Fuisse - Champion Stakes Awaits

Earlier this week I began my form check on the forthcoming Champion Stakes as it is always a race of supreme quality and early odds can sometimes pay dividends when the ground can be anticipated a few days in advance. However I started my form revision too late to capture the 10-1 initially available on the French colt Fuisse but was still tempted by the 8-1 price tag that was available elsewhere.

Final declarations were today and several have dropped out of which the most notable absentee is the Ed Dunlop trained Snow Fairy. This has brought Fuisse into odds of 7-1 but Skybet are still accepting a No Runner No Bet offer of 8-1 with Fuisse which is worth snapping up.

Fuisse is a three time Group winner including two victories at Group 3 level and a noticeably improved performance last time to win a Group 1 against high class calibre opposition consisting of Paco Boy, Rio De La Plata, Siyouni and Loup De Vega. It was by no means a fluke and more impressive by the fact the horse had got loose beforehand only to run amok for ages avoiding the chasing Frenchmen with breadsticks.

French trainer Mme C Head-Maarek has intimated there are stamina concerns regarding her recruit over this 1m 2f trip but I feel he may well suit it now that he is a four year old. He was last years runner up in the French Derby that is run over 1/2 furlong further than Saturdays race which suggests he has the basics required to run a good race. With a year of race experience under his belt since then it is likely his stamina may have improved sufficiently to not be inconvenienced by the return to ten furlongs.

Hopefully speed plays as much part as stamina and if this was to become a speed test then there is no doubt that Fuisse would prove quickest in a sprint to the line. However it is most likely it will be a strongly run race but if Fuisse can settle behind horses he could be the biggest threat in the closing stages. His only two defeats this season have come in VERY SOFT ground so I am expecting enough of a performance to have placed my money on the counter early!

Now for the Cesarewitch...