The Champions Day Card at Ascot has often been blighted by unseasonably wet weather and heavy or very soft Going which has affected the spectacle and indeed in the eyes of many the point of the exercise to find "the champion" at various distances and Class of race.

 

The Going today is perfect, just on the soft side of Good, with a dry and quiet day forecast. No summer firm ground bone rattler could expect that Going in October but equally it won't be a day for the out and out hock deep mudlarks, so hopefully we'll see some cracking racing.

 

The probability that the top end of the market will prevail in these conditions is more likely though than some of the bigger priced shocks of recent seasons.

 

After a very poor week that has followed a very good run of consistent form lets try to get back on an upward trajectory.

 

In the chair today and back in the saddle more in the coming weeks, after a long break, is Ian with his Placespotter hat on