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Channon Looking For Championship Pointer In Letheby & Christopher Predominate Stakes 05/05/06

Mick Channon is hoping that Championship Point can put himself among the leading fancies for the Vodafone Derby with victory in Goodwood's long established Derby trial, the Listed Letheby & Christopher Predominate Stakes.

The 11-furlong Listed contest, which takes place at 2.50pm tomorrow, Saturday, May 6, carries prize money of £35,000 and Channon fields two contenders, Championship Point with Ted Durcan in the saddle and Youmzain who is the mount of Sam Hitchcott.

The West Ilsley trainer reported: "Championship Point is in great form."

Championship Point won two of three starts last term including the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot at York. His final outing of 2005 saw him finish a close second to subsequent Group One Criterium de Saint Cloud victor Linda's Lad in a mile Listed contest at Deauville on August 20, beaten a head.

Channon commented: "Championship Point's form is solid and now we're going to see if he can get the trip. We've got to find out somewhere. Looking at the sire's side, I've got no doubt that he will stay, but on the dam's side it's questionable. He got a mile as a two-year-old on very soft ground giving 5lb to a subsequent Group One winner, so I'm hopeful."

The colt is by the stamina influence Lomitas out of juvenile six-furlong winner Flying Squaw, who landed a Baden-Baden Group Two for Channon in 1995.

The trainer continued: "He goes on all ground but if we could have good ground at Goodwood then that would be perfect for him. We'll have to see how things go, but he's in the Vodafone Derby and if he's worth his chance then he'll take it."

Recent Catterick winner Youmzain is his second runner in the Letheby & Christopher Predominate Stakes which has attracted six declarations. The colt he beat half a length at the Yorkshire course - the Mark Johnston-trained London Express - reopposes while the three others lining up are Sienna Storm from Mark Tompkins' Newmarket yard, the John Dunlop-trained Senor Dali and Fiddlers Wood.

Youmzain, Senor Dali and Sienna Storm also hold Derby entries.

The Letheby & Christopher Predominate Stakes, sponsored by Goodwood's caterers, regularly attracts horses who go on to make their mark at the top level.

First run in 1970, the race was captured by Troy in 1979 en route to victory in the Derby, while other high-class winners have included Pentire in 1995, whose victories included the following year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot, and Dubai Millennium in 1999, winner of nine of his 10 starts - four in Group One company - and one of the most exceptional racehorses in recent memory.

There are two other Listed contests on Saturday's quality seven-race card at Goodwood and both are due to have seven runners.

The Listed 32Red.com Lupe Stakes (first race 2.20pm) is a Vodafone Oaks trial and the £35,000 contest is run over just short of 10 furlongs.

Godolphin's Deveron, trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, is entered in the Oaks, while the other declared runners are the Dunlop-trained Jaish, another locally-trained filly in Soft Centre from Amanda Perrett's stables, two Newmarket challengers in Nyarhini and In The Fashion, plus the Walter Swinburn-trained Suzy Bliss and John Best's Rising Cross.

Dunlop, also a Goodwood racecourse director, is aiming to enhance his fabulous record in the race which is sponsored for the first time by the UK's favourite online casino and poker room.

The master of Castle Stables at Arundel has taken the prize on five occasions, courtesy of Claxon (1999), Subya (1995), Bulaxie (1994), Gisarne (1993) and Oumaldaaya (1992).

Following a debut win over six furlongs at Nottingham in July last year, Jaish ran twice more, finishing seventh of nine behind Innocent Air in a seven-furlong Listed race at Newbury, and third in a mile Listed event at Newmarket on her final start in October.

Marcus Hosgood, racing secretary to Dunlop, revealed: "Jaish is in good form. She won well first time out at Nottingham and there were reasons for her poor run second time at Newbury. She ran much better when third at HQ at the backend, with stablemate Bunood one place in front of her.

"The trip should suit and I don't think she has any obvious ground preferences. We'll see what happens there before making future plans for her."

The 32Red.com Lupe Stakes has seen some high-class winners in recent years. Love Divine, the impressive four-length scorer in 2000, went on to take the Oaks at Epsom, while last year's victor Something Exciting beat all bar Eswarah in the fillies' Classic.

The £30,000 European Breeders Fund Fillies' & Mares' Conqueror Stakes (5.00pm), run over a mile for three-year-olds and upwards (fillies and mares), is the other Listed prize on the card.

Last year's heroine was Aldora, who followed up her 2003 victory in the same contest when scoring by two lengths under Ian Mongan. Three-year-old Nantyglo, trained by Michael Bell in Newmarket, takes on six four-year-olds - Salamanca, Favourita, Heat Of The Night, Little Miss Gracie, Love Thirty and Sweet Treat.

GOING: Good, good to firm in places on the round course

Goodwood's assistant clerk of the course Seamus Buckley reported this morning: "We had half a millimetre of rain overnight and the going stick reading is 8.5 There is a possibility of a shower or two early on Saturday.

"We're delighted with the state of the course and we couldn't have better conditions at the start of our season for the Classic trials."