WHAT a bonus it was to have British Champions Day run on decent flat racing ground this year. So often we’re left to ponder what horses might cope best with testing ground on Ascot’s flat finale card, rather than which runner has the most ability, but a sound surface played a big role in making the meeting thoroughly enjoyable from a form perspective.

Frequently an afternoon of shocks, this time the results appeared far more orthodox too. Ombudsman laid down the law in the main event, Talk Of New York stuck his hand up to be considered the front runner in the mile division for 2027 and Almeraq virtually cemented his European champion sprinter status with a powerful finishing effort. Wins for Minnie Hauk and Night In Vegas came at single-figure prices too, with the only absolute boilover of the day coming in the Long Distance Cup, as Mount Atlas edged out Queenstown for a 33/1 upset. It all stacked up nicely for the most part.