Alamshar is set to face super dozen

Alamshar will face 12 rivals when he bids to head into retirement by winning the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

All the main contenders stood their ground at today's 48-hour declaration stage, including Russian Rhythm and the 2001 winner Nayef, who is also making his final racecourse appearance in the £400,000 contest.

However, Alamshar remains a solid 9-4 favourite with most major bookmaking firms and according to his rider Johnny Murtagh is ready to return to the sort of form which saw him win the Irish Derby and the King George.

He said: "I rode Alamshar at home on Tuesday morning and he's absolutely flying.

"He didn't get a clear chance to show what he could do behind High Chaparral in the Irish Champion Stakes last time, but it would be great to see him go out with another big win and I think he's going to be very hard to beat."

The 48-hour declarations for the Darley Dewhurst Stakes were also published today and threw up a fascinating clash between several leading fancies for next year's 2,000 Guineas.

Three Valleys will bid to become the first horse since his sire Diesis to follow success in the Middle Park Stakes by winning the Dewhurst, while Aidan O'Brien saddles the unbeaten Antonius Pius.

Mark Johnston relies on the runaway Sandown winner Duke Of Venice after deciding not to run the highlyregarded Lucky Story, but Martin Dwyer feels that his rivals will have to go some in order to beat his mount, Snow Ridge.