A star-studded entry of 71 has been received for the £350,000 Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, the highlight of Champions' Day at Newmarket on Saturday, October 15, details of which are revealed today, Wednesday, August 17.
Champions' Day is the climax of Newmarket's sensational autumn season this year, which sees the transferred Ascot Festival, the Cambridgeshire Meeting and Champions' Day take place on the Rowley Mile over just a three week period, featuring no less than 18 Group Races including 7 Group Ones.
Azamour, brilliant winner of Royal Ascot's Prince of Wales's Stakes and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, heads the entries from the older generation and is one of 19 Irish-trained possibles for the Group One event, while Vodafone Derby hero Motivator is the pick of those engaged from the classic generation. France is well represented with half a dozen entries while there are two Italian-trained hopefuls, including yesterday's exciting Juddmonte International victor, Electrocutionist.
The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is one of the few races to have eluded the two powerhouses of European racing - Godolphin and Ballydoyle. This year Godolphin has 14 to choose from including Dubawi, brilliant winner of last Sunday's Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, the enigmatic Doyen, spectacular when taking the 2004 King George at Ascot but disappointing since, recent Salisbury Group Three scorer Layman and also Cherry Mix, runner-up in last season's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien has made entries for 13, including last Saturday's Grade One Arlington Million scorer Powerscourt, the UltimatePoker.com 1000 Guineas heroine Virginia Waters, Ace, a bit disappointing when fourth in yesterday's Juddmonte International at York, Oratorio, who claimed the scalp of Motivator in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown, as well as Vodafone Coronation Cup scorer Yeats.
Other leading entries from Ireland include Grey Swallow, successful on his seasonal reappearance in the Tatttersalls Gold Cup as well as last year's Irish Derby, and Jim Bolger's amazingly tough filly Alexander Goldrun, a Group One winner in Britain, France, Ireland and Hong Kong.
Heading the sextet of French entries is Valixir, successful in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot at York earlier this season. Andre Fabre's charge could be joined by last season's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victor Bago, while Carlos Laffon-Parias has a trio engaged including the 2004 French Derby runner-up Prospect Park.
Electrocutionist and Altieri are the two entries from Italy. The former is reckoned to be the best horse to have come out of Italy since Falbrav and that certainly looked to be the case when the four-year-old was triumphant in the Group One Juddmonte International at York yesterday. Altieri acquitted himself well on his only start in Britain when third to Oratorio and Motivator in the Coral Eclipse.
The pick of the remainder includes Maids Causeway, triumphant in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, both of the last two Vodafone Oaks heroines, Eswarah and Ouija Board, Soviet Song, winner of the last two renewals of the Group One UAE Equestrian & Racing Federation Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, and the multiple Group One-placed Norse Dancer.
DARLEY DEWHURST STAKES ATTRACTS 91
George Washington, ante-post favourite for next year's UltimatePoker.com 2000 Guineas, heads 91 entries for the £250,000 Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Champions' Day, Saturday, October 15, 2005.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt has won his last three outings including the Group One Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 7, when getting the better of stable companion Amadeus Mozart by eight lengths with a further two and a half lengths back to Red Clubs, who had earlier won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot at York.
O'Brien accounts for an amazing 26 entries and his powerful squad also includes Ivan Denisovich, a dual winner whose successes include the TNT July Stakes at Newmarket's July Meeting, Horatio Nelson, unbeaten in two starts including the Weatherbys Superlative Stakes at the same meeting, Aussie Rules, a maiden scorer who was then fourth in a pattern event at Glorious Goodwood, and Dylan Thomas, another maiden winner who has apparently been lighting up the gallops at Ballydoyle.
Sir Michael Stoute's Regal Royale and Sir Percy, trained by Marcus Tregoning, could be the best of the home-based challenge. The former readily outpointed Doctor Dash in a maiden at Newbury last month although he was a disappointment in yesterday's Acomb Stakes at York, won by Kevin Ryan Palace Episode, who is also entered in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Sir Percy remains unbeaten after three starts including the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood at the end of July, when he got the better of a tremendous tussle with Cool Creek by a neck.
Stoute has also entered City Of Troy, whose sole outing resulted in victory in a conditions event at Newbury last month, when he got up to master Murfreesboro in the last few strides.
Eoghan O'Neill and owner John Fretwell have had a marvellous season with their juveniles and they have entered Always Hopeful and Escape Plan.
The former won the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, while Escape Plan has won two small events as well as running second in a Listed event at Hamburg on July 1.
Multiplex was an easy winner on his debut at Chantilly on July 25 and represents top French trainer Andre Fabre, who also has the promising Wild Sunday entered.
Michael Prosser, Clerk of the Course at Newmarket, commented: "This year's Emirates Airline Champion Stakes looks all set to provide a truly spectacular conclusion to the record-breaking autumn at Newmarket.
"We could not have wished for a better set of entries with high-class horses from all over Europe engaged and whoever comes out on top on October 15 is sure to be one of the very best.
"The Darley Dewhurst Stakes so often plays a pivotal role in determining the juvenile champion of Europe and, with a whole host of potential superstars engaged in 2005, that is all set to be the case again."
Tickets are on sale for all of Newmarket's autumn fixtures with generous advance booking discounts available. Visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call 01638 675 500.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
Archive
