Spear remains key to 8 to Follow

QIPCO British Champions Day promises to deliver another fantastic afternoon of racing at Ascot on Saturday, and a favourable weather forecast suggests there should be no excuses on account of the ground.

The BBC forecasts some rain on Thursday and Friday morning, but Saturday is predicted to be dry.

Qatar Racing's 8 to Follow competition ends with the big meeting, and the top five places are still up for grabs.

David Jewers (320pts), who has led for much of the season, remains in pole position, and he gained a handy 5pts on Wednesday when the Ger Lyons-trained Wayside Flower was third at Navan. He seems likely to have two more runners before the competition ends Simple Verse and Pallasator although they both hold entries in the Gr.2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup. Simple Verse is also entered in the Gr.1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes.

However, second-placed Dhgdale Family (300pts), also have Simple Verse in their stable, and they could go level with Jewers tomorrow when Strath Burn runs in a conditions race at Musselburgh.

They also have Lightning Spear in their stable, and he could tackle Saturday's Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes a place in that could prove enough to clinch the £10,000 first prize.

Sheikh Fahad has had a winner in the Far East today, thanks to three-year-old colt Great Pearl, a son of King Kamehameha, who won a conditions race at Kyoto in Japan.

A winner at the turn of the year on debut, this was his second success for trainer Mitsu Nakauchida.