I MUST admit I still associate Champions Day with Newmarket and, although moving the big day to Ascot has been a relative success, I do profess to preferring the meeting at Headquarters.

In previous years some pretty tight favourites have been turned over at this meeting which has mainly been due to a culmination of really deep ground and the end of a long and arduous campaign.

The latter is probably even more pronounced this year with some of the best horses in training having to take their chance at the top of the racing tree in a shorter stretch of time, hence coming to the Berkshire track fresh this afternoon will be a distinct advantage.