Attempting to be the pride of the British nation is Nations Pride, the clear favourite for the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
The Godolphin four-year-old, trained by Charlie Appleby, is at 1.72 with bet365 to take home the bulk of the $750,000 purse from the 1 mile 2 furlong turf contest, which will be run for just the second time since 2019.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 7th, 7:00 P.M. (BST)
Last seen at Munich winning the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in July, he spent the spring in Meydan where he was third in the Dubai Turf after winning a Grade 3. Regular jockey William Buick will be on board as they go for a third Grade 1 win together.
Best placed of the seven other runners to mount a challenge is Chad C. Brown’s Adhamo at 7.50.
The five-year-old could only manage third having started as the favourite for the Arlington Million in August, a first race back since he disappointed in both the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and Sword Dancer Stakes last autumn.
Kazushi Kimura takes the ride for the first time as Adhamo looks to return to the form that saw him win the United Nations Stakes in July 2022.
At 8.00 are both Palazzi and Royal Champion. Mark Casse’s Palazzi had ideal preparations for Sunday’s showdown by winning the Grade 3 Pattison Singspiel Stakes over the same distance at Woodbine last month.
That was the five-year-old’s first time on a racetrack for just over two years, since failing to pull up any trees in his previous two Grade 1 outings.
Royal Champion will be running outside the UK for the first time. Roger Varian’s runner did not live up to his name last October when dead last in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, his only previous Grade 1 run. Third in a Group 2 at York is his best effort since.
There is no need for Starting Over to start over, as Michael Maker’s 13.00 shot won his latest race; at Colonial Downs in September. That was the six-year-old’s first win at the 12th attempt and has never run in graded company.
Beaten by a length by Starting Over at Colonial Downs was Dynadrive (21.00), who has raced seven times at Grades 2 and 3 without picking up a win.
Javier Castellano rides the other 21.00 chance, English Conqueror, who was fourth in this race last year but has not done better than third in Grade 3s since then.
Completing the UK theme and the line-up is 34.00 chance British Royalty, the mount of Emma-Jayne Wilson, who last time out was fifth behind Palazzi in the Pattison Singspiel.
