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Ascot round-up: Powerful Glory pulls off 200-1 shock in British Champions Sprint Stakes

Updated / Saturday, 18 Oct 2025 15:41
Powerful Glory became the biggest-priced winner in Group One history at Ascot
Powerful Glory became the biggest-priced winner in Group One history at Ascot

Powerful Glory stunned the field at Ascot with an astonishing 200-1 victory in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Richard Fahey's three-year-old was ridden by Jamie Spencer and completely overlooked in the market with as much as 20lb to find on the ratings with his rivals in the Group One.

Lazzat was the 2-1 favourite and looked to be charging for home under James Doyle, but Powerful Glory was making up a huge amount of ground behind him and got his head in front on the line to become the longest-priced Group One winner in Britain since the current grading system was established.

Quinault, who was a 66-1 shot, came home third.

Fahey said: "This is special, I thought Jamie would suit him well, just to get him switched off and relaxed and I always felt he was going to get there.

"To be fair this was the plan all year, genuinely. We had a blip halfway through when we had to stop with him and then of course we were running out of races but this is fantastic.

"I'm delighted for Richard Brown (Wathnan Racing adviser), he bought him, he’s bought my last couple of Group One winners and he’s doing a good job at keeping me going. Sheikh Rashid (Dalmook al Maktoum) has also been good to us but we haven’t had a great season for him this year, so this will help. Everybody is happy.

"He genuinely had excuses for his two starts this year and we’ve seen the real Powerful Glory today."

Kalpana successfully defended her Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes title with a neat victory for Andrew Balding.

A two-length winner last year, she was the 11-8 favourite to retain the trophy under Colin Keane in a field of 10 despite finishing only seventh in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last time out.

She raced prominently and was always handily placed on an inside line, eventually pushing clear on the turn for home and prevailing comfortably by two and a half lengths from Estrange, with Quisisana a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

"Things haven't quite gone how we wanted to this season, but that was a pretty good performance," said Balding.

"I think there was a bit of pressure on today and it was a bit of a risk running her back quickly after the Arc, but maybe we’ve underdone her all year and she just seems to thrive on it.

"We had the full support of the Juddmonte team to come here today and when they are right behind you, which they invariably are, it makes life a lot easier.

"We thought she had an outstanding chance today and I thought Colin had her in the perfect position throughout and there were few anxious moments. I would say she was probably better than she was in the race last year and it was a strong performance."

On the future, Balding added: "I’m not sure, anything is possible, but it will not be my decision.

"Of course I would love to keep her but there’s more things at play than me and Kalpana and she fits into a bigger jigsaw puzzle.

"This is a really good way for her to finish her season."

Trawlerman reiterated his dominance of the staying division when leading home a one-two for John and Thady Gosden in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.

The Godolphin-owned bay was the 5-6 favourite under William Buick and was patiently ridden around the two-mile trip before being sent for home as the field turned the final bend.

Stablemate Sweet William went with him and was closing all the while under Robert Havlin, but he could not close the gap and it was the favourite who prevailed by a length and a half with Al Qareem back in third, beaten 12 lengths.

John Gosden said: "They are two lovely horses – one seven, one six (years old) – great staying horses and they are part of the family at home.

"He led the other day in the Lonsdale at York. When the others want to take a pull and a breather, that's when he says 'no, we're going two miles and a proper gallop’ and as soon as that happens William takes it up.

"As soon as they came into the straight, he probably idled a bit but the other horse was running him down so it was a great performance from both."

Mission Central bounced back from a disappointing run last time out to win the inaugural running of the Qipco British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes.

Having won two in a row earlier in the season, Aidan O'Brien dropped him down to five furlongs for the Flying Childers at Doncaster.

Taken off his feet there, he stepped back up to six furlongs for this and he had the race won from a long way out.

Christophe Soumillon sent him clear with well over a furlong to run and while he idled close home, the 5-1 chance held off the fast-finishing Ardisia by half a length with 11-10 favourite Words Of Truth back in third.

Mission Central is now a 5-1 shot with Coral for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, with O’Brien confirming Del Mar as the next port of call.

O’Brien said: "He’s a horse with a lot of ability and he was coming here on the way to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

"He ran at Doncaster last time and the ground was a bit slow for him, but he loved that nice ground out there today and Christophe gave him a lovely ride."

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