'I think he'll win' - can Vintage runner-up Wolf Of Badenoch go one better in Group 2 Champagne Stakes?

The Champagne Stakes tends to represent the last golden ticket to the Dewhurst. Its last four winners, and nine out of the last ten, have gone on to that race at Newmarket. This race's most famous recent winners, Too Darn Hot and Chaldean, have done the double.

This is why, despite the Champagne Stakes being seen as more of a two-year-old race than the Flying Scotsman over the same trip at the same meeting, we still get unexposed fields like this year's. Two of the six runners have one run behind them, another two have two runs and the last two are veterans of only three races.

In that scenario, you would not fancy one of the most experienced runners to be favourite. Yet Chancellor is likely to go off favourite, following a convincing win in novice company over course and distance last time on his third start.

That form does admittedly look strong. A modest time is explained away by a fast finishing sectional, which makes the three and a quarter length margin of victory more convincing. The runner-up has also won since.

It is not the best form in the race, though. That belongs to Wolf Of Badenoch. He overcame a culture shock in the early stages of racing around Goodwood to finish second to Aomori City in the Vintage Stakes. He will be more at home at Doncaster, where he made a winning debut in June.

Newmarket debut winner Righthere Rightnow is the sort that you might have imagined early markets getting excited about. He won by a yawning five lengths that day without his rider Robert Havlin getting serious. The likelihood is that he would be a lot shorter if he was with a major yard. You could also argue that he is already on the verge of outstaying his pedigree. At Newmarket he did a fair impression of a smart sprinter pretending to be a seven-furlong horse.

It would be reasonable to expect fluctuations in the market between Saturday morning and the off time of the Champagne Stakes. There are several different ways it could go. What we can be more sure of is where the winner will head next.
Analysis by Keith Melrose

What they say

George Scott, trainer of Bay City Roller
I was very keen to get a second run into him before this race at Chelmsford. He's now been in two fights and has come out on top in both of them. It's a big step up in grade, but I'm pretty confident he's a nice horse and will be able to cope.

George Scott: trainer of the unbeaten Bay City RollerCredit: Laura Green

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Chancellor
He likes Doncaster having won on his debut there over six furlongs and then backed that up over this trip under a penalty last time. He’s been in good order since then and we’ve had this in mind for him since, but it’s a big step up in grade. He won on good to soft on his debut and it was quick ground last time so he goes on any ground.

Richard Spencer, trainer of Righthere Rightnow
We’ve always held him in high regard and he enjoyed his debut win at Newmarket, which has brought him on both physically and mentally. We worked him on the watered gallop last week and he seemed to enjoy getting his toe in, so hopefully he can handle the likely ease in the ground. It’s a tough race but we expect him to be competitive.

Hugo Palmer, trainer of Wolf Of Badenoch
If he’s good enough I think he’ll win but hopefully he doesn’t give them a head start like he did at Goodwood last time. He’s a course-and-distance winner and this looks the right spot for him.
Reporting by David Milnes

St Leger day previews:

2.25: 'He goes there with a live chance' - trainer quotes and analysis for the Portland Handicap  

3.00: Kinross helped by rain - but younger competition snapping at his heels in Park Stakes  

3.40: 'We've had the race in mind for him for a very long time' - Aidan O'Brien on his St Leger contenders 

Is there anyone who can fill Ryan Moore's giant boots? Graeme Rodway crunches the numbers on Ballydoyle's substitutes  

How much faith do you have in the favourite? Aidan O'Brien sets a St Leger puzzle for punters and rivals  

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