SCHIERGEN AND HARTY SEEKING FIRST NEWMARKET WIN IN DUBAI CHALLENGE STAKES

Peter Schiergen, from Germany, and Sabrina Harty, from Ireland, are both hoping to break their Newmarket ducks in an international renewal of the Group 2 Dubai Challenge Stakes at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse on Saturday October 12th. No less than half of the 14 entries for this £90,000 seven-furlong event come from overseas and both Amarillo, representing Schiergen, and Ansgar, who is trained by Harty in County Kildare, have been confirmed as intended runners. The Dubai Challenge Stakes is part of a brilliant seven-race for Dubai Future Champions Day which boasts £1.13 million in prizemoney and features two Group 1 juvenile contests, the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and the Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes, not to mention the historic Betfred Cesarewitch Handicap. Schiergen, who is best known in this country for his handling of the 2012 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, Danedream, has already made one successful raid with Amarillo, landing the Group 3 Jury Stakes at Haydock Park in June. "Amarillo has suffered from bad luck in each of his last two races and prior to that chased home Moonlight Cloud in Paris,” Schiergen said. "Last time at Munich there was no pace and he was trapped on the inside before having to switch to get a run. "Any ground is not normally a problem for him and the current ‘good to firm’ at Newmarket would be fine.” Harty has masterminded Ansgar’s rapid development from handicapper to Pattern class performer in the last 12 months. He posted arguably a career best effort on his latest outing when runner-up in the Group 3 Solonoway Stakes at The Curragh. "I am really excited about running him on Saturday when Rory Cleary will ride,” Harty said. "To win a race at Newmarket would be more than great, it would be fabulous! "Ansgar is a big horse who has just kept growing over the years and eats like a monster. We have been delighted with him since his last run, he is in great form, very, very fresh, and the drop back to seven furlongs should suit him. "I just hope that they don’t get too much rain in Newmarket as he does not want dead ground. He is a genuine, gutsy horse with plenty of pace – he has a huge stride and likes to be able to use it.” 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