Champions Day: get the latest news on a string of stars

William Haggas has revealed Economics could return to action in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Last season’s brilliant Dante and Irish Champion Stakes hero has not yet made it to the track this year, with Haggas saying last month that his charge could be readied for a winter campaign in the Middle East.

However, speaking at Yarmouth on Wednesday, the Newmarket handler offered hope that the four-year-old could yet be ready to make his comeback in a race in which he finished a disappointing sixth last term.

Haggas told Sky Sports Racing: “Economics is in work now. It’s possible (he could run this season), but he needs a good run now.

“It (Champion Stakes) is possible, I haven’t ruled it out at all.”

Field Of Gold is expected to step up his work in the coming days as he closes in on a planned return to action in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

John and Thady Gosden’s grey was brilliant in winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and returned lame after suffering a shock defeat on his most recent appearance in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in late July.

Having been given time to recover, the son of Kingman is back on the go and connections are optimistic he will be ready to take up his engagement on Qipco British Champions Day, ground permitting.

Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: “He’s on track for Ascot. We obviously had to give him a break after Goodwood, which wasn’t our intention but we had to give him a break because he was lame.

“I think he’s due to start faster work towards the weekend or early next week. I don’t know if we want heavy ground, so that will be a hurdle we’ll have to jump nearer the time when we see what the ground conditions are, but we’re very much on track and looking forward to seeing him back.”

Cicero’s Gift set up a possible tilt at the QEII with his win in the Sporting Times Sri Lanka Fortune Stakes at Sandown on Wednesday.

Charlie Hills’ five-year-old last tasted victory in the track’s Coral Challenge in July 2024, but was sent off the 6-4 favourite for the Listed feature on the back of some useful performances this term, including when second in the Prix Quincey at Deauville.

Roger Varian’s Bayside Boy won this in 2022 before marching on to scoop top honours on British Champions Day at Ascot and Hills is hoping to follow that route with Cicero’s Gift.

“It was tough in the conditions and they went very hard, so I’m delighted with how he saw it out really,” Hills told Racing TV. “We’ve been very patient with him and this summer has been frustrating, having to wait through all those dry months earlier in the season.

“But we’ve always had the QEII in the back of our minds as it can often be heavy or soft and this is perfect timing ahead of that race.

Lazzat will return to the scene of his finest hour when he spearheads a three-strong Wathnan Racing assault on the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Jerome Reynier’s flying four-year-old was a headline buy for the Qatari operation prior to Royal Ascot where he excelled over the Champions Day course and distance when edging out Japanese raider Satono Reve in a titanic tussle at the conclusion of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

He has been a beaten favourite in both the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Haydock’s Sprint Cup since, but connections are confident a spell back home in the warmer climes of Reynier’s Marseille base coupled with a return to Ascot could reap rewards on October 18.

“I’ve spoken with Jerome and we’re going to freshen Lazzat up and go straight for the Champions Day sprint at Ascot,” said Richard Brown, Wathnan’s racing adviser.

“He was of course a little bit disappointing at Haydock and I would say that he potentially had a very hard race at Royal Ascot and sometimes when they put in such a huge effort like he did at Ascot it can take a little while to recover and maybe that is still showing on him

“We all know he’s better than what we saw at Haydock and in the Maurice de Gheest and albeit he didn’t run a bad race either time, it certainly wasn’t at the level he showed at Ascot.

“He’s back at home in Marseille now, where I think he is potentially happier than he was in Deauville.

“The stiff six furlongs at Ascot is absolutely perfect for him. It’s a fast, flat six at Haydock and perhaps he wasn’t able to go that early pace like he did when winning at Royal Ascot, so we’ll go back to where the best run of his career is and hopefully that will return him to winning ways.”

Lazzat was only fifth on Merseyside this month, as Mick Appleby’s Big Mojo took home the spoils. But Wathnan did fill the podium spots on that occasion thanks to the resurgent Kind Of Blue (second) and ever-consistent Flora Of Bermuda (third) .

It was Flora Of Bermuda’s third placed effort in four Group-level outings this term and the Andrew Balding-trained filly will join Lazzat be on the team sheet for Ascot, as will James Fanshawe’s defending champion Kind Of Blue, who could be hitting his straps at just the right moment to defend the crown he wore 12 months ago.

“We’ll go three-strong like we did at Haydock and try again,” continued Brown.

“Flora Of Bermuda is such a legend and deserves to win one of these, she’s such a tough filly. She will go straight there, as will Kind Of Blue who is again just coming to himself.

“James’ horses are in fantastic form now. Kind Of Blue has taken his time to come to himself this season, but hopefully he is peaking at the right time to take a good shot at retaining his crown.

“I thought he ran a great race at Haydock and it was his best run this year. The stiff six at Ascot really suits him and hopefully he’s back near his best.”

Haggas also issued an upbeat report on another sidelined stable star in Montassib.

A Group One winner in the Sprint Cup at Haydock 12 months ago, he too has not been seen in competitive action since Champions Day last year, but is poised to return in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury on Saturday.

“Montassib worked this morning and I hope he’s all right tonight,” Haggas added.

“He’s going to run at Newbury on Saturday in a five-furlong race, which is too short for him, and then go for the Champions Sprint.

“There’s the Bengough Stakes at Ascot on October 5, but that’s too close to Champions Day, so I need to give him the time to recover and then get him ready for Champions Day, so he’ll run on Saturday and he’ll run all right too.”