Fillies & Mares Stakes: runner-by-runner guide and tip

Tom Thurgood takes a closer look at the 14 runners set to line up for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, one of four Group One contests on a stellar Qipco British Champions Day, and shares his big-race verdict. Enjoy every moment live on Racing TV.

The QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes has had some big-priced winners since the 'inaugural' British Champions Day renewal back in 2011 with Seal of Approval (2013), Madame Chiang (2014) and Eshaada (2021) scoring at double-figure prices, though higher-rated mares have generally held sway in this and it's interesting to note that a relatively small cohort of six of the 14 in contention are rated higher than 110.

No horse aged five or older has won this race since 2011 from 15 attempts, while four-year-olds have only won three times from 47 tries. The three-year-olds are always worth a second look, with the younger brigade accounting for 75 per cent of the winners from 52 per cent of the total runners in the last 12 years.

Here, we take a closer look at each of the 14 runners and give our idea of the winner.

Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: 125. Best odds: 10-1.

This high-class mare and Group One regular is one of the few top-level winners in this line-up though her first start at this 1m4f trip only came on her latest run when sixth in the Prix Vermeille last month.

The jury is out on whether she really wants this distance but she's worth persevering with over this far, especially since she looked outpaced last time (despite being well-placed) off steady fractions before coming home well. It was a similar story in the Nassau Stakes earlier in the year, where despite being very well placed and a finishing speed percentage of 117 per cent she still looked a little outpaced and rallied late in the last half furlong.

This test doesn't look an obvious disadvantage or concern and, allied with her form, 10-1 quotes look fair enough.

Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: 126. Best odds: 10-3.

A high-class performer who arrives here off the back of a solid campaign - even if a little in-and-out - and this will certainly be easier than the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe she contested last time, albeit only beating two rivals home at ParisLongchamp from a plum draw was a little underwhelming.

She is versatile in terms of ground and the promise of her return success this season in the Middleton Stakes over a steadily-run 10 furlongs suggested she has speed, but perhaps this more intermediate trip on easier ground (she stays 1m6f) will be more suitable now back against her own sex (2111142 in Listed and Group company against fillies and mares).

She's not bulletproof towards the top of the market, but she's pretty solid in this company all the same and her unlucky Yorkshire Oaks second a few months ago (form franked) arguably sets the standard. However, she is the only five-year-old in the line-up and no horse aged older than four has won this race in its current Champions Day guise.

Official rating: 109. Timeform rating: 120. Best odds: 25-1.

She looked a future stakes winner when scoring impressively on debut for Johnny Murtagh at Gowran last spring and she opened her account at Listed level when winning at Nottingham on seasonal debut and on her first start for Hughie Morrison back in May.

Some of her form reads quite well, notably her third behind subsequent Group One winners Al Husn and Nashwa in the Chipchase Stakes - she had to use up petrol to make up ground from the rear at Newcastle, too - while she won at Group Three level in France afterwards before running OK but weakening at the finish in the Prix Jean Romanet last time and the suspicion is that the top level might just be a bit hot for her.

A strong traveller, her relative speed has looked her main forte so far and this test over a mile and a half wouldn't look her ideal bag, even if it's somewhat early days on that score.

Official rating: 108. Timeform rating: 117. Best odds: 33-1.

The Lancashire Oaks winner rallied well late on to land that Group Two prize earlier in the season, even though she was well placed in a prominent position to score at Haydock (over two lengths slower than runner-up Sea Silk Road in the final three furlongs, slower than the fifth home Luisa Casati over those splits and 0.01s faster than the fourth Time Lock) and she is a filly that tends to perform better in the first half of the season.

This trip is no bother but the easy ground would be a concern - especially given she can take a grip in her races - while she has beaten 7 rivals out of 29 in her three Group One assignments so far.

Official rating: 112. Timeform rating: 124. Best odds: 25-1.

She finished last in this contest last year behind Emily Upjohn and trainer Hughie Morrison said the easy ground didn't suit - a surface described as Good to Soft by Timeform - so that doesn't augur well for her chance this time on ground that could well ride softer.

She is a winner over 1m4f and stayed on well to win the Group Three Arc Trial at Newbury over 1m3f last term (goes particularly well at the track) but the pick of her form is over shorter and that's a niggle over this longer trip on ground that won't be ideal.

She's beaten 15 rivals home from a possible 40 in Group One races so far and, while she's talented and only 2lb shy of the best here on official ratings, she's hard to strongly fancy.

Official rating: 104. Timeform rating: 116. Best odds: 14-1.

Connections will hope the rain lashes down in the coming days since heavy ground looks pivotal to their filly, who posted a career-best at Group Three level last time on ground described as Heavy by Timeform in the Give Thanks Stakes.

That's not bad form given she had Listed winners behind in second, third and fourth though it's notable that she was doing her best work right at the end of that testing 1m4f and the probable switch to the inner track here on better ground with a shorter run-in doesn't promise to favour the bold endeavour of connections after stumping up the £37,500 supplementary fee.

Official rating: 112. Timeform rating: 122. Best odds: 11-2.

She is a strong stayer at the trip and this imposing mare and enthusiastic racer has definitely settled better in recent starts, firstly when taking advantage of a decent opportunity in Listed company in France on her penultimate run before outstaying her rivals in the Group Three Rosemary Stakes at the Cambridgeshire Meeting.

The strong fractions in the mid-section of that race and the unrelenting straight of the Rowley Mile were surely to her advantage there and racing over a shorter run-in over the tighter inner track at Ascot is a different test and one unlikely to be optimal, but she is maturing at the right time and has always been well regarded given her SPs throughout her career.

There's every chance she will be better next year and she will be sticking on at the end here, though she looks short enough at the prices strictly on form.

Official rating: 111. Timeform rating: 119. Best odds: 10-1.

She is yet to win this season and her sole win so far is a Salisbury novice success from last autumn, but she's acquitted herself well in various Group races this term and perhaps most notably when a narrow second to Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks back in July.

She stuck on well into a quickening pace in the York straight when fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks on her penultimate start and, while disappointing that she couldn't score in Listed company at Chester last time, this test looks fine for her even if a few of her rivals look more compelling for win purposes.

Official rating: 114. Timeform rating: 121. Best odds: 4-1.

This likeable and beautifully-bred filly has come a long way in a short time, looking a little raw but still making a good move from the rear for fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas just two months after her career debut and she has improved on each of her last three starts after bombing out when favourite for the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier in the campaign.

She handles easy ground as well as a quicker surface and more than hinted at her stamina when staying on strongly from an unfavourable wide draw to land the Rathbridge Stakes over 1m1f at Gowran, while she wasn't well-placed towards the back at the Curragh in the Blandford Stakes next time but still came home strongly and posted good late sectionals for second.

Only Blue Rose Cen was too good in the Prix de l'Opera last time and that multiple Group One scorer simply had too much pace in the straight, yet the fact that Jackie Oh was ridden very prominently for the first time suggested that connections see this filly's future over further. This extended trip is a question mark, but it's not a huge venture into the unknown by the same token either and her full brother Secret State acted over further. Her chance is much respected as she looks the one here who could well take anothert appreciable step forward.

Official rating: 104. Timeform rating: 109. Best odds: 80-1.

A useful filly who acts on deep ground and one who has been tried over a range of trips in a busy campaign, she posted her best effort on her penultimate start when landing Group Three honours in a first-time tongue tie on decent ground over 1m1f at the Curragh when she was well-placed at a track which favours forward racers.

She was last of nine on her sole try at 1m4f and at Group One level in the Oaks at Epsom and this distance and level of company are obvious question marks. She has been in the places just twice in seven runs at Pattern level and only Sea Of Roses has a lesser official rating ahead of this assignment.

Official rating: 108. Timeform rating: 119. Best odds: 12-1.

The French challenger is an assured stayer and seemingly the deeper the ground the better her chance.

She doesn't do anything especially quickly but she is lightly-raced and has shown the ability to potentially be a factor here after posting a brace of creditable efforts at the top level the last twice, on both occasions running a bit keen towards the back of the field before picking up nicely and staying on well late on.

Those tactics might prove more problematic at Ascot with a shorter straight than ParisLongchamp and in a big field on the tighter inner track - plus a decent pace would seem quite important to her - but she's not one to readily dismiss although trainer Mikel Delzangles is 0-31 with his runners in Britain since Guineas glory with Makfi back in 2010.

Official rating: 106. Timeform rating: 115. Best odds: 20-1.

She looked really good when running away with the Pretty Polly on Guineas weekend back in May and, while on something of a retrieval mission after finishing last of 15 in the French Oaks next time, she has returned with two decent efforts at Listed and Group level despite not winning.

She travelled notably well at Salisbury and then better still in the Princess Royal Stakes last time, but she was placed close to a very strong pace at Newmarket and looked to hit the wall two furlongs from home in a visual impression that is backed up by the sectional times.

This 1m4f trip is a question mark - even if it's likely to be less of an examination than the Rowley Mile race last time - and that contest and the way it panned out can't have been an ideal prep for this either.

Official rating: 100. Timeform rating: 108. Best odds: 100-1.

The lowest-rated runner in the field on official ratings, she is strictly a maiden winner albeit one that has also finished second at Listed and Group Three level. She has plenty to find while her keen-going tendencies aren't ideal either and you can't really argue with her huge odds here.

Official rating: 105. Timeform rating: 116. Best odds: 12-1.

She's only had four runs this year and looks a fairly stout stayer at this middle-distance trip, staying on behind Time Lock and making up decent ground while still looking a little green for second in the Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket. The first-time cheekpieces could help here on that score here.

She travels nicely and her recent sectionals make for interesting reading while this top yard has a good record in this event since 2011 (3 winners and 5 more placed from 21 runners in nine renewals), but she has a bit to find on this first attempt at Group One level and she doesn't jump out at the current odds.

JACKIE OH looks to have pretty decent claims for a breakthrough Group One success in what would be a fitting finale to an excellent debut campaign.

While she bombed out on her only start at Ascot when favourite for a handicap at the Royal meeting, she is a more experienced campaigner now and has built up a really solid resume at Group One level and this big improver has more to offer, especially over 1m4f for the first time. The new trip looks fine on pedigree and promises to suit based on her Gowran and Irish Champions Festival runs and soft ground here will be no bother.

Free Wind and Above The Curve are high-class older performers, albeit ones who are likely to run to a decent yet certain level, and they may just be vulnerable to the regally-bred three-year-old in receipt of weight in a race which doesn't promise to throw up a great deal of surprise.

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