Shadwell Middle Park Stakes Entry Hits Century

The £170,000 Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes is the top six-furlong race for two-year-old colts in Britain and the 2007 renewal has attracted a fantastic 100-strong entry.

Irish champion trainer Aidan O'Brien holds a formidable hand as his remarkable entry of 27 colts includes the unbeaten Group Two Coventry Stakes winner Henrythenavigator as well as Lizard Island, who scored at the second attempt when taking the Group Two Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks Railway Stakes at the Curragh on July 1, from stablemate South Dakota, and could head to Newmarket after contesting the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes at Goodwood today

O'Brien has won the race three times with Minardi (2000), Johannesburg (2001) and Ad Valorem (2004).

Peter Chapple-Hyam took the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes in 2006 with Dutch Art, the trainer's second victory in the Newmarket feature following the brilliant Rodrigo de Triano's triumph in 1991, and his exciting colt Winker Watson could lead the home defence.

Winker Watson is unbeaten in three outings, having landed the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot before overcoming a slow start to snatch a last gasp win in the six-furlong Group Two TNT July Stakes at Newmarket's Ritz Club July Festival on July 12.

Winker Watson had the David Elsworth-trained Swiss Franc in third at Newmarket, with the Barry Hills-trained pair Dark Angel and Bob's Surprise fourth and fifth respectively and the Andrew Balding-trained Dream Eater sixth.

Chapple-Hyam also has Brave Prospector, Amaakin, Orientalist Art, Tame That Tiger and Listed AAIM Dragon Stakes winner Western Art, who rins in Friday's Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, engaged.

Jamie Osborne has entered Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner Drawnfromthepast, Group Two Coventry Stakes sixth Cee Bargara and maiden winner Ten Meropa.

Godolphin's trainer Saeed bin Suroor is responsible for Emirates Flyer, the superbly bred Ibn Khaldun, by Dubai Destination out of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Gossamer, and Keep Discovering.

Balmont landed the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes in 2003 for Jeremy Noseda and the Newmarket handler has Accused, Captain Brilliance, Karoush, Myanmar, Storm Sir, Swaziland, Ripon maiden winner Captain Royale and Strike The Deal, who was third to Nagora in the Group Two Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on July 22.

Kevin Ryan saddled Amadeus Wolf to victory in the six-furlong Group One contest in 2005 and has the unraced Le Toreador, a brother to Group One-winning sprinter La Cucaracha, as well as Windsor maiden winner Imperial Mint, Oasis Davis and Toolittleyourlate.

Bryan Smart has dual Chester winner Captain Gerrard, Royal Degree and the unbeaten Easy Target, who held the Barry Hills-trained Nacho Libre at Pontefract on July 2.

Hills, who landed the prize in 1987 and 1995 with Gallic League and Royal Applause respectively, also has Hunt The Bottle, Striking Spirit and the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned Tajdeef.

Maiden winners Legislation, Legal Eagle and Master Chef (The last two run in this week's Richmond Stakes) could represent John Gosden, who saddled the ultra-fast Oasis Dream to win the 2002 renewal of the Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes.

The Paul Cole-trained Luck Money defeated Oriental Art on his Newmarket debut and was subsequently third to Henrythenavigator in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, in which the Tracey Collins-trained Pencil Hill was fourth.

Irish challengers make up 31 of the 100-strong entry, including the Tommy Stack-trained Myboycharlie, who made it two wins from two starts when scoring by seven lengths in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes over the distance at The Curragh on July 15.

The James Fanshawe-trained Sir Gerry defeated Imperial Mint by three lengths on his sole start to date, while the Jonathan Portman-trained Spanish Bounty has won two from five starts including over the distance on Newmarket's July course.

The potential Fench challenge is made up of the Robert Collet-trained Rey Davis, fourth in the Group Two Prix Robert Papin on July 22, and the Pascal Bary-trained Stern Opinion, winner of the five-furlong Listed Prix Yacowlef at Deauville on July 3.

The £170,000 Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes, which was first run in 1866, takes place on day two of the three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting at Newmarket's NatWest Rowley Mile Course, Friday, October 5, 2007.