Our form expert has three selections for Saturday's ITV Racing action from Newmarket and York.
The Verdict: Saturday October 10
1pt win Divine Whisper in the 13:30 York at 10/1 (William Hill)
1pt win Notable Dream in the 14:25 Newmarket at 9/1 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power)
1pt win Pellitory in the 15:17 York at 10/1 (General)
Dream bet at Newmarket
It’s a cracking day of racing on Saturday with the 29-runner Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap sitting alongside a fascinating Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and there are loads of supporting races to get stuck into, as well.
I struggled to find an angle in the Ces with the market beyond mature and while James Owen is often my first port of call for these valuable staying handicaps these days, he does run four and picking between them isn’t easy.
High Fibre could have more to offer on the Flat over a couple of extra furlongs and he was the closest I came to a bet, but he has halved in price to 20s this week and I’m not in love with his stall in one so I’ll reluctantly leave the race alone.
I’d fancy Desert Castle to have too many gears for Darkness Falls in the Dewhurst, but I wouldn’t be confident enough to back him at odds-on and out of the two-year-old races at Newmarket the one I like for a bet is the Group 3 Emirates Autumn Stakes.
Rock Montreal is well-fancied for Godolphin and Roger Varian but he still looked to be learning on the job at Doncaster last time and I’d be a little worried about him getting lost in the Dip on his first run at Newmarket on Saturday.
Aidan O’Brien’s Sergei Diaghilev is second in the betting after being swatted aside by Desert Castle in the Champagne Stakes and he has shown his limitations, so I would rather take the pair on with Marco Botti’s NOTABLE DREAM at 9/1.
His sire Bayside Boy has had a fine first year with his two-year-olds and, like his dad, Notable Dream can improve now he tackles a mile for the first time after cutting his teeth over seven furlongs.
He is progressing well as he showed with a clear career-best run at this track last time when a running-on second in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes where he rallied for the runner-up spot in the style of a horse ready for a mile now.
I think the trip will help him improve again and if that’s the case he should be right in the mix for a trainer who has a really good record with his juveniles at this track at this time of year (Botti is nine wins from 51 at 17.65% with his two-year-olds on the Rowley Mile from September to November, +£45.33 to £1 at SP).
The Verdict: Back NOTABLE DREAM in the 14:25 Newmarket
Back purring Pellitory to take Trophy
Over at York it’s the Sky Bet Trophy Handicap over six furlongs and David O’Meara traditionally has a fine record in this race having won it three times in the last decade.
He could be the man to follow again with a couple of interesting runners including PELLITORY who is absolutely thriving at present since the tongue-tie was added.
After winning the Ayr Gold Cup last month he improved on that run with an unlucky in-running fourth in the Challenge Cup back over seven furlongs at Ascot last week on very different ground conditions.
Those last two performances suggest he could be a Group-class sprinter and it’s very hard to stop this kind of O’Meara project once they get on a roll.
He still has loads of untapped potential at six furlongs and with pace drawn around him on the favoured far side he could have a lovely set-up here under Danny Tudhope.
He reminds me a little of Montassib who won this off a mark in the low-100s before he went and improved going into Group company, and class could well come to the fore again this year.
The Verdict: Back PELLITORY in the 15:17 York
Divine intervention in the Rockingham
Finally, George Boughey’s DIVINE WHISPER looks a good bet in the Listed Sky Bet Rockingham Stakes over six furlongs earlier on the York card.
The daughter of Mehmas hasn’t been seen since running third in the Alice Keppel Conditons Stakes at Goodwood on July 29 where she did much the best of those held up when running on for a close-up third.
Given time since then, George Boughey reports in his Star Sports blog that she has been working well with the 98-rated This Moment at home since then and I’d say she’s probably much better than the 86 she is currently rated.
Boughey has a good record with his two-year-olds in the autumn that he has eased off in the late summer and this filly has all sorts of potential improvement up her sleeve now she tackles six furlongs.
She looks to have plenty of gears judging by that Goodwood effort but with loads of stamina on her dam’s side it’s reasonable to expect more from her now she tackles another furlong.
Well drawn in stall one on the far side, a big run is expected.
The Verdict: Back DIVINE WHISPER in the 13:30 York
Preview posted at 15:55 BST on 09/10/26
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