Dubai Future Champions Day boasts an impressive card on Saturday, October 8, and preceding the two feature juvenile races, the £300,000 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (3pm) and the £150,000 Group One Emaar Middle Park Stakes (2.25pm), is the £80,000 Group Two Challenge Stakes.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The seven-furlong contest for three-year-olds and upwards kicks off the tremendous card at 1.55pm and has attracted 34 entries, including the Richard Hannon-trained Strong Suit, successful this season at the distance in both the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group Two Bet365 Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Further notable entries include two contenders with Group One credentials from Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien. Group One winner Zoffany ran the mighty Frankel close when second in the St James's Palace Stakes in June, while Together has been runner-up four times in the top grade, including behind Blue Bunting in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at the course in May.
There is a potential challenger from Scandinavia in Giant Sandman, trained in Norway by Rune Haugen. The four-year-old won the Group Three Polar Cup at Ovrevoll in July.
Other high-class contenders are the Sir Henry Cecil-trained Chachamaidee, QIPCO 1000 Guineas third Maqaasid from the John Gosden yard, Godolphin's smart pair of Delegator and Saamidd, King Torus and Libranno from the Hannon yard and the Charles O'Brien-trained Bewitched.
