Aidan O’Brien says his 22-1 Ascot outsider is ‘on the upgrade big time’ and ready to spring a shock on Champions Day
AIDAN O’BRIEN says a little-known Ballydoyle runner available at 22-1 is ‘on the upgrade big time’ and ready to spring a huge shock on Champions Day.
The Irish trainer travels to Ascot with a typically strong squad for the end of season bash.
Kyprios and Los Angeles are two of the headliners, with the former odds-on for the Long Distance Cup and the latter fancied to go better than what he showed in the Arc a fortnight ago.
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But it is in the Fillies and Mares Stakes, which O’Brien won in 2017 and 2018 with Hydrangea and Magical respectively, that he smuggles in a little-known challenger.
Three-year-old filly Wingspan has two wins from five career runs.
She won on debut at Leopardstown in April before being well beaten by Oaks winner Ezeliya on her second run later that month.
Wingspan then got the better of former Goffs Million winner One Look after a 109-day break and was a respectable third to Tarawa in a Group 3 at the Curragh in August.
Stepped up to Group 2 level last time she went down just a neck to winner Hanalia over 1m2f at the same track having been sent off 12-1.
Ryan Moore was in the saddle that day and, left to dictate her own pace, she stayed on well when challenged by the eventual winner.
Sean Levey, who won the St Leger on Jan Brueghel for O’Brien last month, gets the leg up on Saturday.
And O’Brien is confident of a big showing from a horse the bookies seem to be writing off.
He said: “Wingspan is on the upgrade big time.
“Ryan felt she was a little bit unlucky a few times, but she’s definitely improving and her mum Hydrangea won this race, so she got the mile and a half.
“We think she’ll handle the ease in the ground, and her work is stepping up every week.”
Moore will ride Yorkshire Oaks winner Content while Christophe Soumillon, who claimed the Jean-Luc Lagerdere on O’Brien’s Camille Pissarro, is on Grateful.
Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes odds
3-1 Kalpana
8-1 Tiffany
10-1 Content, Quantanamera, Queen Of The Pride
11-1 Time Lock
16-1 Doha, Village Voice
18-1 Grateful
20-1 Sumiha
22-1 Wingspan
25-1 War Chimes
50-1 Thunder Roll
80-1 Sea Theme
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