash at Leicester City's football ground.
Trainer Andrew Balding said: "He was the first horse the chairman ever bought, the first horse we had for him, and he would have been so proud of him right now. I am just so thrilled for the horse."
Winning jockey Silvestre De Sousa said: "I wish the chairman could be here; he loved Ascot and having winners here."
King Of Change, showing a smart turn of foot, won the £1,100,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Sean Levey, the 12/1 chance, the three-year-old colt beating prolific French winner The Revenant by a length-and-a-quarter.
Sporting the silks of a dartboard, Adam Kirby steered 16/1 shot Escobar to victory the Balmoral Handicap, the concluding race on QIPCO British Champions Day which attracted a crowd of just over 29,000.
David O'Meara's five-year-old had finished second in the race last year.
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