STARS OF THE TURF LINE UP ON BRITAIN'S RICHEST RACEDAY

Four of the world's top six turf horses (from the latest edition of the World Thoroughbred Rankings) will light up the £3 million QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot tomorrow (Saturday, 20 October) - Frankel (rating 140), Cirrus des Aigles (130), Nathaniel (126) and Excelebration (125). A star-studded line-up of championship races sees the finale in each of the five QIPCO British Champions Series categories, headed by what is expected to be the final appearance of the world's best racehorse, Frankel, in the toughest assignment of his career, the £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes at 4.05pm. Frankel is chasing his ninth QIPCO British Champions Series race victory - no other horse has won more than two Series races since its inception last year. Four of the five championship race winners from last year's inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day are returning, Fame And Glory, Dancing Rain, Frankel and Cirrus des Aigles, as are three of the runners-up, Opinion Poll, Wizz Kid and Excelebration. While Aidan O'Brien looks hard to beat in the Trainer of the Series table with a 50-point lead, his son Joseph O'Brien could face stiff competition for the Jockey of the Series title from William Buick, who trails him by just 15 points. RACE ONE, 1.45pm - THE £200,000 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP, 2 miles The last three Gold Cup winners, Colour Vision (2012), Fame And Glory (2011) and Rite Of Passage (2010), and the one-two-three from this race last year, Fame And Glory, Opinion Poll and Colour Vision, grace one of the strongest line-ups for a stayers' race in recent years, with stiff opposition from Saddler's Rock, Aiken and Ile de Re. RACE TWO, 2.20pm - THE £250,000 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SPRINT STAKES, 6 furlongs Last year's runner-up, Wizz Kid, who won France's biggest sprint, the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp, on her latest start, lines up against Society Rock, winner of the 2011 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the 2012 Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park on his latest start. As well as last year's runner-up, the third and fourth horses, Libranno and Royal Rock, also return together with the fast improving Irish-trained three-year-old, Slade Power. RACE THREE, 2.55pm - THE £250,000 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS FILLIES' & MARES' STAKES, 1 mile 4 furlongs Last year's race winner and Investec Oaks heroine, Dancing Rain, lines up against this year's Investec Oaks winner, Was, and this year's Darley Irish Oaks winner, Great Heavens, with high class opposition from Investec Oaks runner-up Shirocco Star, Irish raider Sapphire and French challengers La Pomme d'Amour and Jehannedarc. RACE FOUR, 3.30pm - THE £1,000,000 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES SPONSORED BY QIPCO, 1 mile The world's second best miler behind Frankel, Excelebration, bids to win the biggest prize of his career having finished runner-up to Frankel in this race last year. On the five occasions that he has contested a race without Frankel in the past two seasons, he has won every time. The main opposition comes from the brilliant winner of the Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan in March, Cityscape, and the top class filly, Elusive Kate. RACE FIVE, 4.05pm - THE £1,300,000 QIPCO CHAMPION STAKES, 1 mile 2 furlongs World number one, Frankel, takes on the highest-rated rivals that he has ever faced, on soft ground that they both excel on - French star and world number two, Cirrus des Aigles, and world number four on turf, Nathaniel - in the most eagerly anticipated showdown in recent memory. Frankel is seeking the 14th win of his unbeaten career in what will probably be his final race as well as going for win number nine in the QIPCO British Champions Series. The German Derby winner, Pastorius, also features in the line-up together with Dubai Group 1 winner, Master Of Hounds, and Frankel's pacemaker, Bullet Train. TRAINER OF THE SERIES (AFTER 30 RACES) TRAINER POINTS 1 Aidan O'Brien 180 2 John Gosden 130 3 Sir Henry Cecil 95 4 Saeed bin Suroor 65 5 James Fanshawe 45 JOCKEY OF THE SERIES (AFTER 30 RACES) JOCKEY POINTS 1 Joseph O'Brien 125 2 William Buick 110 3 Tom Queally 95 4 Frankie Dettori 85 5 Ryan Moore 60 Points are awarded on a 20-10-5 basis to the jockeys and trainers of the first three horses in each QIPCO British Champions Series race. In the event of a tie, the number of winners (and, if necessary, second places) will be taken into account. The Jockey and Trainer of the Series will be presented with a specially commissioned trophy on QIPCO British Champions at Ascot on Saturday, 20 October. The remaining QIPCO British Champions Series races are:           20 October The QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup, Ascot Long Distance BBC 20 October The QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes, Ascot Sprint BBC 20 October The QIPCO British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes, Ascot Fillies & Mares BBC 20 October The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO (British Champions Mile), Ascot Mile BBC 20 October The QIPCO Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance), Ascot Middle Distance BBC