Balding v O'Brien; Fillies & Mares Stakes a key battle in Trainers' Championship war

William Dobbie Published: 16 Oct 26 12:24

The British Champions Fillies' & Mares stakes could be prove to be a pivotal juncture in the battle to win the UK Trainers' title.

Andrew Balding is currently ahead of Aidan O'Brien in the race to be crowned champion trainer heading into British Champions Day and has the short-priced favourite for the £500,000 Group 1.

Saturday's meeting is the most lucrative day of racing in the entire British calendar, with almost £4m up for grabs across the seven-race card.

Download the App

Horse Racing

View Latest Odds

After winning the last two runnings of this race, Kalpana returns for a hat-trick and a fifth career Group 1 success. There is no doubting that, on peak form, Balding's mare is much the best in this field, however, she has had a long season, with her last run coming less than a fortnight ago. She ran slightly below form in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe -- still not disgraced in fifth -- but she may have still been feeling the effects of a gruelling Yorkshire Oaks. The daughter of Study Of Man had an incredibly tough race on the Knavesmire that day, only three weeks following a career best victory in the King George.

She battled out the Yorkshire Oaks finish with Sparan Nua, who re-opposes at Ascot. She too hasn't been quite the same since that run at the Ebor Festival, finishing down the field behind Friendly Soul in the Prix Vermeille when last seen. It would be brilliant for Jim Bolger to notch another Group 1 in the twilight of his training career and the 41-day break that she has been given might just be enough time for her to have recovered enough to produce her best.

O'Brien will need Minnie Hauk to return to form if they are to keep on the heels of Balding in the Trainers' Championship standings. She barely ran a bad race at three, winning the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks before pushing Daryz extremely close for Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe glory. This campaign has been altogether different though and she is winless in on her last five starts.

Johanna Walsh claimed Minnie Hauk's Irish Oaks crown earlier this year and a return to a quicker surface may see her back to her best after being well beaten in the aforementioned Yorkshire Oaks. She finished eighth that day, far behind her best, but was a runaway winner at the Curragh on her previous start.

Punters looking for a fairly unexposed and improving type might be drawn towards the chances of Lilt. William Haggas has only handed her four career starts, bringing her along gently and giving her the best opportunity to peak at this crucial moment. Her defeat of So Regal reads very well after the Cheveley Park-owned filly dotted up at Newbury at Listed level and her runner-up finish behind Oaks winner Thundering On in the Blanford screamed of a horse that would relish the mile-and-a-half trip in front of her here.