Catcher out to star at Ascot on Champions Day

After she bids to crown an exceptional effort star Catcher will be a hot favorite to supply an third Champions Day success in so many years to Anthony Oppenheimer.
The top owner-breeder has seen his colors carried by the Cracksman in the previous two renewals of the Champion Stakes to victory – and certainly will go back to Ascot optimistic of further glory.
Star Catcher has won four of the five starts so far this season – by landing the Ribblesdale in Royal Ascot, the Irish Oaks at the Curragh and the Prix Vermeille in ParisLongchamp finishing a big-race hat-trick.
Sea The Stars daughter is well fancied to bring a Group One to her CV this weekend, however together with her Epsom Oaks-winning stable companion Anapurna among her rivals, Oppenheimer is taking nothing for granted.
He explained:I hope she has got a fantastic chance, but youve obtained the Oaks winner at there, who won a Group One final time, so its no pushover.
Im told she worked really well earlier in the week. Since it is on the path, which will likely be good for 28, the floor is not going to be soft on the inner course. She moves on the floor, but would not need it heavy.
She stays in practice next year, so she will only run if Mr Gosden is pleased with the floor.
Itd be wonderful to have another winner on Champions Day. Let us see what happens.
Anapurna was off the track for over three months after her Classic victory at Epsom and will only finish seventh behind Star Catcher after falling traffic issues on her comeback run in the Vermeille.
When enrolling a straightforward triumph at the Prix de 25, she revealed her true colours to Paris a fortnight ago.
Mark Weinfeld of owners Helena Springfield Ltd said:Its great to be heading on the back of a triumph after what happened to her in the Vermeille. The Vermeille was a non-event for her, therefore she did well to bounce back last time back into France.
What she revealed there was that she manages soft earth well and has lots of endurance, so thats not an issue, but what could be is that shes coming back quite quickly.
She did have a mid-summer break, though.
Gosden has a string.
Aidan OBrien has claimed that this trophy with Hydrangea and Magical in each of the past two seasons .
This year the Ballydoyle handler launches a four-pronged assault, together with Fleeting (Donnacha OBrien) and Delphinia (Seamie Heffernan) seemingly his two main contenders, before South Sea Pearl (Sean Levey) and Pink Dogwood (Pierre-Charles Boudot).
OBrien stated:Both the Fleeting along with Delphina were next in Group Ones in their past begins. Its pretty incredible that Fleeting hasnt won one yet. Shes in good shape and ran a great race at Longchamp (second in Prix de lOpera). We have not done but she seems well.
Delphina also conducted a wonderful race in Longchamp the last day (next to Anapurna) over just a tiny bit farther, but she appears to be in good form as well.
We are a tiny bit lost with Pink Dogwood and now we cant place our finger on why her form has gone backwards, but shes working nicely and was second in the Oaks.
Trainers have their string in form. The three-year-old has not yet been seen in action since claiming a Recorded prize.
She did a great piece of work at Kempton a week and we believe she is ready, said Beckett.
The ground will be right up her street – it couldnt rain enough for her.
I am hopeful shell run well. The draw (10) is not ideal, but we cant help that.
She is very under-raced and I am hopeful theres a bit more to come. She moves there nice and fresh.
Beckett had five winners last Saturday, and added:We had a tricky spring, so it was not going well and we hit a small blip in July if they were not running nicely. Saturday gave us all a thrill and its almost always a fantastic idea to finish your season off well.
The William Haggas-trained Klassique is still an outsider, using once completed from the three in 10 starts.
She had been seen placing third at a Group Two in Deauville in August.
Klassique conducted well in France the past time, but was somewhat flat. She adores the soft and we intentionally put her off, said Haggas.
Shes an outsider, and it has got a little to find on form. If she can finish in the first four, we will be delighted.