Wednesday, September 29, 2004
28 REMAIN IN EMIRATES AIRLINE CHAMPION STAKES
A total of 28 horses remain engaged in the £350,000 Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, the highlight of Champions Day at Newmarket, Saturday, October 16, after yesterday's forfeit stage.
AZAMOUR (John Oxx, IRE) was declared an intended starter for Newmarket after he was successful in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 11, when he had NORSE DANCER (David Elsworth) half a length behind him.
A major disappointment in the Irish Champion Stakes was King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes hero DOYEN (Saeed bin Suroor), one of four remaining entries for Godolphin. He could be joined by REFUSE TO BEND, victorious earlier this season in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and Coral Eclipse at Sandown, when he had the dual Vodafone Coronation Cup scorer WARRSAN in second. MAMOOL, winner of the Group Three September Stakes at Kempton last time and a likely starter in Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, as well as SULAMANI, last seen out when defeating Norse Dancer in the Juddmonte International at York, are the other two contenders from Godolphin, still seeking its first Emirates Airline Champion Stakes win.
The best of the three-year-olds are UltimateBet.com 2000 Guineas hero HAAFHD (Barry Hills), the Vodafone and Irish Oaks heroine OUIJA BOARD (Ed Dunlop), Irish 2000 Guineas victor BACHELOR DUKE (James Toller) and GREY SWALLOW (Dermot Weld, IRE), who defeated Vodafone Derby winner North Light in the Irish Derby at the Curragh.
Last year's winner RAKTI (Michael Jarvis) is still engaged and was a most impressive winner of the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 25, when he was half a length too strong for LUCKY STORY (Mark Johnston).
Aidan O'Brien has five entries going forward including the exciting prospect ACE while there are two possible contenders from France - triple Group One winner BAGO (Jonathan Pease, FR) and the unexposed APSIS (Andre Fabre, FR), who recently made a promising seasonal reappearance. Danish challenger DANO-MAST (Flemming Poulson, DEN), 10th last year, is a possible again.
Other leading contenders include the rapidly-improving performer MISTER MONET (Mark Johnston) and MUBTAKER (Marcus Tregoning), runner-up to Dalakhani in last season's Pix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
VINTAGE DARLEY DEWHURST IN PROSPECT
A vintage renewal of the £250,000 Group Darley Dewhurst Stakes looks in prospect with 28 juveniles remaining after the September 28 forfeit stage.
ETLAALA (Barry Hills) looked very exciting when taking the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster earlier this month, when he was half a length too powerful for ICEMAN (John Gosden), who had previously won the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
SHAMARDAL (Mark Johnston) caught many people's attention when taking the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in July and could bid to further his reputation at Goodwood while MONTGOMERY'S ARCH (Peter Chapple-Hyam) was also impressive at the same meeting when landing the Group Two Richmond Stakes. He could be joined by stable companion CAPTAIN HURRICANE, triumphant in the Group Two TNT July Stakes at the Newmarket July Meeting.
Godolphin has three possibles remaining including recent Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes victor PERFECTPERFORMANCE and the unbeaten LIBRETTIST, last seen out when landing a conditions race at the Doncaster St Leger meeting.
Aidan O'Brien, who record a memorable 1-2-3 in the 2001 Darley Dewhurst Stakes headed by the amazing Rock Of Gibraltar, has eight entries remaining including the Group Two scorer RUSSIAN BLUE and AD VALOREM, an impressive winner of his two starts to date and a declared runner in Friday's Group One Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes.
Two other exciting contenders could prove to be recent Newbury maiden winner NEWSROUND (Michael Jarvis) and HOME AFFAIRS (Sir Michael Stoute), who was most impressive when landing a maiden at Yarmouth on September 15.
58 STILL IN totesport CESAREWITCH
The £130,000 totesport Cesarewitch, the big handicap on Champions Day, has 58 horses going forward at the September 28 forfeit stage.
All of the leading contenders remain engaged in the marathon two mile, two furlong event, including the current ante-post market leaders DOROTHYS FRIEND (Roger Charlton) and NO REFUGE (Sir Mark Prescott).
totepsport will be generously providing a £100,000 bonus (£70,000 to stable staff and £30,000 to the trainer) for any stable that can win both legs of the totesport Autumn Double - the totesport Cambridgeshire (Saturday, October 2) and the totepsport Cesarewitch.
53 ENTRIES FOR VICTOR CHANDLER CHALLENGE STAKES
The £100,000 Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes on Champions Day has received 53 entries.
Godolphin has five entries for the seven-furlong contest including the consistent FIREBREAK while Aidan O'Brien has six to choose from including the promising performer ACE and ANTONIUS PIUS, first past the post in the French 2,000 Guineas.
The three-year-old generation is represented by Irish 2,000 Guineas hero BACHELOR DUKE (James Toller) and PASTORAL PURSUITS (Hughie Morrison), who caught the eye when defeating Firebreak in the Group Two Park Stakes at Doncaster earlier this month.
There are a brace of entries from France - RATIO (John Hammond), winner of the 2002 Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot, and KELTOS (Carlos Laffon-Parias), victorious in the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in 2002.
Other interesting entries include seven-furlong specialist NAYYIR (Gerard Butler), recently an excellent fourth in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and SOMNUS (Tim Easterby), winner of 2003 Haydock Sprint Cup and second to TANTE ROSE (Roger Charlton) in this year's renewal.
ASCOT ANNOUNCES CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH AT THE RACES
At The Races is today announced as Ascot's non-terrestrial media partner following a successful interim contract with the channel over the flat season.
At The Races will broadcast all Ascot's fixtures, including those transferred to other venues during closedown.
"We said just before the Royal Meeting that we felt it was in the best interests of both Ascot and the wider racing community to work with At The Races to try to bring everyone together under one banner," said Douglas Erskine-Crum, Chief Executive at Ascot.
"Sadly this has not proved possible so far. We remain in favour of a 59-racecourse solution and will continue to strive for it.
"Our reasons for supporting At The Races remain as they were in June. We are fundamentally of the opinion that a non-subscription channel best serves the wider long-term interests of racing in terms of its ability to appeal to a general audience and the consequential increased commercial benefits that are expected from interactive betting and data income streams in the future. As part of Sky's family package, an ever growing Sky audience will be exposed to cross-promotional marketing of At The Races."
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