Frankel heads 12 in Dewhurst Stakes
British-trained colts dominate European racing in the juvenile division, a fact which will be underlined at the Champions Day fixture at Newmarket on Saturday.
But France will try to offer a robust reply by sending a strong force for the other Group One race on the card.
The Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes has 12 runners at the six-day declaration stage and, with four colts still unbeaten, something has to give. Henry Cecil’s Frankel, the 10-length winner of the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes, is the market leader for both this race and next year’s 2000
Guineas but he will have those pretentions put under the closest scrutiny if both Saamidd and Dream Ahead take him on for a race which will decide who is crowned champion juvenile.
Godolphin paid £20,000 to supplement Saamidd, who entered the reckoning with his victory in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, but the final decision on the participation of Dream Ahead – already a dual Group One winner in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes – hinges on a gallop on Wednesday.
Aidan O'Brien, who won the race with Rock Of Gibraltar in 2001 and Beethoven 12 months ago, still has Master Of Hounds, Oracle, Roderic O'Connor and Seville at his choice for this year’s renewal while another Irish trainer, Jim Bolger - who won three successive Dewhursts with
Teofilo, New Approach and Intense Focus - has left in Glor Na Mara.
Cecil won last year’s Emirates Airline Champion Stakes and the colt will be attempting to make it a memorable day for the master of Warren Place when he defends his crown. Again Godolphin have opened the cheque book, this time to supplement Poet's Voice – the winner of the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner at Ascot last month -at a cost of £30,000.
French-trained horses have won the race twice in the last four years and Criquette Head-Maarek is hoping to land a second major win on the Rowley Mile this season. She won the 1000 Guineas with Special Duty in May and hopes Fuisse will provide second success in the Champion Stakes, following on from Hatoof in 1993.
Fuisse, who has won four of his last five starts, goes into Saturday’s race on the back of a victory in the Group One Prix du Moulin at Longchamp last month when he beat Rio de la Plata (a Group One winner in Italy on Saturday) by a head. “Fuisse has done well since his victory in the Prix du Moulin,” Head-Maarek said “and I think that the race looked quite a strong renewal, especially with Rio de la Plata winning a Group One in Italy over the weekend.
“He felt good and was a bit fresh at Longchamp, which is why he got loose before the start - he whipped round very quickly and there’s no chance of staying on his back when he does that. We will try to avoid a repeat at Newmarket and we will have a lead horse to take him down to the start.
“The going won’t be an excuse for him but he is a better horse on good ground because he has a huge action.
“He is a very good miler but the step up to 10 furlongs is a bit of an unknown. He lost last year’s Prix du Jockey Club due to his lack of stamina, but he is a year older now and, if he can wait in his race, then I am hopeful that he can stay the trip.”
Further French interest is set to be provided by the Eric Libaud-trained Vision d’Etat, whose four Group One victories include the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, and Group Two winner Shimraan, representing Alain de Royer-Dupre.
The field could also include dual Oaks winner Snow Fairy, representing Ed Dunlop, and Gitano Hernando, who gave trainer Marco Botti the biggest success of his fledgling career when landing the Grade One Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita 12 months ago and came through a recent prep run at Dundalk 11 days ago.
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