Matt Chapman looks ahead to the return of Charlie Appleby’s Pinatubo in today’s Dewhurst at Newmarket

NEARLY 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day. Today the ultimate equine battle is faced by just one horse.

It’s Pinatubo’s own D-Day at Newmarket and oh how we need Godolphin’s monster to explode with power in the most important juvenile race in Europe, the Dewhurst, live on ITV this afternoon.

Pinatubo is the most important horse in European racing. Waldgeist may have won the Arc, but we know Andre Fabre’s big-race winner is no superstar.

Enable failed in her bid to land three Arcs, while star sprinter Battaash flopped in Paris like a dodgy croque monsieur.

So Pinatubo holds all our hopes of being something extraordinary. Something Frankelesque. Something rare that makes us desire the Flat season to return during the winter months of the jumps.

The Dewhurst has been won by legends like Mill Reef, Grundy, The Minstrel, El Gran Senor, Zafonic and, of course, the mighty Frankel.

Pinatubo is already rated higher than Frankel was as the same stage of his development after a demolition job in the National Stakes.

That day Pinatubo stretched nine lengths clear of Group 2 winner Armory, who last weekend was only a length off winning the Group 1 Jean-Luc Lagardere. It’s sizzling form.

Pinatubo has the chance to blitz his rivals and possibly go down as the greatest two-year-old we have ever seen. I bet jockey William Buick can’t wait for the stalls to open.

Of course, Enable’s defeat told us once again this great game is anything but an exact science.

Pinatubo has already scored five times this season, and some of his eight rivals are now less exposed, including Positive, who is the apple of trainer Clive Cox’s eye.

The trainer went close to landing the Middle Park, and his Sandown victor is tough and talented.

Aidan O’Brien relies mainly on Wichita, who looks to be improving fast after a seven-length win in a Group 3 over track and trip.

But the Dewhurst is all about one horse and that is Pinatubo. Anything but the performance of a colossus will be disappointing.

The big betting race is the Cesarewitch and there has been a right old plunge on Buildmeupbuttercup — let’s hope the commentator can sing!

It’s a cracking day’s racing. And Champions Day, the Breeders’ Cup and Melbourne Cup are just around the corner.

For some the Flat season is winding down — but for others there is still much glory to be had.