Emirates Airline Champion Stakes 2010

3.00 Newmarket
Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO plus)
Winner £213,739

Picks: Fuisse (each/way), Twice Over (win)

Alwarry: Progressive in 2009, winning a listed race at Goodwood and coming a staying-on fourth in King George at Ascot; Well held on belated return here earlier in month, and this way tougher, even with that under his belt.

Debussy: Taken form to a new level this year with win in the Huxley Stakes, followed up by Arlington Million success last time out; Sensational ride by William Buick helped matters a lot (as did very strong pace); Can run well but would need to progress again to win open race.

Fuisse: Looked as if he could reach great heights at 3, following up 6 length listed win with third in Prix Du Jockey Club; Has been steadily coming back to best this season, with impressive defeats of Dalghar and Beacon Lodge before 2 fantastic runs when fourth behind Makfi, Goldikova and Paco Boy, followed by remarkable win in Prix Jacques Le Marois conserving he ran loose twice; Progressive and fits the bill, so high on list.

Gitano Hernando: Progressed well in 2009, culminating in Goodwood Stakes win at Sainta Anita: Only run 3 times since, and was disappointing when only sixth in Dubai World Cup (considering that he missed BBC to prep for it); Pleasing return from 6 months off when landing Group 3 at Dundalk recently, but needs to prove as effective on turf.

Glass Harmonium: Looked set for big things this year after winning Gordon Richards stakes by a nose on comeback but hasn’t gone on from that since, and this looks a step up too much.

Sri Putra: Very talented and fairly very lightly raced colt who has an excellent level of form/consistency; Excelled himself when a fast closing second in the Eclipse, but bare for of that effort flattered him based on his next 2 seconds and this may be too much for him.

Twice Over: Always shown high class level of form but was transformed by 2 confidence boosters last season before taking this last year and then coming third in Breeders Cup Classic; Has continued in same vein of from, with an unlucky Prince Of Wales’s Second behind Byword being made up for with win in Eclipse: Shown good from when close second behind Rip Van Winkle (International) and Cape Blanco (Irish Champion Stakes) and can go close here, with conditions set to suit.

Vision D’Etat: High-class performer who has won a Prince Of Wale’s Stakes & Hong Kong Cup; Arrives here fresher than most after just 2 starts this year, smoothly winning Group 3 at Deauville in August last time; Form is working out well and should be spot on, so no real reason to go against him.
Poet’s Voice: Showed plenty of potential for all that he was very keen in the early part of last season (Broke out of stalls and managed to lose the Acomb Stakes by pulling to hard); Showed what he could do when beating Viscount Nelson in Champagne Stakes only to then run below his best when fourth in Middle Park; Finally back to form when wining Celebration Mile easily, and improved massively again when winning QEII last time out; Did benefit from a very strong gallop upfront and poor run of Makfi, but improving all the time and must be seen as major player.

Wigmore Hall: Has shown remarkable improvement this season, coming from bloodless handicap win to Group 1 second in America with Secretariat Stakes; Arugably lost the race by Jamie Spencer last time and although this is much tougher, he's talented, has a turn of foot and could find that the race is run to suit so is unlikely to be disgraced.

VERDICT: A strong and open renewal, with many of the horses having won a Group 1, so a fitting way for the contest to leave Newmarket. It's easy to see why Await The Dawn (sadly a non - runner), Poet's Voice and Gitano Hernando have their supporters but sometimes the answer is staring us in the face and Vision D'Etat is a top class, fresh horse who makes plenty of appeal, but FUISSE holds arguably the best form in his third behind Makfi, Paco Boy and Goldikova and has run arguably the most impressive race in managing to win the Jacques Le Marois after running around Longchamp twice. His best form gives him a great shout here. A saver is a good way of covering losses is to have a saver, and TWICE OVER fits the bill. He’s not as fresh and progressive as when winning this last year but everything else is in his favour, so rates a decent bet.