Our form expert has four selections for Friday's ITV Racing at Newmarket and York as the Future Champions Festival begins.
The Verdict: Friday October 10
0.5pts e.w. Fifty Nifty in 1.30 York at 33/1 (Paddy Power 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt win Senorita Vega in 1.50 Newmarket at 14/1 (bet365, 12/1 General)
1pt win Poet Master in 2.25 Newmarket at 9/2 (William Hill, 4/1 General)
1pt e.w. Something Splendid in 3.30 Newmarket at 14/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4, 12/1 General)
Splendid bet in Old Rowley
With the ground riding ‘Good’ and the weather set fair we’re all set for an informative couple of days at Newmarket for the Dubai Future Champions Festival and no surprises Aidan O’Brien is on the Group 1 trail again.
His Precise looks the star turn in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile on Friday and given the depth of the Moyglare she won last time she could well become the sixth winning favourite in this race in the last seven years.
She’s short enough to ignore at 11/8 but there are plenty of punting opportunities on a really good card and the bet365 Old Rowley Cup Handicap over 1m4f for three-year-olds has its usual cast of improving sorts despite this year’s field size being smaller than average.
A total of 12 line up and the two that interest me the most are Respond and SOMETHING SPLENDID with the pair sitting on a whole heap of improvement now they go out in trip to a mile and a half.
Respond’s dam was a 1m4f winner and he keeps on shaping like an extra two furlongs will suit him well, but he’s 11/4 favourite and Something Splendid is 14/1, the latter looking a bit of a no-brainer each-way bet at that kind of price.
Indeed, he looks the other horse in the field who could seriously take a leap forward now he’s unleashed over 1m4f, given he’s by Postponed, a strong influence of stamina, and being a half-brother to 1m4f winner Sainte Colette.
He is improving with racing and he’s run really well over 10 furlongs the last twice, just failing to win at Sandown before he rallied for second after getting chopped off by the winner Say What You See at Doncaster.
Those strong finishing efforts are further evidence that he needs to go out in trip and trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam has previous in this race having won it with 40/1 chance Farquhar in 2014 before he almost repeated the feat with Goathland the following year.
He saddled Blake to be sixth in it last year, too, so he clearly targets it when he gets a progressive middle-distance three-year-old on his hands and Something Splendid certainly looks that judging by his last few runs.
The Verdict: Back SOMETHING SPLENDID in the 3.30 Newmarket
Poet to master the Challenge
The Group 2 Challenge Stakes has only attracted five runners but it looks a good race for a bet with a few question marks hanging over the market leaders.
Cosmic Year is on the comeback trail after fluffing his lines since his Irish Guineas second and he looks risky enough at the prices, while Beauvatier probably needs softer ground.
With Audience having his own ideas about the game the one to be on is POET MASTER who won a handicap over this track and trip when he was coming through the grades for Karl Burke.
He’s clearly not been straightforward this season having had just two runs in March and September, but there was plenty to like about his Longchamp return last month in the Group 3 Prix du Pin and I like that he comes in here a fresh horse against rivals that have been busier.
Burke had the option of the Prix de la Foret for him last week but opting for these calmer waters can pay dividends and he might just get the run of the race from the front end under Clifford Lee.
The Verdict: Back POET MASTER IN the 2.25 Newmarket
Senorita looks Oh So Sharp
In the Group 3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes Tom Dascombe’s SENORITA VEGA looks underestimated at double-figure prices.
Her Newbury nursery win last time is one of the best pieces of form in this race and she was a clearcut winner on just her third go at the trip (see free video replay, below).
It looks like it might work out well, too, with the third already franking the form at Newcastle, and Senorita Vega looks to be thriving heading into the autumn of her two-year-old career.
I like that she’s gained plenty of experience this year relative to plenty of these rivals, and Dascombe has done well with his fillies at Newmarket at this time of year; notably Eartha Kitt, High Flying Bird and Iconic Choice.
The Verdict: Back SENORITA VEGA in 1.50 Newmarket
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits
Nifty bet for Appleby
Finally, there’s a few races up at York on ITV as well and while they look tricky I can’t resist having a small each-way swing on Mick Appleby’s stable newcomer FIFTY NIFTY in the opening William Hill Autumn Mile (1.30) at a big price.
Appleby’s prowess at improving horses from other yards is well known and the only other horse he got from Tom Clover’s, Free Love, won first time out for him and improved almost 30lb.
On top of that, when he books Silvestre De Sousa on a stable newcomer their record together is seven wins from 18 goes at 38.89%, and he’s had a couple of 25/1 winners and a 33/1 winner wear first-time hoods, too.
Fifty Nifty himself looked a horse full of promise at the start of the season, running the now 104-rated Ten Pounds to a neck at Newmarket when running off a rating of 93, but he’s gone backwards since with Clover persevering with him over seven furlongs.
I think he wants a mile and Appleby steps him back up in trip immediately, so it will be interesting to see what he can do off his reduced rating over this distance if he’s been freshened up by his new surroundings.
The Verdict: Back FIFTY NIFTY in the 1.30 York
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 09/10/25
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
