Ascot stage Qipco British Champions Day on Saturday.

By Simon Jackson.

Trainer James Fanshawe is targeting back to back wins at Ascot with The Tin Man who is one of the 20 runners declared today for the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The Tin Man’s connections earlier this week opted to pay a £40,000 supplementary entry fee to add the three-year-old to the field of the Group 1, six furlong contest that carries total prize money of £632,505.

“The Tin Man did his final breeze on Wednesday morning and seems in good shape,” Fanshawe said of his charge who has won three of his five starts and was an emphatic winner of a handicap over course and distance earlier this month.

“A lot of thought and discussion went into the decision to supplement him – £40,000 is a lot of money. Hopefully we have come to the right decision,” the trainer continued.

“He will go there in good form, on a roll, and the fact that he has form over the course and distance on similar ground to what we will get on Saturday helped make up our minds. He won so well last time, albeit against handicappers – he just cruised through the race.”

“I won this race four years ago with his half-brother, Deacon Blues, and the pair are similar in the way that they travel through their races and quicken up, but Deacon Blues was a year older when he won it and had improved a lot for being gelded.”

“The Tin Man has a bit to find to achieve what Deacon Blues did but he’s improving all the time.”

The Tin Man is available at 8-1 for the sprint where the betting is headed by Muhaarar (2-1), one of two runners for Charlie Hills who is also represented by Strath Burn (10-1).

“Muhaarar needed a break, he had three pretty hard races in quick succession so we’ve freshened him up and I couldn’t be more pleased with him,” Hills said earlier this week. “We took him to Lingfield for a spin over six furlongs and Paul [Hanagan – jockey] was very happy. We’re going in pretty confident.

“He’s physically come on well and has a huge amount of talent, we know he likes Ascot. We’re happy with conditions, it’s on the slow side of good but a dry forecast will help.

“Strath Burn has thrived since Haydock. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way he looks. He did a great bit of work and will get better with age. He could run a big race on Saturday.

“Strath Burn and Muhaarar have never work together but I’m looking forward to Saturday. Whatever Strath Burn does this year is a bonus.”

Read ‘Horse Talk with Simon Jackson’ at London24 for the latest horse racing news.