Irish contenders at the Newmarket's Future Champions Festival It's the Dubai Future Champions Festival at Newmarket across Friday and Saturday and there's a good chunk of Irish interest in the action at Britain's Flat headquarters. Friday Brussels — 13:15 Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes (Group 3) Aidan O'Brien's Wootton Bassett colt heads for Newmarket after producing his best effort so far when second in the Middle Park Stakes over 6f at the track last month. He's down in trip/class on his return to England. Composing, Moments Of Joy, Precise, Queen Of Hawaii, Sugar Island — 14:57 Newmarket bet365 Fillies Mile (Group 1) The feature event on day one has attracted five Irish entrants among a field of 11 declared. Top billing goes to Aidan O'Brien's Precise, winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh last month and now unbeaten in three since her debut second at Fairyhouse in July. Her stablemate Composing was favourite for that race but failed to see it out having led early, throwing in the towel easily. Moments Of Joy and Sugar Island make it a four-strong assault for Ballydoyle, although both have improvement to find. Joseph O'Brien sends over Queen Of Hawaii, a Kingman who was sixth behind Composing on her debut in June but is 2-2 since, including a Curragh Group 3 in August when she proved much too strong for Moments Of Joy. Saturday Endorsement, Pierre Bonnard — 13:50 Newmarket Night Of Thunder Zetland Stakes (Group 3) Outside of the Cesarewitch Handicap, there are six Irish runners at Newmarket on Saturday and they are all trained by Aidan O'Brien. Endorsement, winner of a Tipperary maiden in August, is the mount of Wayne Lordan in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes, while Christophe Soumillon partners Dundalk maiden winner Pierre Bonnard. New Zealand, Straight Up — 14:25 Newmarket Emirates Autumn Stakes (Group 3) Straight Up made a winning start at Listowel in a heavy-ground maiden at the Harvest Festival recently and has Soumillon for company now, while Frankel colt New Zealand put his debut experience at the Curragh to good use in scoring second time out there in maiden company in July and has been off since. The second and third from that win both obliged next time and have since run well in Group-race company for this trainer. Gstaad, Italy — 15:00 Newmarket Darley Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1) Gstaad looked a star in the making when he won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June but has since been narrowly denied in a pair of quality Group 1s in France and Ireland. He's got Soumillon on board and they are joined by Italy (Wayne Lordan) as O'Brien bids for a record ninth Dewhurst win. Hipop De Loire, Dawn Rising, The Shunter, Bunting, Alphonse Le Grande, Ndaawi, Mordor, Seddon, Winter Fog, Reverend Hubert — 15:40 Newmarket Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage Handicap) The Cesarewitch has become a real playground for the top National Hunt yards in recent times and the two-and-a-quarter-mile test remains that on paper now. Irish yards more commonly associated with jumps have won this six times in seven years and there are 10 runners fitting that profile among a field of 21 this time. Alphonse Le Grande won 12 months ago and Tony Martin's charge is 12lb higher in the ratings now after his best effort since at York in August suggested he's still got something to offer. Willie Mullins won three in a row from 2018 onwards and counts Hipop De Loire (Clifford Lee), Bunting (William Buick) and Winter Fog (Sean D Bowen) as his challengers now. Gordon Elliott will saddle Ndaawi (Cieren Fallon) and Mordor (Jamie Spencer) as he bids for a first Cesarewitch, while the Irish interest is completed by Dawn Rising for Joseph O'Brien, The Shunter for Emmet Mullins, Seddon for John McConnell and Reverend Hubert for Charles Byrnes.
