Tomorrow's meeting at Newmarket is hailed as 'Champions Day', which of course ties in with the Champion Stakes being the feature race of the day and heading the field, declared yesterday, is last year's Champion Two-Year-Old, this year's Irish Champion Stakes victor and, of course, Epsom Derby hero, New Approach.

Jim Bolger's charge will be bidding to add another lucrative Group 1 to his already impressive tally of wins and, at 11/10 to do so, he is going to be hard to oppose.

Nearest rival to New Approach in the betting stakes is the French raider Russian Cross but he, as of yet, is not as proven at this level as Jim Bolger's son of Galileo is and after a slightly hindered campaign this looks like an ideal opportunity for the classy three-year-old to sign off the season.

Of the rest, Jane Chapple-Hyam's Traffic Guard ran New Approach all the way to the line at Leopardstown and while that was probably a career best effort, he still looks overpriced at 14/1 for each way players.

Aidan O'Brien is likely to struggle in adding to his Group 1 haul with his sole representative Hebridean, who is quoted as a 20/1 chance.

However, Ballydoyle certainly hold a stronger hand in the other Group 1 on the card, the Dewhurst Stakes where impressive colt Rip Van Winkle, current 2000 Guineas favourite, heads the betting despite O'Brien coming out and stating that his top juvenile has not had an ideal preparation.

Again the 11/10 favourite looks to be well clear of the second favourite Ashram on all evidence to date, but that one is open to improvement and is probably a worthy second favourite.

It will be interesting to see Goffs Millions hero Soul City in the step up in class for the shrewd Richard Hannon. A listed, Group 3 and then the Millions winner, he too will be hoping he still has another level of progression and again he may be one for the each- way followers at 14/1.

Bolger, looking for a third consecutive win in the race is 16/1 to do so with Intense Focus and it would be somewhat of a shock if he could provide the Coolcullen team with a hat-trick.

In the Group 2 Challenge Stakes a tentative vote is given to Major Cadeaux who will be forced to give weight away to all 16 rivals but can get the day off to a good start for Hannon and Richard Hughes.

The big betting heat of the day is going to be the 34-runner Cesarewitch in which there are three Irish trained runners, all of which come from the Tony Martin stable. Martin's Leg Spinner, who won the race last year under Johnny Murtagh, tops the weights with Robbie Colgan taking three pounds off, but Murtagh has this year opted for Northumberland Plate winner Arc Bleu, who has been disappointing since that Newcastle outing but surely warrants plenty of respect this time around.

Arc Bleu has a wonderful draw in stall 32 and with Martin being the handicap king, he has to be respected. This horse is reported to be a poor traveller though so that may be worth taking into consideration, though it didn't stop him at Newcastle.

Dewhurst Stakes

Rip Van Winkle 11/10 Ashram 5/1 Delegator 6/1 Soul City 14/1 Huntdown 12/1 Shaweel 14/1 Finjaan 16/1 Intense Focus 16/1 Lord Shanakill 20/1 Ouqba 40/1 Galpin Junior 50/1 Prime Delivery 100/1 Egypt 150/1

Champion Stakes

New Approach 11/10 Russian Cross 4/1 Twice Over 5/1 Pipedreamer 6/1 Linngari 12/1 Traffic Guard 14/1 Hebridean 20/1 Full Of Gold 33/1 City Leader 33/1 Staying On 100/1 Upton Grey 500/1

Cesarewitch

Askar Tau 5/1 Gee Dee Nen 6/1 Mamlook 8/1 Arc Bleu 8/1 Liberate 10/1 Leg Spinner 12/1 Hits Only Vic 12/1 Wicked Daze 14/1 Missoula 16/1 Top The Charts 16/1 Souffleur 16/1 Daraahem 20/1 Pippa Greene 20/1 Bogside Theatre 20/1 Mighty Moon 20/1 Four Miracles 25/1 Bulwark 25/1 Swan Queen 25/1 Ajaan 25/1 Whenever 25/1 Minkowski 25/1 Caracciola 33/1 Bollin Felix 33/1 Tilt 40/1 Baddam 50/1 Always Bold 50/1 Greenwich Village 50/1 Talenti 50/1 Land 'N Stars 50/1 Kasthari 50/1 Hernando Royal 66/1 Hue 66/1 Mudawin 66/1 Downing Street 66/1 Stage Manager 14/1 Inchpast 40/1

- Niall Cronin