Weekend Preview: Can Stratum land the Cesarewitch?

[Wandering Eyes]

This Saturday Newmarket Racecourse plays host to a stellar card of racing. ITV Racing is set to televise four of the seven races. The current going is set to be good to firm.

Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes

The Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes is the first race and is set to host seven runners. Ran over one mile and two furlongs the Listed contest is open to horses of two years of age.
John Gosden’s-trained Waldstern is set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori. The son of Sea The Stars has only run twice on the track to date but has made a big impression both times with a form of 21. On his last outing at Newmarket in August, he won with ease to take the title in the EBF Novice Stakes which was run over one mile, thus seeing the colt take a slight step up in trip on this occasion. The favourite of the field, he is one to keep a close eye on.
Aidan O’Brien partners with son Donnacha to take the ride on Sydney Opera House. The son of Australia has more experience on the track and connections will be hopeful he can continue to improve from previous form. On his last outing, the two-year-old finished second at Newmarket to his stablemate Mohawk in the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes. This last experience may just see him return to the track with the confidence to win.
The Ballydoyle trainer comes into the race with two on the card. Norway is the second entry, who Seamie Heffernan is set to partner. His form is constantly improving and he had an impressive win on his last outing at Naas earlier this month.
Archie Watson’s Nate The Great, Mark Johnson-trained I’ll Have Another, Flying Dragon who is trained by Richard Hannon and Richard Spencer’s You Can Never Tell make up the rest of the field.

Selection: Sydney Opera House

Kadar and Clifford Lee (white) win from Waldstern at Haydock Park

Masar Godolphin Autumn Stakes
The Group 3 Masar Godolphin Autumn Stakes is set to run at 2.25pm and hosts a field of nine runners. Ran over one mile, the contest is open to horses of two years of age.
Aidan O’Brien holds a hand of three on the card. Magna Grecia is set to be ridden by son Donnacha. The colt ran well at Naas earlier this month on debut to win the seven furlongs maiden and there is now a fair chance he will prove himself as a Group horse.
O’Brien’s two other entries include Circus Maximus, set to be ridden by Seamie Heffernan and Western Australia who will be partnered by Wayne Lordan.
French trainer A. Fabre’s Persian King is entered and is the current favourite. With a form of 211 the son of Kingman was second to a smart colt on his debut, and two minor wins after this outing has proved he is one to be reckoned with.
However, it looks like it is Karl Burke’s Kadar who will set the challenge to Persian King. Set to be ridden by William Buick, was sold for €700,000 in May this year. He went on to win on his debut at Haydock in a one-mile novice and will be one to keep a close eye on at Newmarket and the future.
Selection: Kadar

Anthony Van Dyck ridden by Ryan Moore winning The Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes

Darley Dewhurst Stakes
The Darley Dewhurst Stakes is the only Group 1 action over the weekend at Newmarket. It is also the only race in which is open to both colts and fillies, where those that will impressive will have Classic aspirations.
The Group 1 showpiece has provided an endless stream of future stars, with Dawn Approach, Churchill, Frankel and US Navy Flag all striking in the last ten years alone. The field of entries this year includes a stellar line up.
John Gosden’s Too Darn Hot is bred to be at the top of the game. As a brother to Lah Ti Dar and So Mi Dar, but he has been more precocious than those two, winning three times already.
Sangarius is trained by Sir Michael Stoute and the Newmarket-based trainer is looking to win the seven furlongs contest for the first time since 1986 when he won with Ajdal.
Martyn Meade-trained Advertise is another strong contender. Set to be partnered by Irish man Oisin Murphy who is having a fantastic season. The son of Showcasing notably won Group 2 July Stakes and Group1 Phoenix Stakes and will be one to keep a close eye.
Aidan O’ Brien holds a hand of three runners among entries, however, it is Anthony Van Dyck who racing fans will be eager to watch. The son of Galileo has an impressive form to date and will be a strong contender in this Group contest. The colt had two lesser Group wins prior to a good second in the Group 1 National Stakes. Set to be ridden by Donnacha O’Brien he will certainly be one to keep a close eye on.
Selection: Anthony Van Dyck

Dubai £500,000 Cesarewitch Stakes
The final race set to be televised by ITV Racing is the Dubai £500,000 Cesarewitch Stakes. This handicap witnesses both jump and flat going yards head to head in the two-mile contest. With a maximum field of thirty-four entries, it leaves the betting market wide open.
Stratum heads a team of seven for Willie Mullins where the ante-post favourite will be set to make amends after his last outing in the Ebor at York was unsuccessful. However, the five-year-olds previous form suggests that the son of Dansili will be one to watch in this handicap.
Limini, Low Sun and Uradel are Mullins’ other contenders towards the head of betting, while Whiskey Sour, Law Girl and Meri Devie complete the trainer’s entry.
Tony Martin-trained Golden Spear is one punters will be keen to keep a close eye on. The seven-year-old is set to attempt to make his mark. He was fifth in the same race in 2016 and second to Stars Over The Sea in a C & D trial recently.
Others entries to keep an eye on include Lumini, Aidan O’Brien’s Southern France and Neil Mullolland-trained Vis A Vis.
Selection: Stratum

York Saturday 

York Racecourse welcomes a card of seven races on Saturday to include some excellent flat racing displays.

Right is Firefright with James Doyle wins from left Mountain Angel second in Maiden Stakes at Doncaster

Download The Coral App Handicap

The first race on the York Racecourse card is the Download The Coral App Handicap which is run over one mile and two and a half furlongs. Open to horses three years and older, it is set to host a field of fifteen runners.

Roger Varian-trained Mountain Angel is set to be steered by David Egan and is the ante-post favourite among the field. The son of Dark Angel was unlucky in a pair of one mile and two-furlong contests last month where he finished second on both occasions. He will be one to watch and connections will be hoping he can make all the running in this contest.

Finniston Farm is trained by Tom Dasombe and is set to be ridden by Richard Kingscote. The three-year-old was back in good form last month and finished second in Doncaster followed by a win at Haydock in a one mile and four furlongs handicap. One to watch on the betting market.

Others to keep an eye on include, Majboor, Banditry and Mark Johnston’s Aquarium.

Selection: Mountain Angel

Space Traveller with Daniel Tudhope winning the Novice stakes at Doncaster

The coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes

The coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes is a Listed contest which is set to host a field of eleven runners. Ran over six furlongs it is open to horses that are two years of age.

Ralph Beckett-trained Dave Dexter is the ante-post favourite. Set to be partnered by Richard Kingscote, the colt ran impressively to land the five-furlong Listed Race at Haydock on his last outing. Respected with rain ground he will be the entry others will be striding out to beat.

Space Traveller is a name punters will be keeping an eye on as the Ricard Fahey trained colt will be aiming to redeem himself after his last outing where a Group 1 at Newmarket proved too much. Set to be ridden by Daniel Tudhope, he will be an interesting contender.

Others to watch include Karl Burke’s Constant who will be another strong contender and Tim Easterby’s Vintage Brut who is set to be steered by David Allan.

Selection: Space Traveller

Flying Pursuit with R .Richardson winning the Sky Bet Dash at York

Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap

The Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap is the joint largest field of the day at York (alongisde the last race on the card, another handicap) and both host a field of twenty runners. Open to horses three years and older, it is run over six furlongs.

David O’Meara’s trained Al Qahwa is the ante-post favourite and will be a big player if there is lots of rain. The son of Fast Company, he finished second in the Ayr Silver Cup out of a field of twenty-three on his last outing. One to keep a close eye on in the betting market.

Tim Easterby’s Flying Pursuit is coming off the back of finishing third in the Ayr Gold Cup handicap last month. The five-year-old also finished third in this race last year and connections will be hopeful his experience since then will lead to an even better result this year.

Tim Easterby also holds the hand of a further two entries with Golden Apollo being a strong contender at the head of the betting. The four-year-old is set to be ridden by Ben Robinson. He, unfortunately, hasn’t fired on his last three starts, but on his last visit to York last July, he finished a close second to stablemate Flying Pursuit who he goes up against in this contest.

Runners also worth considering in the betting market are Michael Easterby’s Perfect Pasture and Kevin Ryan’s Teruntum Star.

Selection: Flying Pursuit

 

 

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