Sussex hero Here Comes When pencilled in for Champions Day date

Andrew Balding has earmarked the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot as a target later in the season for Here Comes When.

The seven-year-old defied his advancing years when claiming the biggest success of his career at Goodwood on Wednesday with a 20-1 shock in the Sussex Stakes.

Although immediate plans remain fluid for the son of Danehill Dancer, the Kingsclere handler will look towards the mile Group One on Qipco Champions Day as the long-term aim.

He said: "We will sit down and have a think about plans, but the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes would be in the thinking for later on.

"He has been great since the race and has come out of it well."

The entries for October 21st date will be released on Tuesday.

Ascot racecourse and British Champions Series have set out their intention for all of the day’s round-course races to be run on the usual outer flat course, as in the previous six years.

The inner flat course will be retained as a contingency should ‘heavy’ appear in the going description or is anticipated to do so at the 72 hour stage and would result in the three round course races on the day, the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup; the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and the QIPCO Champion Stakes being run on this course.

Last year a successful familiarisation exercise involving Ryan Moore and Pat Smullen took place on the inner flat course to confirm its suitability for flat racing.

The official going for QIPCO British Champions Day over the last two years has been good to soft (2015) and good (2016).