New Approach meeting Duke of Marmalade

The twice-postponed Juddmonte International Stakes will finally go off at Newmarket on Saturday in a slightly shortened version but still featuring the same intergenerational clash between Europe's highest rated older horse, Duke of Marmalade, and the Epsom Derby winner, New Approach.

Originally scheduled to be run at waterlogged York on Tuesday and then postponed to Friday, the Group 1, $930,000 Juddmonte was ultimately switched to Newmarket's July Course Saturday meeting and will be run on good ground at an exact 1 1/4 miles, or 88 yards shorter than customary.

Duke of Marmalade, a Danehill 4-year-old, is, in fact, the highest rated horse in Europe of any age. Trainer Aidan O'Brien has gotten four consecutive Group 1 victories him, three of them at or about 1 1/4 miles, but the most recent at 1 1/2 miles in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

New Approach, second to Henrythenavigator in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas, is returning off an 11-week absence since his Epsom Derby victory. He missed the Irish Derby with a leg problem and may be at a disadvantage on Saturday.

* The Stonerside Stable-owned Raven's Pass, runner-up to Henrythenavigator in both the St. James's Palace Stakes and the Sussex Stakes and second to Tamayuz in the Prix Jean Prat, seeks his first win of the year for John Gosden when he faces four foes n the $186,000 Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Saturday.