Balding clear of O’Brien heading into Champions Day

The title market has O’Brien at 1-2 from 1-4, and Balding at 6-4 from 11-4.

Balding clear of O’Brien heading into Champions Day
Andrew Balding’s late push for a first Flat trainers’ championship has taken him further clear of Aidan O’Brien, with Champions Day at Ascot next Saturday still to come.
He was about £700,000 behind the defending champion at the end of August. Blue Bolt’s win in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last weekend put him in front for the first time. An across-the-cards double on Friday added to the lead. Never So Brave beat stable companion Flora Of Bermuda in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes, worth £129,000 to the winner, and Nakila Sun made all in the British EBF Final at York, worth £51,000.
O’Brien then had to settle for second in the Fillies’ Mile. Haven was caught inside the last furlong by the odds-on favourite Musical Times. Balding’s Forbidden Fire and Scommessa Sicura finished third and fifth.

O’Brien has 46 entries in Britain at present, and more than a dozen of them are for Champions Day. Among the names are True Love, Scandinavia, Gstaad, Hawk Mountain, Minnie Hauk, Pierre Bonnard, Isaac Newton, Precise, Constitution River, Benvenuto Cellini, Action, Amelia Earhart, Queenstown, Mission Central, Brussels, Moments Of Joy, Haffner, Drumbeat, Noble Exhibit, Wall Street and even Diamond Necklace
Jan Brueghel was 6-4 for the Long Distance Cup and was O’Brien’s only favourite on the card, but has been ruled out due to a knee infection.

Constitution River, winner of the French Derby and the Eclipse, is 4-1 for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and about 10-1 for the Champion Stakes. Gstaad, the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, is also quoted for both of the biggest races.