Dubai: Godolphin are hopeful that Poet's Voice can build on his recent victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and hand them a maiden success in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, the showpiece event at an exceptional day's racing at Newmarket today.
The promising Duwabi colt, who was supplemented for the ten-furlong race last Monday, carries the expectations of a stable who have been in red-hot form having notched five Group One wins in the span of four weeks.
A total of 11 horses are engaged in the race including last year's winner Twice Over, the 7/2 favourite and French four-time Group One scorer Vision D'Etat. Also in the fray is the unexposed Await The Dawn from the powerful Ballydoyle stables in Ireland and the Marco Botti-trained Gitano Hernando who won the Goodwood Cup at Santa Anita last year before finishing sixth in the Dubai World Cup (Group 1) at Meydan racecourse in March.
Speaking on At The Races, Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said of Poet's Voice: "We're not over confident, but this is a necessary step as he stays in training next year and we need to find out if he stays the trip.
Perfect trip
"Having said that, he's been very switched off at home and at Ascot and Salisbury, which is in his favour, and on paper there's no reason why he shouldn't stay. If he's good enough the trip should be no problem."
Poet's Voice ran a big race to edge Rip Van Winkle by a nose in the QE II Stakes and will be racing beyond a mile for the first time.
Another interesting runner is French raider Fuisse, a rousing winner of the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Group 1) last month.
Mme Criquette Head-Maarek, who won the Champion Stakes way back in 1993 with Hatoof, said: "Fuisse has done well since his victory in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and I think that the race looked quite a strong renewal, especially with Rio de la Plata winning a Group 1 in Italy over the weekend (Saturday's Premio Vittorio di Capua).
