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Group 1 winners Shaquille and Inspiral are notable absentees from Saturday’s British Champions Day at Ascot.

Shaquille was expected to take on Kinross in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes, but connections are unhappy with the colt's movement. Winner of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, Shaquille followed up with an easy success against the older horses in the Group 1 July Cup before finishing stone last in the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock.

"He wasn't just tracking through as normal behind with his movement," said Steve Brown, assistant to Julie Camacho.

"It looks minimal, but given the ground conditions, which are obviously going to be pretty testing, we're just not prepared to take any chances with him. It's as simple as that really."

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding likely ground conditions on Saturday and owner-breeders Cheveley Park Stud have chosen to avoid the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes with star mare Inspiral.

"We've obviously been monitoring the weather and the rain that's fallen. I know John Gosden walked the track yesterday [Wednesday], there's been a subsequent 12 millimetres and it looks like there's more to come," said Cheveley Park's managing director Chris Richardson.

"As we know when she ran on soft ground in the Sussex at Goodwood in the summer, Frankie looked after her as it wasn't the sort of performance she was enjoying.

"The decision now is whether the Breeders' Cup [Filly & Mare Turf] is an option. John is going to speak to Mrs Thompson about it and then we'll know more, but it's very much up to her to decide whether she wants the filly to go to America.

"They're liaising between them and there's decisions to be made on whether she runs again this year and whether she's kept in training next year.

"She's a wonderful filly, Mrs Thompson is the owner of the horse and will make the decision."uk