Trainer Marco Botti runs Excelebration, twice placed behind the
brilliant Frankel this season, in Saturday's Group 2 CGA Hungerford Stakes at
Newbury over seven furlongs.
The $125,000 stakes race is the
feature contest of the week in British racing and will be simulcast live at
Saratoga. Post
time 10:40 am (4th race
at Newbury).
Much has been made of the
dominance of three-year-olds this season and Excelebration looks poised to take
advantage of a handy weight allowance in the Hungerford.
The Exceed And Excel colt has
made quite a splash in six careers starts, with a runaway victory in the German
2000 Guineas the unquestionable
highlight.
British Champion trainer Richard Hannon runs
top three-year-old Dubawi Gold in
the Hungerford. Godolphin has entered five-year-old Delegator, unplaced in the Breeders'
Cup Mile last November. Clive Cox has both Beacon Lodge and Balthazaar's Gift, while South African
maestro Mike De Kock runs Musir,
winner of last year's UAE Derby in Dubai.
On the same Newbury card at 10:05 am,
the Group 3 CGA Geoffrey Freer Stakes, run over one mile and five furlongs, has
attracted a field of 11.
These include a trio of three-year-olds
pointing for the Doncaster St Leger in September, final leg of the British
Triple Crown. Tom Dascombe trains Royal Ascot winner Brown Panther for British soccer star
Michael Owen; John Gosden runs Buthelezi and British Champion trainer
Richard Hannon sends out Census.