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and under the banner of our Club 26. You only had to look at them on the racecourse to see they were having the time of their lives. They are really soaking up the Ascot atmosphere. It’ s fantastic and shows there is a new audience for horse racing, and nothing demonstrates it as clearly as Champions Day.” There was plenty to inspire this young audience. For the first time, Ascot hosted the Qatar Racing Pony Racing Championship, run less than an hour before the first race. The budding young jockeys then formed a guard of honour to welcome Britain’ s new Champion Jockey, Billy Loughnane. At just 20,“ Billy The Kid” is the youngest jockey to win the title in more than a century. He is smiling and relaxed, yet blessed with huge natural talent and a rare work ethic. Billy Loughnane rode 159 winners during the season, including the Betfred 2,000 Guineas, the St James’ s Palace Stakes and the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes on Bow Echo( Night Of Thunder) for his boss and mentor George Boughey. The young trainer has in fact completed a“ treble”, as he is also the“ boss” of the Callan brothers: Jack, 19, Champion Apprentice, and Henry, 17, Champion Amateur. The future looks bright!
THE BIG NAMES TURN OUT But the“ old guard” is not ready to lay down its arms just yet. Three-time champion jockey Ryan Moore no longer chases titles, only Group 1s, and he has won more than 230 of them around the world. The top jockey was inducted into the British Champions Series Hall of Fame on the day at Ascot. He prefers to do his talking in the saddle, though, and he duly showed his talent on the track, winning the Qatar Racing British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes on Minnie Hauk( Frankel) for his boss Aidan O’ Brien. It was an important success for the master of Ballydoyle, who is battling for another Champion Trainer title in Britain against Andrew Balding. Balding had sprung a surprise earlier in the afternoon with Mount Atlas( Masar), a 33 / 1 winner of the Qatar Racing British Champions Long Distance Cup. The trainers’ title is decided on 31 December, and the battle is not over yet. The Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint Stakes went to the speedy Almeraq( Dark Angel) for the William Haggas – Tom Marquand partnership. The Shadwell colt ended his career in style with a third success at the highest level and will begin his stud career next year. Godolphin was crowned Champion Owner for the 18 th time this season, and the royal blue silks shone three times on the day, including two Group 1 victories. In the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Talk Of New York( Wootton Bassett) opened his account at that level, to the delight of William Buick:“ He’ s a star. He took time to learn his job, but now he’ s got it all worked out. It’ s great to see him fulfill- ing all his potential. This day is fantastic. It’ s hard to win here, so you have to enjoy it!” For his trainer, Charlie Appleby, Talk Of New York’ s next big date is already set: the 2027 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Belmont Park, New York! The Qatar Racing British Champion Stakes truly lived up to its name, and even newcomers to the sport must have enjoyed the spectacle in this 2,000-metre contest, which pitted Ombudsman( Night Of Thunder) against the defending champion Calandagan( Gleneagles). This year, Godolphin’ s magnificent 5-year-old showed all his power and class. He quickened when the French gelding came to his hip and won by more than three lengths. It was a fifth Group 1 for the son of Night Of Thunder, and William Buick was still savouring the moment to the applause of the crowd:“ He’ s an incredible horse. Today I wanted to make our own luck, and he showed his versatility. He showed all his quality. There are lots of young people here today, the stands are packed, the atmosphere is brilliant, and that’ s what top-level, highly competitive racing is all about.”
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