QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes
Group 1, Ascot 14:05
£500,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
6f, Class 1   
Saturday 18th October 2025

BetPlay

1 Powerful Glory 200/1
2 Lazzat 2/1F
3 Quinault 66/1
4 No Half Measures 28/1
19 ran NR: Rosy Affair Distances: nk, 1¼l
Time: 1m 11.72s (fast by 0.78s)

Every now and again, racing throws up a moment that stops the sport in its tracks — and Powerful Glory delivered one of those spine-tingling shocks on QIPCO British Champions Day. At 200/1, the Richard Fahey-trained three-year-old produced the unthinkable, flashing home late under a vintage Jamie Spencer ride to deny the 2/1 favourite Lazzat in the dying strides.

It was the kind of story only Ascot can tell — the outsider from the shadows, smuggled into contention by a master of patience, coming with one last surge to rewrite the script. Down the near-side rail, Spencer timed it to perfection, his mount eating up the ground to collar Lazzat just as the winning post loomed. The stands erupted; disbelief, delight, and sheer drama blended into one.

Winner of the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes as a juvenile, Powerful Glory had been largely forgotten by the betting public after wind surgery and a last-place finish in a minor race at Beverley. Yet here he was, usurping Qirat’s 150/1 Sussex Stakes shock to become the longest-priced Group One winner in UK racing history — a record that may stand for decades.

It was a second Champions Sprint triumph for both Fahey and Spencer, recalling their previous successes with Sands Of Mali in 2018 and Maarek in 2012 respectively.

Fahey could barely hide his pride — and amusement — at the twist of fate:

“Powerful Glory was undefeated as a two-year-old, including in the Mill Reef on ground no doubt he hated. The plan was to get him ready for the Commonwealth Cup, but we had our prep and he completely emptied, so we did some investigations and he had a tiny wind issue. Of course, we had to do the operation and recuperation.

“This race closed ages ago, so even after that first disappointing run, I had made the entry. I would have loved to get a run into him and the only one I could find was a five-furlong race at Beverley – I had to run him, and fair play to Sheikh Rashid, I said, ‘sir, the horse will need this badly’. I always love to get a run into them after a wind operation, to get a bit of confidence into them that they are right now. You could say he was disappointing, but I was delighted, if that makes sense, as he was staying on again at the end of a sharp five at Beverley.

“Since Beverley, he has been training extremely well. I am not saying I thought he would come here and nearly win, but I knew he would do his best and, when I saw 200/1, I nearly had a bet. I don’t bet, but I nearly had a bet. We have seen the real Powerful Glory today – and he has only had four starts.

“I am delighted for everybody; it has been tricky for us this year, and to finish with a Group One is fantastic, especially for Sheikh Rashid, who has been a huge supporter for me. It is always great to reward owners that are faithful to you.”

And there, in the middle of it all, stood Jamie Spencer, the old magician of Ascot’s Straight Course, summoning one more moment of brilliance:

“I am lost for words. Powerful Glory is a good horse and travelled nicely. I thought I was going to be placed and all of a sudden I thought I actually have a chance. He jinked a little bit left and I had to put my whip away and I thought ‘oh, I pray I’ve held on’. Just shocked really. James [Doyle] was second and he is one of my best friends – disbelief!

“I have known Richard a long time – great guy, great trainer, and it’s a good result for him too. I thought this morning when I saw the horse was 80/1, well, Khaadem was 80/1, so you never know. But not in your wildest dreams are you expecting to win after finishing last in a five-runner conditions race, but that’s what the good trainers do, they turn the screw.

“The horse felt really good going down; from the minute I got on him, he felt good and had his ears pricked. For the first couple of furlongs, I was getting him settled because they split into groups and I was trying to get cover. But from two out I thought, ‘I’m going to run a good race’, and then actually, ‘I’ve got a good chance of winning now’. It is a different set of emotions as the race progressed, I am just glad that it worked out. I haven’t got much road left in me – I doubt I’ll have another one [at that price]!”

For the runner-up Lazzat, it was heartbreak rather than humiliation, his trainer Jérôme Reynier philosophical in defeat:

“Nineteen runners, some horses a bit everywhere, and James was telling us that if there was only one group, maybe he would have won, but he was kind of on his own on the other side of the track and that wasn’t easy to manage his effort. He will have a bit of a break, then prep for the early season next year – if we want to go to Saudi in February, you need to be ready quickly! We shall see, there’s a few options on the international stage, you’ve got Saudi and the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. There’s not much going on in Europe for the first couple of months, so we will see with the connections what’s the best thing to do.”

Jockey James Doyle paid due respect to the winner — and to his rival’s artistry:

“When Jamie Spencer is on the Straight Course, he can create a bit of magic – and I think you’ve just seen it there! Full credit to Lazzat, he’s gone down on his sword, he didn’t do a lot wrong at all. I was happy throughout, he was very controllable and in a good rhythm today. I was never quite comfortable with what was going on – when you split into two groups like that, the far side were with me, then they go ahead of me, and it’s always difficult to gauge where you’re at. I do feel if we had come in one cluster up the middle, it would have suited my fellow a bit better, but it would have probably not suited the winner.”

There was also a bright note from Sean Levey, whose mount Quinault ran with renewed spirit:

“He has run the best race he has this year. It is always difficult to do it the way he does, in the way his running style is, but he’s got nice patter.”

And so the curtain falls on an astonishing chapter in Ascot’s long-distance love affair with drama. Powerful Glory, four starts into his career, has turned the form book upside-down, a 200/1 outsider who dared to dream — and found the line first. You can almost hear Hoiles calling it: “From the clouds… Powerful Glory — has he got there? He has!”

BoyleSports

Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 2)
£500,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
19 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (14)    Powerful Glory 3 9-3 Richard Fahey Jamie Spencer 200/1
2 (7) nk Lazzat 4 9-4 J Reynier James Doyle 2/1F
3 (15) 1¼ Quinault 5 9-4 Stuart Williams Sean Levey 66/1
4 (6)    No Half Measures 4 9-1 Richard Hughes Neil Callan 28/1
5 (12) ½ Inisherin 4 9-4 Kevin Ryan Tom Eaves 10/1
6 (13) 3¼ Rayevka 3 9-0 F-H Graffard Mickael Barzalona 14/1
7 (3) 1 Montassib 7 9-4 William Haggas Cieren Fallon 9/1
8 (4) nk Spy Chief 3 9-3 John & Thady Gosden William Buick 28/1
9 (1) ½ Flora Of Bermuda 4 9-1 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 13/2
10 (20) 1 Big Mojo 3 9-3 Michael Appleby Tom Marquand 7/1
11 (18) shd Kind Of Blue 4 9-4 James Fanshawe Daniel Muscutt 5/1
12 (9) nk Run To Freedom 7 9-4 Henry Candy Rob Hornby 80/1
13 (10) shd Art Power 8 9-4 Tim Easterby David Allan 40/1
14 (2) dht Ten Bob Tony 4 9-4 Ed Walker Kieran Shoemark 28/1
15 (5) 1 James's Delight 4 9-4 Clive Cox Clifford Lee 80/1
16 (16) 1¾  King's Gamble 4 9-4 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 66/1
17 (17) 1½ King Cuan 4 9-4 P Twomey W J Lee 16/1
18 (19) 2¾ Witness Stand p 4 9-4 Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole Colin Keane 28/1
19 (11) nk Iberian 4 9-4 Charles Hills David Egan 100/1
NR 19 (8) Rosy Affair 4 9-1 George Boughey NON RUNNER