Glittering field for Emirates Airline Champion Stakes
Wednesday 6th August, 2008
Will stanjamesuk.com 2000
THIS YEAR’S stanjamesuk.com 2000
The Aidan O’Brien-trained ace is just one of a superb 64-strong entry that reads like a who’s who of the season’s star performers.
As well as dual Guineas-winning star Henrythenavigator, fellow Classic victors New Approach, Halfway To Heaven and Frozen Fire have been entered alongside the best of the older horses, headed by Duke Of Marmalade.
With the likes of
Trainer Peter Rau has entered the top-class Saddex for the prestigious 10-furlong contest and the five-year-old Sadler’s Wells horse, sixth to Dylan Thomas in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, could bid to become the first German-trained winner of the race.
Saddex’s latest outing saw him defeat the Michael Jarvis-trained Pressing to win the Group One Premio Presidente della Repubblica over 10 furlongs at the Capannelle on May 18. That victory followed a highly creditable half-length second to Duke Of Marmalade in the Group One Prix Ganay at Longchamp on his seasonal debut.
Rau is eyeing the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes as one of two end-of-season targets for his charge.
He revealed today: "The long-term plan is to go to either Newmarket for the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes or to Longchamp for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and we will make a decision after his next race at Baden Baden in September - the Grosser Preis von Baden.
"The form of his second to Duke Of Marmalade in the Prix Ganay has worked out very well, which pleases me, and that was his first start of the year, so it was a good effort.
"The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is a race of great prestige, so it would be good to win it."
The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is the feature event on Champions Day at
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