CHAMPIONSHIP OUT TO PROVE A POINT, IMPERIAL STRIDE TO MAKE GODOLPHIN DEBUT
Championship Point heads to Goodwood for the £30,000 Listed Charles James Homes Foundation Stakes (3.55pm) on Wednesday, September 20, in a bid to recapture the form that saw him land an impressive victory in the Listed Letheby & Christopher Predominate Stakes over 11 furlongs at the West Sussex course in May.
The Charles James Homes Foundation Stakes, run over just short of 10 furlongs, is the highlight of an entertaining seven-race card which forms the penultimate fixture of Goodwood's 2006 season.
Championship Point, who will be ridden by champion jockey-elect Ryan Moore, has been tried in lofty company since his Goodwood win, contesting the Group One Vodafone Deby at Epsom and the Group Two Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, before failing to stay an extended mile and five furlongs when ninth behind Sixties Icon in the Ladbrokes St Leger at York on September 9.
Trainer Mick Channon revealed today: "Everything's good and he's working well. He didn't stay in the Ladbrokes St Leger, which I suppose is not surprising when you think the dam was a Group winner over six furlongs.
"Things haven't gone right for him but we're bringing him back to a trip that we know he gets and we'll take it from there. He knows the track, he's in good form and I'm very pleased with him - there are no excuses."
The West Ilsley trainer retains faith in his charge, saying: "I know he's a good horse and we haven't seen the best of him. We've had a go at winning big races with him and if I stop doing that then I might as well pack in. That's always been our way."
The high quality contest, which is the final Listed race of the campaign at the picturesque West Sussex track, has 10 declared runners at the 48-hour stage including last season's Group Two Daily Record Scottish Derby-winner Imperial Stride, who is set to make his long-awaited debut for Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor and will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy.
The field also contains the Mark Johnston-trained Listed winner, Nakheel, who made a satisfactory seasonal bow when fifth behind Echo Of Light in a York Group Three over just short of 10 furlongs on September 9, as well as Group Three winner Tau Ceti and Group Two Bet365 Lancashire Oaks runner-up, Local Spirit.
The Charles James Home Foundation Stakes has a superb pedigree, with the participants often of Group race calibre, and was won in 2005 by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Etesaal who prevailed by a length and a quarter over subsequent Group Three winner, and Group One Vodafone Coronation Cup third, Enforcer.
The victorious Godolphin horse was partnered by Frankie Dettori and the same owner/trainer/jockey combination prevailed two years earlier with that season's Group One Prix Jean Prat runner-up, Imtiyaz.
Marcus Tregoning has a good record at Goodwood and he has taken this race twice, in 2000 with the following season's Group Two Prix Dollar winner Albarahin, and in 2004 with Alkaadhem, who had previously captured the Group Three Select Racing UK On Sky 432 Stakes at the course and went on to land the Group Two Jebel Hatta at Nad Al Sheba on his next start.
Angmering Park trainer Lady Herries is another to have captured the race twice in recent years, and both her successes came with Danish Rhapsody, who posted back-to-back wins in 1997 and 1998 under Paul Eddery, while Henry Cecil took the prize in 1991 and 1992 with subsequent Group Two Prince of Wales's Stakes hero Perpendicular, and King's Loch, respectively.
The durable mare Diamond White, trained by Mick Ryan, won the Charles James Homes Foundation Stakes in 1999 and went on to secure the Group Two Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp 11 days later.
The seven-race card commences at 2.10pm with the £5,000 Ibetx.com Handicap over a mile, which was won last year by the Milton Bradley-trained veteran, Lord Chamberlain, who was partnered by Ryan Moore.
The fixture also features the £7,000 Ibetx.com Money Man EBF Maiden Stakes (2.45pm) over nine furlongs, the six-furlong £8,500 Ibetx.com Money Man Handicap (3.20pm), the £8,500 South Downs Handicap (4.30pm) over a mile and three furlongs, as well as the penultimate £8,500 Join The Racing UK Club Handicap (5.05pm) over a mile and a half.
The card concludes at 5.40pm with the five-furlong £5,000 Racing UK On Sky 432 Apprentice Stakes, which last season provided a thrilling finale as the Marc Halford-ridden Attorney held the determined challenge of Richard Kingscote aboard Dance To The Blues by a diminishing head.
Goodwood Racecourse's final fixture of the 2006 season takes place on Tuesday, September 26, and features the £50,000 Group Three Mercury Catering Consultants Supreme Stakes, run over seven furlongs.
NEWMARKET ANNOUNCES AUTUMN HOME OF HORSERACING TOURS AND MASTERCLASSES
Fascinating behind-the-scenes tours at Dalham Hall Stud, the focal point of Sheikh Mohammed's worldwide breeding operation, Peter Chapple-Hyam's flourishing stable and Tattersalls will be on offer to Newmarket racegoers on a first-come, first-served basis this autumn.
Illustrated talks by BHB Handicapper Nigel Gray and the incomparable "horse whisperer" Yarmy will be other special highlights of the autumn season at the Home of Racing.
Lisa Hancock, Newmarket's Managing Director, said: "Newmarket is a town like nowhere else on earth, where the racehorse is king and where there are so many interesting horseracing-related places to visit. We hope to enable a small number of our racegoers to visit some of these prior to racing on our bigger days.
"In the spring, the tours of William Haggas's stables and to Rossdale's equine veterinary hospital both 1sold out and we had excellent feedback from those who went on them."
Home of Horseracing Tours
Following the very popular introduction at the Stan James Guineas Festival of pre-racing tours to Newmarket racing venues that would not normally be open to the public, it has been confirmed that these will take place on three days this autumn - Friday, September 29, Saturday, September 30 and Saturday, October 14.
The tours will cost £8 per person and must be booked in advance, on a first come, first served basis by calling 01638 675 500. The tours conducted in the spring sold out very quickly so early booking is advisable (numbers are limited to approx. 50 people for each tour).
Friday 29th September - A behind the scenes tour of Dalham Hall Stud, home of Darley. Dalham Hall was the first of Darley's studs in the Newmarket area and serves as the nerve centre for Sheikh Mohammed's worldwide bloodstock interests. Stallions standing at Dalham Hall include Fantastic Light, Singspiel, Halling, Mark Of Esteem and Dubawi.
A coach will depart from The NatWest Rowley Mile at the Grandstand & Paddock Turnstiles at 11.30am. The tour will last approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Saturday 30th September (totesport Cambridgeshire Day) - A visit to Tattersalls, Europe's leading Bloodstock Sales, for a tour of the auction house with director Jimmy George (the October Yearling Sale begins the following week).
A coach will depart The NatWest Rowley Mile at the Grandstand & Paddock Turnstiles at 10.45am. The tour will last approximately one hour.
Saturday 14th October, Champions' Day - A visit to Peter Chapple-Hyam's training yard, St Gatien Stables in Newmarket, for a tour with Peter Chapple-Hyam himself.
A coach will depart from The NatWest Rowley Mile at the Grandstand & Paddock turnstiles at 9.50am. The tour will last approximately one hour.
Masterclasses
The Autumn Masterclasses at The NatWest Rowley Mile have now been confirmed.
Saturday, September 30 (totesport Cambridgeshire Day) - Yarmy, the "horse whisperer", who is renowned throughout the racing world as a master in handling problematic racehorses.
Saturday, October 14 (Champions' Day) - Nigel Gray, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority's senior handicapper.
The Masterclasses will be conducted by Lorna Bradburne in the Parade Ring approximately 45 minutes before the first race. There will also be video footage displayed on the big screen to illustrate the content of the Masterclass.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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