Fame And Glory headlines Champion Stakes
by Jeff Lowe
Free from the shadow of Sea The Stars, Fame And Glory is the standout for the $579,920 Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Eng-G1) on Saturday at Newmarket.
Fame And Glory will make a 13-day turnaround after finishing sixth behind Sea The Stars in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) on October 4 at Longchamp. He finished second to Sea The Stars in the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) on June 6 and the Tattersalls Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1) on September 5.
In his three other starts this year, Fame And Glory registered victories in the P. W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (Ire-G3) on April 19 and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (Ire-G2) on May 10 at Leopardstown and scored by five lengths in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-G1) at the Curragh.
Aidan O’Brien, who trains the Montjeu (Ire) colt for Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, will bid for his first win in the 1 ¼-mile Champion Stakes, which offers an automatic berth in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
Sariska, the Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) and Darley Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) winner, will face males for the first time.
The Pivotal filly finished second to Dar Re Mi in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-G1) on August 20 at York in her most recent start.
Mawatheeq will go for his third straight win for owner-breeder Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum and trainer Marcus Tregoning. A Kentucky-bred Danzig colt, Mawatheeq notched his first stakes win in the Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Eng-G3) on September 27 at Ascot.
Trainer John Gosden entered both Qatar Prix Dollar (Fr-G2) winner Pipedreamer and Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes (Eng-G1) winner Virtual for Cheveley Park Stud.
Owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah has Princess of Wales's Blue Square Stakes (Eng-G2) winner Doctor Fremantle and French Group 2 winner Twice Over in the field of 14.
Prix d’Ispahan (Fr-G1) winner Never On Sunday and Darley Prix Jean Romanet (Fr-G1) winner Alpine Rose will travel in from France.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer