Time Lock and Bluestocking give owner-breeders Juddmonte a strong hand in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

Time Lock has made steady progress throughout the season for the training partnership of Harry and Roger Charlton and appears to have hit form at just the right time with Qipco Champions Day in mind judged on an impressive Group Three victory at Newmarket three weeks ago.

The Ralph Beckett-trained Bluestocking finished third in the Ribblesdale Stakes, second in the Irish Oaks and fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks earlier in the season, but was unable to make the most of having her sights lowered when touched off by Al Qareem in a Listed event at Chester last time out.

Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon admits testing conditions at Ascot will not be ideal for either filly, but feels both merit their place at Ascot.

“They’re two lovely fillies, the ground is an obvious concern I suppose for both of them, but they have both shown they can handle it on occasions,” he said.

“Time Lock ran well on Goodwood on heavy ground when she finished third in the Lillie Langtry and obviously Bluestocking was second in the Irish Oaks on soft ground, so they have run well on soft before, it just depends how testing it is.

“It’s the end of the season, it’s a lovely place to finish up and it’s nice to have both of them in it with a chance.”

Time Lock would be a popular winner for Derby-winning trainer Roger Charlton as he prepares to fully hand over the licence to his son Harry at the end of the season.

“She is in great form and is on the right path, growing in confidence with her success. It looks very competitive with a big field but she’s in as good form as any of the others at the moment,” said Charlton junior.

“It’s hard to be too confident as the conditions aren’t ideal. We’d be going with more confidence if they weren’t looking at so much rain, as good ground would have been ideal, but she handles soft.”

The likely favourite for the Group One contest is John and Thady Gosden’s Free Wind, one of five rides on the day for Frankie Dettori on what is set to be his final competitive appearance in Britain.

The five-year-old was well held in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe three weeks ago, but her narrow defeat at the hands of Warm Heart in the Yorkshire Oaks in August arguably sets the standard.

“Free Wind found the ground a bit lively in the Arc. Frankie looked after her and that’s one of the great things about him, he’s very quick at knowing when they aren’t enjoying it,” said John Gosden.

“He wrapped up on her with 400 metres or so to go and that’s why I can entertain running her again here – she seems in good form.”

Aidan O’Brien saddles Jackie Oh, who was narrowly denied an Arc weekend victory when touched off by Blue Rose Cen in the Prix de l’Opera.

The daughter of Galileo will be tackling a mile and a half for the first time this weekend, but O’Brien does not expect the longer distance to be a problem.

“We always felt a mile and a half was within her compass and ease in the ground will definitely be a help to her. She’s very genuine and we’re really looking forward to her,” he said.

Kyprios is all set for a clash of the staying Titans in the Long Distance Cup on Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Kyprios was the dominant force in the staying division last season, winning the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Irish St Leger before a 20-length romp in the Prix du Cadran.

He was beaten by Eldar Eldarov on his return from 11 months on the sidelines when defending his Irish Leger crown last month, but O’Brien expects him to strip much fitter for the run – which he will need to do against Alan King’s Trueshan, who has returned to his best of late and is seeking a remarkable fourth win in this race.

Assessing the comeback run of Kyprios, O’Brien said: “We were delighted with him, he was just barely ready to run at the Curragh and we think he’s made progress since then. He seems in very good form and we’re looking forward to seeing him out again.

“I couldn’t believe he made it back to any race really – I couldn’t believe the day he went out of the parade ring at the Curragh he was actually there.

“If everything goes well he would be a great horse to bring back for Ascot (Gold Cup) next year.”

High-profile stablemate Paddington bids to put the seal on a magnificent campaign in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

The Siyouni colt lit up the first half of the season, winning each of his first six races of 2023 including the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

He met with defeat for the first time this year when third behind Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International at York in August, but having since enjoyed a well-earned mid-season break, O’Brien is hopeful he can show his true colours on Champions Day.

“He’s obviously had an incredibly busy season and turned up in every big race he possibly could have. He’s an incredible horse really, so it was great for us to be able to give him the time and he really appreciated it, we think,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing.

“He loves racing and loves work. He’s an unusual horse in that when you build up his work, he starts putting on weight, that’s just the way he is. He loves hard work and he thrives on it.

“He was very impressive in all his races, he’s a good strong traveller and quickens very well and handles all types of ground. We’re looking forward to seeing him out again.”

Paddington was given the option of sticking to a mile and a quarter in the Qipco Champion Stakes, but O’Brien feels he is better suited to the shorter trip of the QEII.

He added: “He goes like a real miler, even though he’s won over a mile and a quarter. I think it was always going to be the QEII for him.”

Unless Paddington is considered for a trip to the Breeders’ Cup in California next month, Saturday could well be his swansong.

“I couldn’t see him staying in training as a four-year-old. He’s a very valuable horse and a very wanted horse at stud, I’d imagine,” O’Brien said.

Jackie Oh is a major contender for the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes after being touched off by Blue Rose Cen in the Prix de l’Opera three weeks ago, but her stablemate Point Lonsdale appears to have his work cut out in a red-hot renewal of the Qipco Champion Stakes.

O’Brien added: “We always thought Jackie Oh would stay further and she loves an ease in the ground – it was probably a little bit too quick for her the last day.

“She’d been working very well and progressing every week as the year went on and her last run was probably by far her best run.

“Point Lonsdale ran well in Leopardstown (in the Irish Champion Stakes), he was only beaten just under four lengths, so it was a good run.

“He’s in good form, obviously it’s a very competitive race. We’re hoping that he runs well.”

Rogue Millennium will return to the scene of her finest hour on Saturday when she makes her final outing for Tom Clover and owners The Rogues Gallery in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

The four-year-old has been a star performer for her trainer and ownership syndicate over the past two seasons having been purchased for the relatively inexpensive fee of 35,000 guineas in the autumn of 2021.

A consistent performer throughout her time in training with Clover, not only did she take connections to the Oaks after securing the handler’s first Listed success in Lingfield’s Oaks Trial, she also notched up a first Group winner for the trainer when prevailing in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier in the year.

That victory paved the way for Rogue Millennium to contest Group One events in her last three outings and with top-level black type secured when second to Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Tahiyra in the Matron Stakes, connections head to British Champions Day for a shot to nothing at the QEII before Rogue Millennium likely heads to the sales ring in December.

“She will most likely head to the Sceptre sale (held during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale) and it will very likely be her last run for ourselves and The Rogues Gallery,” said Clover.

“She was our first Listed winner, our first Group winner and our first Royal Ascot winner and she has a lot of black type now and has run some fantastic races across Europe. She has just taken us on some memorable journeys.

“For the Rogues and all the different members, it has just been a terrific journey and it has been fantastic to give syndicate owners such big days and go and compete in all these big races against the top connections.

“Win, lose or draw, she has been terrific servant for us but it would be lovely if she could shape up well. It would be a shame to bow out after a disappointing run at Longchamp last time.”

That below-par performance in Paris came when racing over 10 furlongs in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc day.

However, she now returns to the course and distance over which she thrived when successful at the Royal meeting, with the Kremlin House handler taking plenty of encouragement from her effort against Tahiyra at Leopardstown in September.

Clover added: “She has worked very well at home, but it can be very hard to tell if fillies are over the top or not at this time of year. In terms of her home work, she seems really well and she looks well.

“We sort of felt she is a course-and-distance winner and she handled very soft ground at Longchamp (earlier in the season) and I think if having an extra 100 yards or a furlong, you could argue she was closing down Tahiyra in the Matron.

“If she could reproduce that run it would put her in with a shout of being near, which would be incredible for her owners.”

Excitement is building among connections ahead of Sense Of Duty’s crack at the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Trained by William Haggas, the daughter of Showcasing racked up four victories on the spin before a setback kept her out of action for over 450 days.

Having looked a sprinter to follow prior to her absence, there was plenty of anticipation ahead of her belated return at Newbury last month.

Although only third when racing over a somewhat inadequate five furlongs on that occasion, the Sense Of Duty team were pleased to get a tune-up into the four-year-old ahead of her Champions Day target where opposition includes defending champion Kinross and Julie Camacho’s dual Group One scorer Shaquille.

“It’s a massive day on Saturday and we’re all very excited,” said Richard Brown, racing manager for owner St Albans Bloodstock.

“Andrew (Stone of St Albans) has most of his family and extended family going and we’re hugely looking forward to it.

“I thought she ran very well at Newbury over the minimum distance which would not have been to her liking, but William was very keen to get a run into her with this being the big aim.

“It looks like it is going to be very soft ground which I don’t think will stop her, I think she will like it and we’re excited but we’re also realistic. It will be a big ask.”

Ascot clerk of the course Chris Stickels feels it is “pretty likely” the races scheduled to be run on the round course at Ascot on Champions Day will take place on the inner track.

With Storm Babet set to batter the country in the coming days, the going is expected to turn testing.

Contingency plans are in place that allow officials to move the Long Distance Cup, Filly & Mares Stakes and the Champion Stakes to the inner hurdles track when situations like this arise, with switch last made in 2019.

“I walked it this afternoon with John Gosden at about 3pm when it had only just started raining and the current description is good to soft on the straight track and soft in places on the round course. We are describing the inner track as good, good to firm in places,” Stickels told Racing TV.

“If we have heavy ground on any part of the round course, we can move the round course races to the inner track and we have to decide that before 8am on Saturday.

“Looking at the forecast for Friday, I would say that is quite likely (for the races to move). I think the rain we will get overnight will turn us back to soft on the round course and maybe even if we get the top end, some heavy places on the round course.

“Thursday we might only get three to four millimetres, it is mainly a windy day but the forecast for Friday is a similar amount of rain as that we are due tonight again, so if we are not heavy in places by then, it would be highly likely to be by Friday.

“I think it would be pretty likely that we will end up on that inner track. If we can make a decision on that before 8am on Saturday that would be favourable, we’d like to make it Friday but we don’t want to be hasty and suggest that now before we have much rain.

“There is no ability to run the two races scheduled to be run over a mile and the sprint on the round course. There are no start positions and it isn’t wide enough to accommodate the scheduled 20 runners.

“It’s a shame we are a week later in the calendar this year and even today, John Gosden said if we were racing today the ground would have been perfect.”

Connections of Bay Bridge are unconcerned about conditions at Ascot ahead of the defence of his Qipco Champion Stakes crown on Saturday.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the five-year-old produced a career best to end the unbeaten run of Baaeed in the Group One feature last season and returns to British Champions Day looking for a repeat of that half-length victory which came in the hands of Richard Kingscote.

That success came on ground described as good to soft, but having also finished second at Royal Ascot on good to firm ground last year, Bay Bridge appears to have few going concerns ahead of a race which may be switched to the Berkshire venue’s inner track if forecast rain turns conditions heavy on the round course.

“If he can go back and defend his crown, that would be wonderful,” said John O’Connor of Ballylinch Stud, who own the horse in partnership with James Wigan.

“At the moment the intention is to run as far as I know, but all of those final decisions will come down to Sir Michael Stoute. All I know is he was happy with him when I last spoke to him and the intention is to go to Ascot on Saturday.

“He has good form on varying ground at Ascot. He’s run well there on summer ground as well and he was maybe a little bit unlucky when touched off in the Prince of Wales’s last year.

“I don’t know myself which track they will race on, but we will just turn up on whatever track we’re told to turn up on I guess.”

A proven performer at the highest level, Bay Bridge has been a regular in some of the hottest 10-furlong contests but made a brief foray up to a mile and a half for a crack at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The son of New Bay finished a creditable sixth behind Ace Impact in Europe’s richest middle-distance contest, with an urge to hold an early position taking its toll in the closing stages of that contest.

However, he is reported to have returned from the French capital in fine shape and now returns to his optimum distance for this Champions Day appearance.

“He appears to have come out of the Arc well and he ran very well there. For the moment we’re heading directly to Ascot, hopefully still in good form,” added O’Connor.

“In terms of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, he probably did a little too much too early. You obviously need to hold your position in a race with that many runners, but he probably did a little bit too much and it probably cost him a little bit in the straight. Nonetheless he ran a really good race.”

On returning to 10 furlongs, O’Connor said: “It looks like that (is his best distance) and his highest ratings are at that trip, so hopefully dropping him back will be beneficial to him.”

Migration will aim to land his second major handicap of the season off top weight when he runs in the Balmoral at Ascot on Champions Day.

Trained by David Menuisier, the seven-year-old won the Lincoln at Doncaster on the opening weekend of the season and is aiming to bookend his campaign in fine style.

He has only run once since, when failing to get involved in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown, but Menuisier hopes the return to testing ground and, more importantly, a big field will see him recapture his best.

“We gave him a break in the summer to try to run him in this race. We know he loves the big fields and it looks like he will have his ground, so we are looking forward to it,” said Menuisier.

“We know he can carry big weights and the hustle and bustle of the big handicaps suit him, so we’ve aimed at it.

“Look, off his weight I’m not saying he’s going to go and win, but I know he’ll give his best and we’ll see where he ends up. I’m not a statistician but I assume winning handicaps off 113 has not been done very often. Hopefully class rises to the top.”

It could be a big weekend for Menuisier who is sending Champagne Stakes second Sunway to France for a Group One, though whether he runs in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs or the Criterium International over a mile is not quite decided.

He said: “The plan is for Sunway to run I’m just not sure which race yet. I’ve left him in both races to have a look but sadly it looks as if all the other trainers did the same!

“It’s pretty much the same horses in both races. I think our preference is to run him over a mile but I have little doubt he would stay 10 furlongs.

“I’ll have a chat with the owner but at this stage we’re favouring the mile. His Doncaster run was good and the form, with Rosallion winning the Lagardere and Mountain Bear winning a black type race in Ireland, has worked out.”

Dermot Weld looks set to make a late call on the participation of his star filly Tahiyra in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

The daughter of Siyouni has won five of her six starts to date, her only defeat coming at the hands of Mawj when beaten by half a length in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.

Tahiyra has since impressed in winning the Irish Guineas, the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown and Weld is keen to pitch her in against the colts on Qipco Champions Day – but admits the prospect of running on testing conditions is a worry.

“It’s pretty clear the filly herself has progressed from each of her Group Ones wins, I’m delighted with her and we want to run – but I do have to put in the caveat that she’s shown excellent speed on fast ground,” the trainer told Sky Sports Racing.

“She’s also won on soft ground and she’s a very adaptable filly, but I do have to advise that if the ground came up very heavy, she’s not a big filly and it would cause concern.

“She’s a brilliant filly and she will handle soft ground well, but I’m concerned about the weather forecast for that part of England, especially Friday night into Saturday.

“She will definitely travel over, (but) she is racing against some of the best colts in Europe and that (ground) is a concern.”

Weld has trained a host of top-class fillies during the course of his long and illustrious career and believes Tahiyra matches up to any that have gone before her.

He added: “She’s right up there. Homeless Songs was a brilliant filly the year before when she won the Irish Guineas and Tahiyra’s half-sister Tarnawa won at the Breeders’ Cup for us.

“I don’t like comparing horses from year to year. On this year Tahiyra is a very brilliant filly.”

Should Tahiyra sidestep Ascot, she would have the option of travelling to America for the Breeders’ Cup, although Weld is refusing to look beyond the weekend at this stage.

He said: “We haven’t even discussed that because it would be wrong to do so. Let’s concentrate on Saturday and let’s hope to be there.

“Champions Day has always been a very good day for me. Fascinating Rock won the Champion Stakes, we won the fillies’ and mares’ race with Sapphire and the Long Distance Cup I’ve won a couple of times with Forgotten Rules and Rite Of Passage.

“Ascot itself as a track has been very good to me. I think I’ve trained 19 Group winners at the Royal meeting and my horses always run extremely well at Ascot.

“Tahiyra is in great form, I couldn’t be happier with the filly, her final piece of work was excellent and her graph has gone the right direction throughout the year.

“I’m just very positive of a big run for Saturday.”

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing are set to head into Saturday’s Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes with two chances of Ascot glory via Spycatcher and Believing.

Both are proven performers on soft ground, so there are no concerns about the rain that is forecast to fall in Berkshire this week.

Spycatcher claimed a Group Three victory at Deauville in July before going down by just a short-head to King Gold in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at elite level there the following month.

Karl Burke’s five-year-old gelding has since been a beaten favourite in the Park Stakes at Doncaster over seven furlongs but is expected to enjoy dropping back down in distance here.

“He’s had a wonderful season and I’ve spoken to Karl, who says he is in great form,” said Highclere’s managing director Harry Herbert.

“He loves this type of ground and a stiff six furlongs on soft going is very much his bag.

“It was unfortunate that he was denied a Group One win at Deauville, it really was just about who was in front on the line.

“Stepping up to seven furlongs last time didn’t work out, but Saturday should be ideal and hopefully he’ll be competitive.”

Believing has also secured a Group Three success this term, landing the Prix Texanita at Chantilly, as well as claiming Listed-class triumphs at Chelmsford and Pontefract.

The George Boughey-trained filly was last seen running a stormer at big odds in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, coming home less than a length behind Regional when finishing third of 16.

Herbert added: “Believing has done absolutely nothing wrong all year. She ran a terrific race at Haydock and again showed just how tough she is.

“To pick up a Group Three win in France and then be placed in a Group One is a real thrill.

“She’s a daughter of Mehmas and races like him; she just really puts her head down and has a tremendous attitude.

“You never know with a filly at this time of the year, but we’ll give it a go and hope she’s got one more big run in her.”

Oisin Murphy has been booked to partner Via Sistina after trainer George Boughey confirmed the Qipco Champion Stakes as the intended target for his star mare at Ascot on Saturday.

A brilliant winner of the Group Two Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket in the spring, the daughter of Fastnet Rock subsequently secured Group One glory in the Pretty Polly in Ireland and has since been placed in the Falmouth Stakes and beaten a nose in the Prix Jean Romanet in France.

Connections decided against contesting the Prix de l’Opera on Arc weekend due to the prevailing fast ground and have a choice of engagements this weekend, with Via Sistina also holding an entry in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over a mile and a half.

But with rain forecast to hit the Berkshire track, Boughey is planning on running his five-year-old against the boys on British Champions Day – and with regular rider Jamie Spencer in Australia to ride Simon and Ed Crisford’s West Wind Blows in the Caulfield Cup, three-time champion jockey Murphy has been called up.

Boughey said: “It (Champion Stakes) looks very much the plan at the moment. Ten furlongs I think is her optimum trip and it looks like the ground might be in her favour.

“The forecast for France looked like it was going to dry up ahead of the Prix de l’Opera and it certainly did. Steve and Becky Hillen (owners), and fair play to them, they wanted to wait for Ascot and thankfully the rain looks like it’s coming.

“There’s a chance the race may be held on the inner loop and there could be 50 per cent more runners in the fillies’ and mares’ race, so it could get messy. I think the Champion looks the right spot for her.

“The more time she has between her runs, the better she is as well. I still think her best performance of the year was on very soft ground at Newmarket, having had a long break through the winter.

“She’s very fit and very fresh and ready to rock and roll.”

Via Sistina is set to lead a small but select Boughey team into battle at Ascot, with Believing an intended runner in the Qipco British Champions Sprint and Baradar and Raadobarg both set to contest the concluding Balmoral Handicap.

Of the latter pair, Boughey added: “The trip is a bit of a question mark for Baradar – William (Buick) will need to be very patient on him, I think. He has a good record on the horse and knows him well.

“He won well the last day and he seems to have found another leg for the cheekpieces. We know he handles very soft ground, he won the International at Ascot earlier in the season and he comes here in as good a shape as I’ve had him all year, but it’s going to be a long final furlong for him, I’d say.

“Raadobarg takes his racing very well and seems to have come out of his run in the Darley Stakes the other day (finished third) in super shape.

“He deserves his place in the line-up. He’s a big price, but arguably he might be one of the classier horses in the race and we know he handles the ground.”

Mostahdaf’s connections will keep a close eye on conditions at Ascot before making a final call on his participation in Saturday’s Qipco Champion Stakes.

Winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York this season, John and Thady Gosden’s five-year-old is in line to return to Berkshire on Champions Day.

However, a forecast for heavy rain later in the week and the prosect of running on soft or even heavy ground is an obvious concern for a horse who has a proven preference for a fast surface.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owner-breeders Shadwell, said: “The forecast isn’t good obviously, but there’s no point making a fuss about it and we’ve got to take what we’re given.

“We’ll just keep an eye on it and I’ll speak to Sheikha Hissa and speak to John and see if we can come up with a decision between us.

“As we all know at this meeting, at this time of year, you can get very bad ground and when he raced on it in last year’s Arc he couldn’t handle that at all.

“There’s no point getting beat just for the sake of it, but at the same time we’re very keen to run and try to round off his season with another big win at Ascot.”

Connections do have a fallback option in the form of the Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 4, but they are not looking beyond Saturday at this stage.

“That was always the thing – the number one aim was Ascot and if because of the weather or whatever it didn’t come off, then we had the option of the Breeders’ Cup,” Gold added.

“We haven’t discussed it properly as we’ve always been hoping to go to Ascot.”

Charlie Fellowes is being encouraged by the Ascot weather forecast ahead of Vadream’s tilt at the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on Saturday.

Fellowes’ five-year-old, who is owned by Coventry City supremo Doug King, has twice run with credit at the end-of-season showpiece, finishing a respectable fifth in 2021 and then a place further back when sixth behind Kinross 12 months ago.

However, both of those appearances on British Champions Day came on good to soft ground and she is yet to encounter her preferred testing conditions at the meeting.

She was seen thriving with plenty of cut in the ground at the beginning of the current campaign when picking up both the Cammidge Trophy and Palace House Stakes and having tuned up for a third crack at this Group One prize with a pleasing effort in the recent Bengough Stakes, her handler is hoping the weather forecasters have got it right.

“We might be in business,” said Fellowes. “I’ve been keeping a close eye on the forecast and every time I look at it, more rain seems to be coming into it.

“It’s a Group One and a very good Group One as always. But as everyone knows, she is excellent when the ground gets horrible.

“This year she has put in three of her best ever runs and if she does what she did at Ascot (last time) and behaves the way she did before the race and is able to jump out and get a position close to the pace like she did there, then she will go there with as good a chance as she’s ever had because she loves that ground and there are not many horses who are as good as her on that ground.”

Another trip to the Breeders’ Cup is a possibility for Emaraarty Ana having returned to winning ways at Ascot on Saturday.

Kevin Ryan’s consistent speedster had been without a victory since tasting Group One glory in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup in the autumn of 2021, but with cheekpieces applied and showing plenty of zest from the gate, he produced a taking performance in the hands of Neil Callan to claim the Listed Rous Stakes in good style.

The seven-year-old finished fourth in his first crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in 2021 and upgraded that to second when finding just Brad Cox’s US sprint star Caravel half a length too good at Keeneland last year.

However, with confidence restored at Ascot, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned sprinter could now get the chance to make it third time lucky Stateside at Santa Anita on November 4.

“To be fair to him, although he didn’t win last year, he was second at the Breeders’ Cup and was second to Minzaal at Haydock,” explained Adam Ryan, assistant trainer to his father.

“I know people were sort of writing him off, but Neil jumped off him at York (after the Garrowby Stakes) and said he wasn’t far away from what we expect from him, just maybe in his old age he was getting a bit cute. The cheekpieces obviously did the trick.”

On the Breeders’ Cup, he added: “With a horse like him we will have to discuss things with connections and we have to take that into consideration. But he loves fast ground and showed a lot of natural speed – it looks like he’s getting a bit quicker so you would have to say that could be on the cards if everyone agrees.

“He’s dined at the top table for most of his career and we know he travels well. He ran a great race over there last year and there will be no question marks over him going, so we will have to just have a chat with connections and decide what the best plan of action is.”

Atrium registered the biggest success of his career as he prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Howden Challenge Cup at Ascot.

The stands side was the place to be in the ultra-competitive handicap – the most valuable race on the card – and both Charlie Fellowes’ winner and the in-form Popmaster emerged from the shadows of pacemakers Lethal Levi and Ancestral Land to engage in a titanic tussle in the closing stages.

Ed Walker’s Popmaster was attempting to add to a Listed win he notched up at Newbury last time, but he could not shrug off the Harry Davies-ridden, Highclere-owned Atrium, who got the nod in a photo finish after the two protagonists passed the winning post in unison.

The winner returned an official winning verdict of a nose as he landed an upset at 25-1 and Fellowes was thrilled to see the four-year-old back to his best.

He said: “He’s been a star of a horse and he’s won five or six times over the last couple of years, but has never really won a big one. He’s always won nice handicaps but never one of the big ones.

“He deserved to win a big one and I’m over the moon for the horse and I’m over the moon for the owners because there is no better place to win a big handicap than Ascot and he did it really well.

“He had a really, really hard race at Doncaster when he won about three starts ago. It was on really soft ground and he had a hard race and when he came back from that his enthusiasm for racing just wasn’t the same. He was coming out the stalls very slowly and half thinking about things.

“We did a few things at home to just try and spark him up again and rekindle some enthusiasm. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but when it does it is particularly satisfying and today he raced like a horse in love with racing. He jumped out the gates good and travelled as well as anything and he really fought against a really tough horse in Popmaster.”

Atrium holds an entry for the Balmoral Handicap on Qipco British Champions Day but a return to Ascot is not guaranteed, with Fellowes cautious of asking his charge to go into battle again with a big date in the sales ring looming.

“I do very much have in the back of mind how hard the Doncaster race hit him,” he added.

“He’s in the horses in training sale and I think if the owners were keeping him next year I would be more interested in running again. But he’s due to be sold and potentially it would be a silly move to go and run him again quickly two weeks later after he’s had a hard race and if he was to run poorly it may give potential buyers a question mark over him.

“We’ll see. I would love to run him if we were keeping him, but he’s going to go to the sales and there is a decision to be made.”

Annaf continued his fine season when edging out Commanche Falls in a thrilling finish to the John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes at Ascot.

Mick Appleby’s four-year-old has been a consistent player on the sprinting scene this season, finishing third at this track in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He gained a deserved success when dropped into handicap company for the Portland at Doncaster last month and quickly added his tally when returned to Group company in this Group Three assignment.

Ridden again by Rossa Ryan, the 5-2 favourite was expertly manoeuvred into a position to challenge and stuck on resolutely in the closing stages to hunt down Michael Dods’ in-form Commanche Falls and win by short head.