Future Champions Day on tap at Newmarket

The best two-year-old raceday in the world, Future Champions Day, is the

glittering highlight of Newmarket's autumn season on Saturday. The card features

prize money of more than £1.13 million and six Group races, including two Group

1s, plus one of the season's great handicaps, the Cesarewitch.

Supplicant, last month's Mill Reef Stakes winner, tops a quality field for

the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes. The Richard Fahey juvenile will bid to become

the third horse in the last seven years to complete the Mill Reef/Middle Park

double.

"It is always a difficult decision to supplement," Fahey said, "but he has

won a listed and a Group 2 so this was the natural stepping stone.

"Supplicant is a real professional at home, he never overexerts himself, he

just does his work and then eats up. His owners, Cheveley Park Stud, like to use

Ryan Moore when they can but if Ryan is not available then Tony Hamilton will

keep the ride."

One of Supplicant's rivals is likely to be Astaire, winner of the Gimcrack

Stakes at York in August.

His trainer, Kevin Ryan, said: "Astaire has been great since the Gimcrack, he

has come out of the race very well. All his work has been done, he is very fresh

and well and is still looking very well.

"I don't think he has any preference as far as the ground is concerned. You

wouldn't have thought that he would have gone through the soft ground at York

but he did. And I don't believe that there is any such thing as fast ground at

this time of year."

Aidan O'Brien is responsible for eight of the 14 six-day acceptors for the

other Group 1 juvenile contest, the Dewhurst Stakes. His octet includes Coventry

and Futurity Stakes winner War Command and the unbeaten Great White Eagle, who

was last seen annexing the Round Tower at the Curragh at the start of last

month.

Godolphin has supplemented Champagne Stakes winner Outstrip and the

much-vaunted Be Ready, who also won at the St Leger meeting, at a cost of

£30,000 apiece.

Others of note include Fitri Hay's Phoenix hero Sudirman and Sheikh Hamdan

bin Rashid al Maktoum's July winner Anjaal.

"The day is all about showcasing the stars of the future," said Michael

Prosser, head of racing for the East region for the Jockey Club.

"Let's not forget at the same meeting 12 months ago Dawn Approach, Just the

Judge and Trading Leather were successful and all three went on to win classics

in 2013.

"We are very pleased with the quality and quantity of entries at the five-day

stage and the Dewhurst Stakes once again looks as if it will be Europe's

defining two-year-old race of the season."

Later on the card, Smoky Hill is "definitely well handicapped" according to

his trainer, Mikel Delzangles, as he bids to become the first French winner of

the Cesarewitch Handicap since Monsieur l'Amiral in 1946.

Run over a stamina-sapping 2 1/4 miles, the Cesarewitch is, with its total

prize fund of £250,000, the joint-richest handicap in Europe. 

Delzangles enjoyed his first big overseas success on the Rowley Mile three

years ago when Makfi landed the Two Thousand Guineas.

"Smoky Hill is definitely well handicapped off a mark of 90 given that he ran

so well when fourth in a Group 3 last time out after the weights came out,"

Delzangles said. "We nearly ran him in the Prix du Cadran (on Arc Day) but this

race is worth more and we can always go for the Cadran next year. With over 30

runners he is going to need some luck, but it is always great to race in

England."

Prosser commented on the state of the ground.

"The going is currently good-to-firm and the forecast is for it to remain

mainly dry through until Thursday," he added. "Then it is expected to become

cooler with rain overnight Thursday and into Friday. There is some uncertainty

about volume."

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