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The £375,000 Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, which takes place at Newmarket on Champions Day, Saturday, October 18, has attracted a superb 64-strong entry that reads like a who's who of the season's star performers.

This season's British and Irish Classic winners Henrythenavigator, New Approach, Halfway To Heaven and Frozen Fire have been entered alongside the best of the older horses, headed by Duke Of Marmalade.

With the likes of Mount Nelson, Lucarno, Lush Lashes, Hala Bek, Phoenix Tower, Rio De La Plata and Soldier Of Fortune thrown into the mix, it promises to be a race to savour.

Trainer Peter Rau has entered the top-class Saddex for the prestigious 10-furlong contest and the five-year-old Sadler's Wells horse, sixth to Dylan Thomas in last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, could bid to become the first German-trained winner of the race.

Saddex's latest outing saw him defeat the Michael Jarvis-trained Pressing to win the Group One Premio Presidente della Repubblica over 10 furlongs at the Capannelle on May 18. That victory followed a highly creditable half-length second to Duke Of Marmalade in the Group One Prix Ganay at Longchamp on his seasonal debut.

Rau is eyeing the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes as one of two end of season targets for his charge.

He revealed today: "The long-term plan is to go to either Newmarket for the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes or to Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and we will make a decision after his next race at Baden Baden in September - the Grosser Preis von Baden.

"Saddex has enjoyed a rest since his win in Rome, a victory that pleased me a lot, and he is in good form as we look ahead to Baden Baden."

"The form of his second to Duke Of Marmalade in the Prix Ganay has worked out very well, which pleases me, and that was his first start of the year, so it was a good effort.

"The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is a race of great prestige, so it would be good to win it."

The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is the feature event on Champions Day at Newmarket, which boasts a tremendous seven-race card overflowing with quality.

Irish champion trainer Aidan O'Brien already has 17 Group One successes on the board this season but he is yet to capture the prestigious 10-furlong prize and he has entered 14 horses as he looks to add his name to the roll of honour.

The Ballydoyle contingent includes a host of established stars such as King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes victor Duke Of Marmalade, the brilliant miler and dual Classic winner Henrythenavigator, Irish 1,000 Guineas and Nassau Stakes heroine Halfway To Heaven, and Coral-Eclipse Stakes hero Mount Nelson, as well as the last two winners of the Irish Derby in the three-year-old Frozen Fire and the year older Soldier Of Fortune.

Derby winner New Approach won the Darley Dewhurst Stakes on Champions Day last year and could return to the Rowley Mile course in an attempt to enhance his already impressive record. The Jim Bolger-trained colt has been entered alongside stablemate Lush Lashes, winner of the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and an unlucky runner-up in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last time.

Henry Cecil landed the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes in 1988 with Indian Skimmer and saw another of his crack fillies, Bosra Sham, take the prize in 1996. The master of Warren Place has five entries including the Group One-winning filly Passage Of Time, Group Two Prix Eugene Adam winner Twice Over, Eclipse Stakes runner-up Phoenix Tower, Kandahar Run and last year's fifth Multidimensional.

Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer is among a strong septet from the Sir Michael Stoute yard that also features Linngari, winner of a Group One at Munich on July 27, and Doctor Fremantle, who has progressed from handicap company to finish fourth in both the Derby and Grand Prix de Paris.

Stoute, who has won the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes with Breeders' Cup Turf winners Pilsudski (1997) and Kalanisi (2000), has also engaged the Group One Audi Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Promising Lead, Heaven Sent, the 2006 runner-up Rob Roy and Tajaaweed.

There are a total of 19 entries trained in Ireland and Dermot Weld is responsible for a high-class trio. Famous Name failed by only a head to catch Vision d'Etat in the Group One Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly in June, while Casual Conquest finished third in the Derby at Epsom and went one place better when runner-up to Frozen Fire in the Irish equivalent. The filly Carribean Sunset is Group One-placed.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has engaged nine of his string, headed by Rio De La Plata, who was third to Tamayuz in the Group One Prix Jean Prat last time. The Godolphin entry also includes 2006 Derby fourth Hala Bek, who returned from a two-year absence to win at Nottingham in July, Group Two winner Campanologist, and the 2006 German Derby victor Schiaparelli.

This year's Emirates Airline Champion Stakes entry has a strong international flavour with South African trainer Mike de Kock having entered a trio of his stable stars headed by Eagle Mountain, who was runner-up in this race to Literato for previous trainer Aidan O'Brien in 2007.

Another former Ballydoyle inmate, Archipenko, has captured the Group One Audemars Piguet QEII Cup in Hong Kong and Ascot's Group Two Summer Mile since joining de Kock, who could also saddle UAE Derby runner-up Royal Vintage.

French-trained runners have a fine record in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, taking the prize 13 times in the last 45 years, including the last two renewals when the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Pride (2006) and Literato (2007), trained by Jean-Claude Rouget prevailed.

Criquette Head-Maarek was successful from across the Channel in 1993 with the brilliant mare Hatoof and the trainer could saddle Full Of Gold this time around. The three-year-old colt won the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud as a juvenile and took the Group Two Prix Noailles this term before running below par when last in the Prix du Jockey Club.

St Leger winner Lucarno and Group Two York Stakes winner Pipedreamer could line up for trainer John Gosden, while Luca Cumani has entered Bankable and Irish Derby fifth Curtain Call, and Mark Johnston has engaged Group One UAE Hydra Properties Falmouth Stakes winner Nahoodh.

The entry also includes the classy Brian Meehan-trained pair of City Leader and Cat Junior. The latter is owned by Roldvale Ltd whose colours were carried to victory in 2005 by the Meehan-trained David Junior.

The progressive Bushman could take his chance for trainer David Simcock, while John Dunlop may saddle the useful filly Muthabara and Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes winner Smokey Oakey might line up for trainer Mark Tompkins and owner Dame Judi Dench.