OUTSTRIP HEADS @GODOLPHIN CHALLENGE ON DUBAI FUTURE CHAMPIONS DAY

The royal blue of Godolphin will be very much in evidence on Saturday at Dubai Future Champions Day on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse with Outstrip in the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes spearheading a five-strong challenge from Sheikh Mohammed’s Newmarket-based string. "We gave Sunday’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp a miss with Outstrip hoping for better ground in the Dewhurst,” said Simon Crisford, Godolphin’s racing manager.    "That is a decision that might backfire, we will have to wait and see. However, Outstrip only wouldn’t like extremes of ground and, although there is some rain forecast, I don’t think that we are going to get extremes. "His Champagne Stakes victory was a top notch effort and we are very pleased with him.” Assessing the importance of the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, a seven furlong contest with a total prize fund of £403,000, Crisford said: "We won the Dewhurst last year with Dawn Approach and whichever horse wins the race on Saturday, it tells you that you have a live Classic horse for the following season, which is always a nice position to be in.” Be Ready was, like Outstrip, supplemented by Godolphin for the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes on Monday but was not among Thursday’s six declared runners following a bad scope result. Lockwoodis one horse that has really been earning his corn over the summer, with two victories followed by a close second behind Viztoria in the Group 2 OLBG Park Stakes at Doncaster on his latest start. He has nine opponents in the £90,000 Group 2 Dubai Challenge Stakes over seven furlongs.  "Lockwood is progressing along the right lines and has had a good campaign – he stepped up to a different level with his second place in the Park Stakes last time, it was a very good run,” Crisford said.  "He would prefer some rain – the softer the better for him.” Godolphin will be double-handed in the £60,000 Group 3 Darley Stakes (1m 1f) with both French Navy, already a dual winner at both Group 3 and Listed level, and Kassiano, who won three successive races in Dubai earlier in the year before finishing second in Group 1 company.  "The nine furlong trip of the Darley Stakes opens doors for both milers and mile and a quarter horses and I hope that it will work well for both French Navy and Kassiano,” Crisford said. The Godolphin challenge is completed by Safety Check, the winner of two Newmarket handicaps (one on the July Course and one on the Rowley Mile) who will be making the step up to Group 3 company for the first time in the £40,000 Autumn Stakes over one mile.  "Safety Check has come through nurseries in great style and this represents another question for him,” Crisford said. "He is battle hardened and, the way he won at Newmarket last time, you couldn’t rule him out.” About the Dubai Future Champions Day The best two-year-old raceday in the world, Dubai Future Champions Day is the glittering highlight of Newmarket’s autumn season and boasts prizemoney of almost £1.13 million. Six Group races, including two Group 1s, plus one of the season’s great handicaps, the Betfred Cesarewitch, will light up an afternoon of racing to remember on Saturday October 12th. Advance tickets are available now at the discounted rate of £20.70 for the Grandstand & Paddock and £36 for Premier, with bigger discounts for bookings of 10 or more tickets and free entry for all accompanied children under the age of 18.   To book, visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call 0844 579 3010.   For further information please contact: Michael Prosser, head of racing, East region for the Jockey Club, 07802 844 578 or Tony Rushmer, racing PR manager, Newmarket Racecourses, 07702 579 382