A CURSORY glance at the fiveday declarations for Saturday's Saudi Arabian Airlines Dewhurst Stakes should be more than enough to whet the appetite of all racing fans with the Group One event attracting two-year-olds of the highest quality.
Both Lujain and Indian Danehill were supplemented for the £200,000-added seven-furlong contest and are joined by seven rivals, including the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair Stravinsky and Orpen, for what is sure to be a true examination.
Indian Danehill, trained in France by Andre Fabre, is being aimed at the race after being a late withdrawal from Sunday's Grand Criterium at Longchamp because of very soft ground. He will be ridden by Olivier Peslier.
Lujain posted his Classic claims with an impressive victory in Newmarket's Middle Park Stakes.
The pair will be bidding to capture top spot in the 2,000 Guineas betting, which has been held by Enrique since Henry Cecil's colt ran away with the Somerville Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket.
They are likely to be joined by Stravinsky, who topped the Guineas market after his debut victory at York in August and remains prominent in the betting despite being disqualified after finishing second to Aljabr in the Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp in September.
O'Brien decided to aim the colt at Newmarket after a work-out last week and has also left in the unbeaten Orpen.
Acceptors: Auction House, Desaru, Enrique, Indian Danehill, Lujain, Mujahid, Orpen, Raise A Grand, Stravinsky.
Betting, Coral: 7-4 Enrique, Stravinsky, 5-2 Lujain, 9-1 Indian Danehill, 14-1 Auction House, 25-1 Mujahid, 33-1 Raise A Grand, Desaru.
Daylami heads Godolphin's latest bid for big-race glory in the £400,000 Dubai Champion Stakes on the same card.
And the Coral-Eclipse Stakes winner, who returns to these shores after a fine victory in the Man O'War Stakes at Belmont Park in New York last month, also heads the market.
Corals make the Saeed bin Suroor-trained colt 11 to 8 while William Hill, Ladbrokes and the Tote are slightly less confident with the former offering 6 to 4 about Daylami's chances.
But Daylami will not have things all his own way as yesterday's 11 acceptors for the Group One contest include Juddmonte International Stakes winner One So Wonderful and Chester House, a close third in the same race.
Luca Cumani's One So Wonderful has since finished fourth in the Irish Champion Stakes while Chester House, trained by Henry Cecil, was subsequently surprisingly beaten by Danish Rhapsody in a Listed race at Goodwood.
Michael Stoute won the Champion Stakes with Pilsudski last year and he is set to rely on Insatiable, a good winner in France last time.
Acceptors: Almushtarak, Daylami, Happy Valentine, Insatiable, Sasuru, One So Wonderful, Chester House, Eco Friendly, Mutamam, Alborada, Cloud Castle.
Betting: Coral: 11-8 Daylami, 9-2 Chester House, 6-1 Alborada, One So Wonderful, Mutamam, Insatiable, 25-1 Sasuru, 33-1 Cloud Castle, Almushtarak, 50-1 Eco Friendly, 66-1 Happy Valentine.
Former trainer Vivien Aconley has been warned off for five years after a Jockey Club inquiry found that she had kept horses in a "desperate and unacceptable condition". Aconley, who declined to attend the hearing, was also fined £2,500.
John Dunlop took the honours at Leicester yesterday with a near 20 to 1 treble that put him within three of the 100-winner mark for the year. Hawriyah set the ball rolling, followed by Lucky Feather and Adnaan.
