Horse racing tips: Champions Day picks from Dave Nevison
By Dave Nevison
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Our pundit and resident website tipster Dave Nevison - fresh from 11-1 and 6-1 winners in recent days - nominates his big-priced fancy in the QIPCO Champion Stakes among his tips for Saturday's action. Enjoy every moment from Champions Day at Ascot as well as Leopardstown, Limerick and Catterick live on Racing TV.
We have a terrific weekend in store and hopefully Storm Benet will have done it’s worst by Friday afternoon and won’t spoil the Ascot card. I like four on the card and hopefully Catterick beats the weather too as I hope that I've found a decent bet away from the big meeting.
1.50 Ascot: Mill Stream
Dave Nevison
Finished: 8thSP: 15/2
Mill Stream was upped to Group One company last time and may not have shone behind Regional at Haydock, though he was beaten just over a length into sixth in the Sprint Cup. Typically his trainer has continued at the highest level and I am hoping the vastly different ground will show him to better effect.
His two wins this season have come in soft ground and William Buick rides for the first time so his claims are strong.
Jane Chapple-Hyam has run a few very interesting two-year-olds in very high-level races and a few have gone into the tracker. It's encouraging to see her Newmarket team in great form ahead of this assignment.
2.25 Ascot: Sweet Memories
Dave Nevison
Finished: 12thSP: 14/1
For a Group One race, this Fillies' & Mares' Stakes doesn’t look to have the depth to match the numbers and, although beaten in a Group Three last time, I think Hollie Doyle may be able to steer Sweet Memories into a place at least.
She is proven over the trip at a lower level and definitely goes on the soft ground. She seems to be able to race from the front or being held up and should be able to get into this quietly from her outside draw. I don’t feel Sweet Memories is the Gosden’s second string here.
3.40 Catterick: Wen Moon
Dave Nevison
Finished: 7thSP: 3/1
He has scored twice this season and both times on soft ground, so Saturday's conditions clearly suit him very well.
Wen Moon looks to be on the improve and he put up his best performance last time out at York under Johnny Peate, who is on again today. The three-year-old has been aimed at some of the big summer handicaps on the Knavesmire this season and has run really well, so he was not landing one out of turn last time and won in very good style.
A 6lb rise for winning comfortably by a length is not much of an imposition in my book and, coupled with what is usually a good draw in stall 11 here, Wen Moon looks the day’s best bet.
3.45 Ascot: Royal Rhyme
Dave Nevison
Finished: 5thSP: 16/1
Karl Burke already had Royal Rhyme entered for this race before he absolutely bolted up in the Listed Doonside Cup at Ayr last time out. It is safe to assume that the trainer felt his three-year-old was going to make up into a Group performer and things could not have worked out better.
Conditions here will be absolutely perfect for the Lope De Vega colt, who so far has excelled in softer ground. Royal Rhyme should be able to sit just on the gallop likely to be set by Ryan Moore on Point Lonsdale and I think he is overpriced at double-figure odds.
Clifford Lee has done very well so far on him and keeps the ride in this big race.
4.25 Ascot: Awaal
Dave Nevison
Finished: 12thSP: 11/2
The Crisfords must be disappointed that Awaal has not managed to win a race all year after starting his season with a cracking second in the Lincoln at Doncaster (on heavy ground) and then proving a feature in some of the biggest handicaps in the calendar.
He was backed down to 6-4 favourite in Listed company at Redcar last time but disappointed in third, yet the only time he had previously run below expectations was in another similar event at Longchamp and it seems pretty clear that the pace of a big-field handicap suits him much better.
James Doyle is the only jockey to have won on Awaal and has scored on him twice already. He rode him at Doncaster - the only time he has been on all season - and is reunited with him here and with the heavy going absolutely no obstacle I feel a good run is assured.
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