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Who will win one of Europe's richest races in 2009?

The seven-furlong £1,000,000 Tattersalls Timeform Million is one of the most coveted two-year-old contests in the racing calendar and this year’s race, to be staged during Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire Meeting on the NatWest Rowley Mile on October 3, 2009, has attracted 201 entries, an increase of 15 on 2008.

The Tattersalls Timeform Million and the Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800 on the same day are open to two-year-olds that were catalogued for Book 1 of the 2008 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The inaugural Tattersalls Timeform Million in 2008 saw the winner and runner-up go on to land prestigious championship races next time. Donativum, a half-length victory over Crowded House, subsequently scored on the biggest stage in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, for trainer John Gosden.

Crowded House, trained at Manton by Brian Meehan, wrapped up his campaign with an impressive triumph in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and is currently a leading ante-post fancy for this year’s Derby.

Gosden has 12 entries this year as he bids for further success in the lucrative contest. That total is one short of the biggest single entry from a trainer, posted by Aidan O’Brien. The Ballydoyle 13 includes the joint top lot from Book One of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the Montjeu colt out of Vanishing Prairie, who sold for 650,000 guineas.

The race has also attracted the other joint sale topper. The Montjeu colt out of Danaskaya was knocked down to Abba’s Benny Anderson and is now in training with John Dunlop.

In all, nine of the top 10 lots from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale are entered for the Tattersalls Timeform Millions races.

There are nine entries from France, with five of those trained by Andre Fabre. These include a Selkirk half-brother to the multiple Group One winners Alborada and Albanova, as well as a Tiger Hill colt out of Group One producer Darara, who sold to Darley’s John Ferguson for 500,000 guineas. The French contingent also includes the Freddie Head-trained Lataradud, as well as two entries from the John Hammond stable and one trained by Jonathan Pease.

Godolphin has 13 entries, while Sheikh Mohammed himself has 12 two-year-olds engaged. Among the Godolphin contingent is an Oasis Dream half-brother to Stan James 1000 Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo. The bay colt sold for 500,000 guineas to top the opening day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

TATTERSALLS TIMEFORM FILLIES’ 800

The £800,000 Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800 is also staged over seven furlongs of the NatWest Rowley Mile on October 3, 2009. This year’s race has attracted a 97-strong entry including all of the top 10 highest priced fillies from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

A total of 49% of lots catalogued at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale have been entered for the two races, an increase on last year’s 43%.

Michael Jarvis was successful in 2008 with Tiger Eye. The Newmarket trainer has two entries in his bid to repeat that victory – a Dansili filly out of Blaze Of Colour bought for 200,000 guineas and a filly by Danehill Dancer out of Source Of Life, knocked down for 130,000 guineas.

Godolphin’s three entries includes the Pivotal filly out of Zibilene. At 500,000 guineas, she was the highest priced filly at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Second-season trainer David Lanigan, formerly assistant trainer to Henry Cecil, dominates the entry with eight two-year-olds entered, three more than Brian Meehan.

German trainer Peter Schiergen has entered two fillies. Basteta is owned by Stall Litex, as is her stable-mate, the Montjeu filly out of Aim For The Top who was knocked down for 200,000 guineas. The French entry sees Andre Fabre and Alain de Royer-Dupre with one representative apiece.

Sir Michael Stoute has a trio of entries, two of which are owned by The Queen. Her Majesty’s filly by Galileo out of Dolydille was bought for 290,000 guineas at Tattersalls, while the Danehill Dancer juvenile out of In The Limelight was a 100,000 guineas purchase.

Commenting on the entries for the Tattersalls Timeform Millions races, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said: "We could not be more pleased with the entries for the 2009 Tattersalls Timeform Millions. The races have not only attracted a higher percentage of entries than last year, which is remarkable in the current climate, but also horses from all sectors of the market.

"Nine of the top ten highest priced lots from Book One of the October Yearling sale have been entered, while the number of entries from the middle to lower level of the market is equally encouraging.

"In addition to the feature races, the Million and the Fillies' 800, we introduced the unique Tattersalls Timeform 3YO Trophy two years ago and this year added the six-furlong Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint - the two extra races have without doubt widened the appeal of the series. At the same time we significantly reduced the owners' entry costs and the level of entries suggests that this move has also been extremely well received. Donativum and Crowded House, winner and second in the inaugural Tattersalls Timeform Million, will be hard acts to follow, but it looks good at this early stage."

Newmarket's Director of Racing, Michael Prosser, added: "For their respective inaugural running, both the Tattersalls Timeform Million and the Tattersalls Timeform Fillies' 800 were races of outstanding quality. What was particularly striking was the strength and depth of the Tattersalls Timeform Million, the form of which stands up to the closest scrutiny. We are very pleased with the initial entries for this year's two races and are looking forward to similarly excellent competition in 2009."

Last year, the Tattersalls Timeform Million was the second richest race to be run in Britain, with only the Derby worth more while the Tattersalls Fillies 800 was the fourth richest race of the entire season in Britain. Both races were also among the 10 richest races to be run in Europe during 2008.