ROGER VARIAN’S unbeaten colt Ektihaam will bid for Group One glory in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on October 8.

The Invincible Spirit colt landed won a decent maiden at Newbury on his racecourse debut before winning the conditions race at Doncaster. That was the same race won by Frankel last year before this season’s glory.

Connections are naturally playing down the hype but the giant two-year-old misses this weekend’s Royal Lodge Stakes and will instead take in the Group One on Future Champions Day.

“He’s not going to run in the Royal Lodge we’ve decided to run him in the Dewhurst, all being well,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to the owner, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

“He’s a great big horse. We’ll have a go at the Dewhurst and see where we are with him, you never know until you run them. On his homework he’s pretty smart so we’ll see if we are on the right path.”

Meanwhile legendary jockey Lester Piggott will make a special guest appearance at the final two-day meeting of Haydock Park’s 2011 Flat racing season.

The nine-times Derby winner, whose first and last winners 46 years apart were at the racecourse, will present the prize for Saturday’s £30,000 sports360.co.uk Lester Piggott “Start To Finish” Handicap Stakes.

The first race times on Friday and Saturday are 2.05pm and 1.40pm respectively.

TODAY’S NAP: Swift Breeze (8pm Wolverhampton)