Bring on the Champions…
Thursday 18th October, 2007
Bring on the Champions…
NEWMARKET’S exceptional two-day Champions’ meeting starts on Friday October 19 - get ready for a feast of top-class action.
Two Group 1s, two Group 2s, three Group 3s and two Listed races as well as the famous Cesarewitch handicap are all to be staged on the NatWest Rowley Mile course in the space of 29 heady hours at HQ.
The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes and the Darley Dewhurst Stakes are the meeting’s highlights on Saturday. But Friday’s card will also contain drama and thrills as nine races will be played out with the Georgia House Stud Darley Stakes, a Group 3, taking centre stage.
Trainer William Knight is hoping that Goodwood Listed winner Illustrious Blue can be competitive as the four-year-old moves back into Group company.
His last foray in the grade saw him beaten six lengths to Manduro back in April here at Newmarket in the Earl Of Sefton Stakes.
Knight said: I think he will run a big race. He is comparatively fresh because he had the summer off and the stiff nine furlong trip on softish ground is fine.
“I think he will go in the ground and he has a chance. He deserves to be running in this grade after wining at Listed level. The next natural step for him is a Group 3.”
The action gets underway at 1pm. It is going to be good….