Ben Linfoot delivers his verdict for Saturday's key action and he has four selections from Newmarket and York including in the Cesarewitch.
The Verdict: Saturday, October 14
1pt win Serried Ranks in 1.15 York at 15/2 (Hills)
1pt win Montassib in 2.25 York at 12/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Not So Sleepy in 2.40 Newmarket at 16/1 (Sky Bet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
1pt win Titian in 3.35 York at 10/1 (General)
Old favourite can finally land Cesarewitch
City Of Troy could light up Newmarket on Saturday in the Group 1 Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes with the return of Aidan O’Brien’s son of Justify eagerly-anticipated after three months off the track.
Ground worries are tempered by the fact his dam won the Fillies’ Mile on soft ground on this track and it’s with hope he gets the chance to put on a show given he was pulled out of the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes on Good to Yielding ground last month.
This looks his last realistic chance to win a Group 1 as a juvenile, though, an important consideration with his stallion prospects in mind, with the Ballydoyle team well covered for the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster later in the month.
He has the potential to be a superstar and I can’t wait to see him run again, so his odds-on quotes of 4/7 are fully expected to be justified in style.
The other juvenile races at Newmarket don’t really appeal from a punting perspective either, so it’s down to the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (2.40) for a bet with 34 runners to choose from.
There's no doubt the Irish have a strong hand again, on the back of winning four of the last five renewals, and Pied Piper, The Shunter, Jesse Evans and Sheishybrid all have obvious claims.
The problem is the market hasn’t missed them and as a consequence NOT SO SLEEPY has drifted to a very backable price of 16/1 and bigger for Hughie Morrison.
This quirky but quality veteran has a solid back catalogue of Cesarewitch form to call on, as he has been placed in this race three times; finishing fourth in 2019, fourth in 2020 and third last year.
He was keen in all of those races from low draws, but he is finally racing more efficiently in his old age and I like his draw out in 24 this year as Tom Marquand should be able to get him plenty of cover if he so wishes.
I certainly don’t think he has to lead and he settled beautifully for Oisin Murphy at Newbury last time, dictating a moderate pace in heavy ground before pulling away from Salt Bay to win by two lengths - arguably a career-best run on the Flat.
The 11-year-old looks as good as ever and he’s a strong stayer who will have no problem with the softer ground, so he’s worth backing each-way with extra places available (Sky Bet are eight places, Paddy Power and Betway are seven, most are paying six).
The Verdict: Back NOT SO SLEEPY in the Cesarewitch
Haggas can land York feature
Over at York MONTASSIB can prove himself capable of bagging a big handicap sprint in the Coral Sprint Trophy at 12/1 (General).
The son of Exceed And Excel has mainly been campaigned at seven furlongs and a mile but he produced an excellent effort dropped to six in the Ayr Gold Cup last time when running on for a one-and-a-quarter length fifth.
He had to weave through traffic that day and was hampered late on, so it was a really encouraging run on his first go at six furlongs since he won at Newcastle on debut.
The rain at York turned the ground testing on Friday and that should help him at this trip, as it should slow down the genuine speedsters and bring the seven-furlong horses like himself into play.
He’s won on soft at Goodwood and he remains on the same mark he ran off at Ayr, so with a nice middle draw giving Cieren Fallon options he really does have a lot to recommend him.
The Verdict: Back MONTASSIB in the Coral Sprint Trophy
Ranks above the rest in Rockingham
Earlier on Ralph Beckett’s SERRIED RANKS can land the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes for two-year-olds in the colours of the King.
This Land Force colt looked a horse to follow when winning in heavy ground at Nottingham on his debut in May and he's easily forgiven his Salisbury reverse on much faster ground after that.
He bounced back to winning form in a red-hot Goodwood nursery in August, where he overcame greenness to beat subsequent winners Starlust, Call Glory and Zoulu Chief, their subsequent exploits suggesting he might be even better than his current mark of 94.
After 71 days off the track he’s certainly been given time to strengthen up further and with conditions in his favour he looks underestimated at 15/2, especially with favourite Purosangue developing a habit of finding one too good.
Finally, Julie Camacho can continue her flourishing end to the campaign with TITIAN in the Coral Racing Bet Bundles Handicap (3.35).
There’s not an awful lot of obvious pace on here and that should enable Graham Lee to sit prominently, making Titian a danger to all as he’s got the pace for a mile as he’s shown on numerous occasions this year for all they were good efforts in defeat.
I like him returning to 10 furlongs in this situation as he handles soft ground well and he likes the track having won over the course and distance this time last year off a similar mark.
He put in his best run since his Spring Mile second at Redcar last time, fully suggesting he’s close to winning again granted the right scenario.
The Verdict: Back SERRIED RANKS (1.15) and TITIAN (3.35) at York
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 13/10/23
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