RAVEN'S PASS tunes up for Saturday's Darley Dewhurst one of the highlights of' CHAMPIONS DAY at Newmarket

NEWMARKET RACECOURSES MEDIA RELEASE

for immediate release, Saturday, October 13, 2007

RAVEN’S PASS TUNES UP FOR DARLEY DEWHURST

The John Gosden-trained Raven’s Pass, unbeaten in three races, will tune up for his assault on the £250,000 Darley Dewhurst Stakes, one of the highlights of Champions’ Day at Newmarket next Saturday (20th October), by working over six furlongs with a galloping companion on the NatWest Rowley Mile tomorrow (Sunday). He will start from the pre-parade ring at about 7.30am.

The Darley Dewhurst is boiling up into the two-year-old race of the season, with the brilliant Jim Bolger-trained star New Approach, Brian Meehan’s Fast Company and the David Myerscough-trained Bruges also set to put their unbeaten records on the line. Ultra-tough opposition could come from Godolphin’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner, Rio De La Plata, who would be renewing rivalry with his National Stakes conqueror, New Approach, as well as the very impressive Mark Johnston-trained colt McCartney, and the Paul Cole-trained pair, Luck Money and Moynahan, the latter due to be supplemented for the race on Monday.

"It looks like it’s going to be a sensational contest, better than we could possibly have dreamed of," said Newmarket’s Director of Racing, Michael Prosser. "With the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes also looking like being a top class renewal, with the likes of George Washington, Notnowcato, Passage of Time, Multidimensional and Literato all apparently on course for it, plus four other Group races and the totesport.com Cesarewitch Handicap, next Saturday is going to be corker!

"I’ll be giving a going report and full weather update tomorrow, but at the moment it looks like we could get rain on Tuesday before it dries up for the remainder of the week. If that forecast is right, one would expect good ground for Champions’ Day when we’ll be racing on the stands’ side strip of ground, not used since May. If we don’t get all the rain they’re predicting for Tuesday, it could be on the quicker side of good, but either way the track will be in fantastic shape.

"Friday’s card, which features the Group 3 Georgia House Stud Darley Stakes, will be run on the far side course which we used utilised for last weekend’s Cambridgeshire Meeting."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael Prosser, 07802 844 578
Alistair Haggis, 07884 026 487