2012 Champions Long Distance Cup Betting Preview

As the days draw closer we get nearer and nearer to the penultimate date of the English flat season - Champions Day. The first major contest on the afternoons card at Ascot is going to be the Group 3 British Champions Long Distance Cup - one of the premier staying contests you'll find on the European flat calendar. There are several very interesting entries here with most of the major yards represented. 

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A proper test of staying superstars is set to unfold over this 2m spin on the Ascot grass. 

It probably isn't going to come as a major surprise that Godolphin boast a pair of talented entries here as Opinion Poll returns to Ascot since his close defeat this summer to the respected Colour Vision. With Mickael Barzalona up that day, they could only muster a second place finish and they'll be looking to complete their revenge in this one. Seldom has this full horse by Halling finished outside of the top two and major will be banking on him to get the job done here and get their days off to a rollicking start.

Colour Vision is the other Godolphin entry and many will likely be banking on them to get the forecast bet completed here. Saeed Bin Suroor's charge hasn't found the winner's circle since getting the better of his stablemate. 

Michael Owen's Brown Panther, a talented four-year-old son of Shirocco, is expected by many to at least offer up some form of challenge though it has to be acknowledged that he hasn't had the best of luck at Ascot. On his day, he certainly has the talent to run alongside Group 3 company and get results and you can  always expect this yard to take money from the betting public. 

Fame And Glory has been one of the premier long distance horses competing on the global circuit for quite some time and, even at six years of age, he continues to hold sway in major contests. He has only won a single time this year in three efforts - a victory on his seasonal debut at Navan. He could only finish sixth from nine in the Group 1 Irish St Leger. 

Sheikh Hamdan has Hawaafez in this one and he enters fresh off a score at Ascot just a few days ago when he won the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes with Johnny Murtagh in the irons. Prior to that he had suffered a beat at Goodwood after putting together back to back scores at Newbury and Newmarket. 

There's going to be some seriously solid prices on offer in this race and we all know that when you have 2m to work with - anything can happen. Stay tubed for the latest offers and bets for the 2012 Champions Day at Ascot.