Mutamam faces only three

Mutamam will have just three rivals in his bid to win the Stg£35,000 Group Three Milcars September Stakes for the second successive year at Kempton tomorrow.

Maktoum Al Maktoum`s six-year-old slammed Kuwait Trooper by seven lengths in this mile and a half event 12 months ago when six horses took him on.

Although only half that number will be in opposition this time, Mutamam has to concede weight all round.

And it is that which worries his Newmarket trainer Alec Stewart.

'He`s in great form. I couldn`t be happier with him but he`s got to give a lot of weight to them all,' he told the Racing Channel today.

The six-year-old made an impressive seasonal debut when winning the Princess of Wales`s Stakes at Newmarket in July before finishing unplaced behind Galileo in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes less than three weeks later.

But Stewart believes that race came too soon as the horse had suffered several setbacks earlier in the year including a serious stomach infection.

Mutamam is quoted at 16-1 with Coral Eurobet for the Breeders` Cup Turf, a race in which he finished fourth to the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Kalanisi at Churchill Downs last year.

Fantastic Light, who takes on Galileo in the Ireland The Food Island Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown tomorrow, is the 7-2 favourite for the Turf at Belmont Park, New York, on October 27th.