O'Brien bidding for first Champion Stakes win Found will be aiming to give handler Aidan O'Brien his first victory in Saturday's Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot. The Galileo filly, second in the Irish Champion Stakes and unlucky in running in the Arc, is the main Irish hope among the 13 runners and is generally second favourite for the Group 1 contest behind Jack Hobbs. John Gosden's Irish Derby winner skipped the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe earlier this month in favour of this race and finds himself a short-priced favourite, although his trainer will not be happy with his draw in stall 12 given his comments earlier in the week about wanting to be in the first eight. Gosden also runs Maverick Wave in the same Godolphin silks and he starts from stall 13. Another who will be wearing Godolphin blue is Saeed bin Suroor's Racing History, who was supplemented for this race after taking his winning run to three at Windsor in August. Fascinating Rock, for the Dermot Weld stable, is the other Irish representative having landed a Group 3 at Leopardstown when last seen out in September. Andre Fabre, last successful back in 1994 with Dernier Empereur, runs Vadamos with Palace Prince representing Germany. The David Simcock-trained The Corsican, Ralph Beckett's Air Pilot and James Fanshawe's classy filly Ribbons also feature. The soon-to-retire Olly Stevens runs Lightning Spear, who steps up to 10 furlongs for the first time in the Qatar Racing colours. Sumbal for France will also run for the same team. With Elm Park running in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Tullius is Andrew Balding's representative while Cirrus Des Aigles is a notable absentee.
