Darley Dewhurst Stakes Attracts 91 George Washington, ante-post favourite for next year´s UltimatePoker.com 2000 Guineas, heads 91 entries for the #250,000 Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Champions´ Day, Saturday, October 15, 2005. The Aidan O´Brien-trained colt has won his last three outings including the Group One Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 7, when getting the better of stable companion Amadeus Mozart by eight lengths with a further two and a half lengths back to Red Clubs, who had earlier won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot at York. O´Brien accounts for an amazing 26 entries and his powerful squad also includes Ivan Denisovich, a dual winner whose successes include the TNT July Stakes at Newmarket´s July Meeting, Horatio Nelson, unbeaten in two starts including the Weatherbys Superlative Stakes at the same meeting, Aussie Rules, a maiden scorer who was then fourth in a pattern event at Glorious Goodwood, and Dylan Thomas, another maiden winner who has apparently been lighting up the gallops at Ballydoyle. Sir Michael Stoute´s Regal Royale and Sir Percy, trained by Marcus Tregoning, could be the best of the home-based challenge. The former readily outpointed Doctor Dash in a maiden at Newbury last month although he was a disappointment in yesterday´s Acomb Stakes at York, won by Kevin Ryan Palace Episode, who is also entered in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Sir Percy remains unbeaten after three starts including the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood at the end of July, when he got the better of a tremendous tussle with Cool Creek by a neck. Stoute has also entered City Of Troy, whose sole outing resulted in victory in a conditions event at Newbury last month, when he got up to master Murfreesboro in the last few strides. Eoghan O´Neill and owner John Fretwell have had a marvellous season with their juveniles and they have entered Always Hopeful and Escape Plan. The former won the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, while Escape Plan has won two small events as well as running second in a Listed event at Hamburg on July 1st. Multiplex was an easy winner on his debut at Chantilly on July 25 and represents top French trainer Andre Fabre, who also has the promising Wild Sunday entered. Michael Prosser, Clerk of the Course at Newmarket, commented: 'This year´s Emirates Airline Champion Stakes looks all set to provide a truly spectacular conclusion to the record-breaking autumn at Newmarket. 'We could not have wished for a better set of entries with high-class horses from all over Europe engaged and whoever comes out on top on October 15 is sure to be one of the very best. 'The Darley Dewhurst Stakes so often plays a pivotal role in determining the juvenile champion of Europe and, with a whole host of potential superstars engaged in 2005, that is all set to be the case again.'
