Champion Stakes at Newmarket

today´s card at Newmarket is the last really big raceday of the year in Europe and fully lives up to its "Champions Day" tag. Main feature is the Group One Champion Stakes over 10 furlongs at 16.10 CET, in which Jim Bolger´s New Approach (Kevin Manning) looks likely to start a strong favourite. He is the highest-rated horse in the field, having won the Derby and Irish Champion, and was Europe´s champion 2yo last year, but there could be reasons for opposing him today. He has had some hard races, is a difficult ride, sometimes pulling hard, and struggled to beat Traffic Guard (reopposes today) last time in Ireland, while Derby winners do not have a good record in this race. Andre Fabre bids to continue the excellent French record in this event with Russian Cross (Olivier Peslier), who however has never run in a Group One before. German racegoers will be interested in the performance of Sir Michael Stoute´s Linngari (Ryan Moore), who was so impresive when winning at Munich in J uly. Obviously this is much tougher, but at the likely odds, he could be a sporting each-way bet.

Betting forecast:
1.Race: Major Cadeaux - Stimulation - Laa Rayb
2.Race: Rip Van Winkle - Ashram - Delegator
3.Race: New Approach - Russian Cross - Twice Over
4.Race: Askar Tau - Greenwich Village - Gee Dee Nen
5.Race: Aspen Darlin - Marquesa - Purissima
6.Race: Dar Re Mi - Unsung Heroine - Crystal Capella
7.Race: Distinction - Veracity - Speed Gifted