3 minute read
Peter Chapple-Hyam is seeking a big-race double at Champions Day at Nerwmarket when Samminder aims for Group One glory in the Middle Park Stakes and Sunday runs in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes.
It is 20 years since the trainer saddled the brilliant champion juvenile Rodrigo De Triano to capture the Middle Park Stakes and that colt went on to enjoy a stellar three-year-old campaign in 1992 with wins in the 2000 Guineas, Juddmonte International and Champion Stakes.
Samminder heads into the Emaar-sponsored six-furlong contest after finishing runner-up to the smart Mezmaar in a Leicester contest over the distance on September 19, having easily won his only previous start, a Yarmouth maiden in May.
Chapple-Hyam revealed today: "I'm hoping to run Samminder in the Emaar Middle Park Stakes. He ran well at Leicester last time and will have needed that as he blew up badly.
"He is in good form. Stepping him up into a Group One is obviously a big ask, but I believe he is up to it. The one thing I will add is that he wants fast ground - almost couldn't be quick enough for him."
Sunday Times will line up for the Group Two Vision.ae Rockfel Stakes in fantastic form. The Holy Roman Emperor filly ran her best race to date when a half-length runner-up to Lightening Pearl in the Group One Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket on September 24, and her trainer believes that Saturday's seven-furlong trip will pose no problem.
He said: "The plan is for Sunday Times to run in the Vision.ae Rockfel Stakes. She is in good form and I was delighted with her run in the Cheveley Park Stakes, in which she showed what we always felt she was capable of.
"The way she finished her race that day suggests stepping up to seven furlongs will suit her. It won't be a problem and there is every reason to think that she will be competitive again on Saturday as long as the ground is in her favour.”
Sunday Times, who easily broke her maiden at Goodwood on August 11, disappointed connections seven days later when seventh behind Best Terms in the Group Two Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes at York when the going was good to soft.
The trainer continued: "She wants it on the quick side of good. I probably shouldn't have run her at York where things went wrong for her in the Lowther but I've always felt that she is a talented filly and she showed that in the Cheveley Park Stakes."
Saturday's inaugural Dubai Future Champions Day offers an outstanding seven-race card that also features Britain's premier seven-furlong race for two-year-old colts, the £317,000 Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (3.10pm), which Chapple-Hyam also won in 1991 thanks to subsequent Epsom Derby hero Dr Devious.
Also featured are the £80,000 Group Two Burj Khalifa Challenge Stakes (2.05pm) over seven furlongs, the £34,000 Group Three Autumn Stakes (5pm) for juveniles over a mile, the £50,000 Group Three Darley Stakes (5.35pm) over nine furlongs and the historic heritage handicap, the £160,000 Betfred Cesarewitch (3.50pm).
