Newmarket Saturday:

1:25 - Emirates Autumn Stakes (Group 3) 1m

The latest weather forecast suggests that Newmarket will be soft before the close of play on Friday, and that is a big change to the “good to firm” put out early on Thursday. Per Contra has something to find on form after easy wins in minor company at Chepstow and Ffos Las, but it’s notable that Ollie Sangster has kept him away from good or faster ground, and heavy rain will certainly suit him better than most.

Per Contra has shown a marked tendency to drift left in his race, but that hasn’t stopped him going forward in impressive style, and his draw in 7 of 7 with the stalls in the middle could work to his advantage, and hanging to his left, while hardly ideal, could see him with the stands’ rail to race against in the closing stages. He is obviously pretty green still but is a colt with a lot of potential and worth risking in a race which could pan out nicely for him.

2:00 - Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1) 7f

The Dewhurst looks at City Of Troy’s mercy assuming he’s at his best, but an absence since beating Haatem in the Superlative Stakes is hardly an endorsement for backing him at long odds-on.

Haatem is clearly held by the favourite, but has improved for the step up to 7f, building on his Superlative effort to win the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood (beating Iberian a length), and he can be forgiven a poor run in the Gimcrack on very fast ground which doesn’t suit. He was beaten little more than a length in the Mill Reef last time, again sticking to the 6f trip despite it looking on the sharp side, and with ground and trip likely to suit him here, he should outrun his odds – he is 66/1 compared to 7/2 for Iberian, for example, and the notion that he’s reached his limit, while understandable, has been overplayed.

2:40 - Club Godolphin

Cesarewitch Handicap 2m2f

Temporize looks the pick of the English challenge in the Cesarewitch, for all that an absence since landing the Goodwood Stakes over two and a half miles in August. Temporize made his debut for Syd Hosie over an inadequate trip at Newbury, but did catch the eye, and stepped up on that with an excellent effort at Ascot in the Brown Jack Handicap. He pulled a dozen lengths clear of the third when having a terrific battle with Blazeon Five to decide the outcome, and was able to race off a lower mark at Goodwood, vindicating that effort with an impressive win.

The Ascot run was on good to soft, and it was softer still at Goodwood. He has looked like a thorough stayer on those outings, so a test of stamina in the conditions will suit. It’s worth noting that he only made his debut last summer, winning his first two and going into handicaps off a tough mark of 92 as a result. He was inconsistent for Mark and Charlie Johnston, but seems to have thrived for the switch to Syd Hosie, and looks capable of further progress after just a few runs for new connections.

3:15 - Ghaiyyath Zetland Stakes (Group 3) 1m2f

I’m intrigued to see Ralph Beckett pitch the filly Meribella against the boys in this Group 3, and she has an impeccable pedigree to go with a price tag of 350,000 gns as a foal. Out of a half-sister to Poet’s Word, she attracted a lot of attention at the sales, and while she didn’t need to run to a very high level to make a winning debut over 7f here in August, she is open to stacks of improvement at this longer trip. The fact that she’s pencilled in to run here rather than a 1m1f novice at Goodwood on Sunday says much for the esteem in which she’s clearly held.

To be cynical, it might be suggested that this is a clever bid for some blacktype in a race which tends to attract small fields, and that may be the thinking, but she certainly merits a second look.

3:50 - Earthlight Darley Stakes (Group 3) 1m1f

On the predicted soft ground, Raadobarg makes most appeal at the prices, with double figures available about one of only a handful in the race to have won on soft or heavy ground. He’s found it hard to get his head in from since graduating from handicaps, but is consistent when getting his conditions, and can make the frame under Ryan Moore. Highland Avenue and Knight are the others to consider on such terrain, but both are well found already in the market.

York Saturday:

1:15 - Coral Rockingham Stakes (Listed) 6f

The ground will also be soft at York and going-stick readings suggest the best ground may be up the centre. Soft ground holds no fears for Andrew Balding’s Purosangue, and he makes most appeal having run well when runner-up to Big Evs in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood on testing ground. Purosangue ran to a similar level when beaten a length by Beautiful Diamond in the Listed Harry Rosebery Trophy at Ayr last time.

A repeat of either run ought to be enough to see him back in front, although I do fear Bondy, who impressed at Pontefract last time, and is open to above-average improvement. He is very well bred, and cost a lot of money for connections, so could be anything.

2:25 - Coral Sprint Trophy

Handicap 6f

It’s hard to be adamant to what degree the draw will affect the outcome of the Coral Sprint Trophy, so it’s not a race I’d want to be attacking with abandon, but I’d expect Wobwobwob to go well after landing a gamble in the Ayr Silver Cup last time. He’s effective at 6f-7f, but this trip is probably his ideal when the going is soft and his draw in stall 3 is usually an advantage here.

This course winner has improved with a visor fitted on his last two starts (before Ayr he was third to Sophia’s Starlight at York in a race which had five next-time-out winners). He ought to be close after a very fair 4lb rise for his latest win.

Recommended:

Per Contra 1:25 Newmarket – 1pt win at 10/1 (general)

Haatem 2:00 Newmarket – 0.5pts e/w at 66/1 (general)

Temporize 2:40 Newmarket – 1pt e/w at SP (SkyBet – 8 places)

Wobwobwob 2:25 York – 1pt e/w at 10/1 (Bet365 6 places, 9/1 general)