There will be a bumper card of nine live races on ITV this Saturday, five of which will be from Ascot and the second day of their Autumn racing weekend. Three races will come from Sun Chariot Day at Newmarket with the remaining race from Redcar.
- 1:15 Ascot: BetMGM British EBF October Stakes – Flight @ 5/1
- 1:30 Newmarket: British EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap – Morrophore @ 15/8
- 1:50 Ascot: BetMGM Rous Stakes – Shagraan @ 3/1
- 2:05 Newmarket: £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes – Half Sovereign @ 2/1
- 2:25 Ascot: BetMGM Cumberland Lodge Stakes – Tenability @ 7/1
- 2:40 Newmarket: BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes – Cinderella’s Dream @ 2/1
- 3:00 Ascot: John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes – Prince Of India @ 9/2
- 3:20 Redcar: William Hill Two Year Old Trophy – Song Of The Clyde @ 5/2
- 3:35 Ascot: BetMGM Challenge Cup – Hickory @ 8/1
The televised action starts at Ascot with the listed Autumn Stakes. Trainer Karl Burke is in good form and saddles the favourite, Bright Thunder, who was second in the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes at the St Leger meeting. Ollie Sangster’s 1000 Guineas runner-up, Flight, could prove to be better value back on good ground.
A fillies’ handicap over 1m 2f at Newmarket follows before another Listed contest at Ascot in the 5f Rous Stakes. Karl Burke’s Beautiful Diamond, who won the Scottish Sprint Fillies’ Stakes at Ayr last month, heads the betting alongside Michael Appleby’s Beverley Bullet winner Shagraan and are followed by Richard Spencer’s Ayr Silver Cup winner Candy.
The fourth televised race of the day is Newmarket’s October Auction Stakes which has Karl Burke’s Half Sovereign as the favourite to win a fifth race in succession. The first group race of the day is next in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes, which has nine-year-old Hamish installed as the favourite after victory in the Stand Cup Stakes at Chester last month. There are question marks against each of the five runners so it could be best to side with the outsider of the field, Tenability who is stepping up in class but unexposed in this company.
The classiest race of the day follows in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket. Charlie Applybey’s Cinderella’s Dream was a disappointing fourth at Deauville in August but can add this to her list of victories this season including the Falmouth Stakes and Dhalia Stakes earlier in the campaign.
Ayr Gold Cup winner Run Boy Run will line up in the Group 3 Bengough Stakes but at the top of the market are Elmonjed and Prince Of India who were first and second respectively in the Listed Garrowby Stakes at York last month. Preference is for the latter who at three-years-old is open to further improvement.
Redcar’s richest raceday is headlined by their Two Year Old Trophy which will see a maximum field of 23 compete for a share of the prize find which is in excess of £200k. The class act in the field is Clive Cox’s Song Of The Clyde who can secure a third win of the season.
The big betting heat of the day, Ascot’s Challenge Cup, will be the final live race on Saturday. Karl Burke’s Native Warrior who won the Schweppes Handicap at the course in September is favourite, but we are opting for Jamie Osbourne’s Hickory who bested surprise Sussex Stakes champ Qirat here at the start of the season.