CS Reunites with Checkandchallenge for QEII Stakes

Checkandchallenge will once again team up with Christophe Soumillon at Ascot for the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Trained by William Knight, the five-year-old gelding recently finished a close second in the Listed Fortune Stakes at Sandown, narrowly beaten by Ralph Beckett’s Skellet.

Before that, Checkandchallenge secured third place in the Group Three Strensall Stakes at York, finishing just over a length behind the winner. This was his first outing since being gelded over the summer, a procedure that appears to have had a positive impact on his performance.

Knight is optimistic that Soumillon’s return will be a key advantage at Ascot, where Checkandchallenge delivered a commendable fourth-place finish in last year’s QEII. The Belgian jockey previously guided the gelding to victory in the Group Three Prix Daphnis at Deauville in 2022.

“He’s in fantastic form at home, and I’m really pleased with him,” Knight said. “It’s a tough race, but we’ve secured Christophe Soumillon, who knows him well and has won with him before. I think he’ll put in a big performance.”

Knight added that Checkandchallenge is well-suited to the conditions at Ascot and has been running solid races since being gelded. “He won’t mind any ease in the ground, and he seems to thrive on the straight track there. I believe he could run a very good race on Saturday.”