Nayef and Alamshar head 23 for Champion

Nayef and Alamshar remain on course to make the final appearance of their careers in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes.

The two Group One-winning stars, trained by Marcus Tregoning and John Oxx respectively, feature among 23 confirmations made today for Saturday’s race, which is the highlight of Newmarket’s Champions’ Day meeting.

However, they look set to face stiff competition from Russian Rhythm after Sir Michael Stoute left in his 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Nassau Stakes winner.

Her owners Cheveley Park Stud are also represented by Carnival Dancer, who has finished fourth and fifth in the last two runnings of the race when trained by Stoute. He is now in the care of Amanda Perrett.

Stoute has taken out the Aga Khan’s recently-disappointing colt Kalaman and the Breeders’ Cup-bound Islington.

Other notable withdrawals include Tregoning’s Mubtaker, Aidan O’Brien’s High Chaparral, Hold That Tiger and Brian Boru, and the John Gosden-trained Ikhtyar.

O’Brien has left in Yesterday, who has not enjoyed the best of luck on more than one occasion this season, Statue Of Liberty and Middlemarch.

Godolphin look set to be represented by Grand Prix de Paris victor Vespone, while last year’s winning trainer Barry Hills relies on Far Lane and Chancellor.

Brian Meehan’s Arlington Million runner-up Kaieteur also stands his ground.