The ITV Racing team will be busy over Friday and Saturday this week – covering a total of EIGHTEEN races at York, Chepstow and Newmarket – with the last-named the featured fixture for the two-day Dubai Future Champions Festival.
ITV Racing At Newmarket This Weekend To Show 10 LIVE Races
You can see the full ITV Racing coverage here, for Friday 11th and Saturday 12th October, but even though jumping fans welcome top action back at Chepstow and there is a decent card at York – the main action will be at Newmarket.
The two-day meeting at horse racing’s HQ gives fans the chance to see some of the potential stars of the future with a stack of 2 year-old juvenile races – including the Dewhurst Stakes, Darley Stakes and Autumn Stakes.
Plus, there is also the second leg of the Autumn Double, with the super-competitive 25 runner Cesarewitch Handicap on Saturday at Newmarket – a race that will have the last two winners – The Shunter and Run For Oscar – back for more.
To help horse racing lovers enjoy the action the ITV Racing team will be busy bees over Friday and Saturday – covering 18 races in total across the three tracks, including TEN at Newmarket (5 on each day).
ITV Racing At Newmarket on Friday 11th October 2024
On Friday there are FIVE races on ITV4 from Newmarket that are spearheaded by the Group One Fillies’ Mile at 3:35pm. The race is dominated by the classy Godolphin 2 year-old filly Desert Flower, who will take an unbeaten 3-3 record into the race.
She’ll also be looking to give the ‘boys in blue’ of Godolphin their first winner in the race since 2012 (Certify), but is the favourite with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK to do just that.
Desert Flower will face a stern challenge from trainer Aidan O’Brien, who sends over three from his Ballydoyle Irish base – he needs just one more win to become the clear outright winning stable in the race. He runs January, Dreamy and Ballet Slippers.
The Fillies’ Mile is also seen as a good guide ahead of the follow year’s 1000 Guineas – with the last horse to win both Minding in 2015 and 2016.
- 1:47 – Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (2yo) 5f ITV4
- 2:25 – Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies) Cl1 (2yo) 7f ITV4
- 3:00 – Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (3yo+) 7f ITV4
- 3:35 – bet365 Fillies’ Mile (Group 1) Cl1 (2yo) 1m ITV4
- 4:10 – bet365 Old Rowley Cup Handicap (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo) 1m4f ITV4
ITV Racing At Newmarket on Saturday 12th October 2024
Onto Saturday and the ITV Racing at Newmarket switches to their main channel (ITV).
The ultra-competitive Cesarewitch Handicap will be a tricky race for punters to unravel – but the key trends showcase that the Irish have done well in recent years – winning six of the last seven.
On the day, we’ve also got the Dewhurst Stakes at 3pm – a leading stepping stone race towards the 2000 Guineas next season and last year it was a race the classy City Of Troy, who is Breeders’ Cup Classic bound, won.
City Of Troy’s handler Aidan O’Brien has won the Dewhurst eight times in total and it’s another race he needs just one more success in to become the clear winning-most handler in.
He runs The Lion In Winter this year – an unbeaten Sea The Stars colt, who was last seen winning the Acomb Stakes at York at the end of August (watch below). The form of that race has since been franked with Wimbledon Hawkeye winning the Royal Lodge Stakes.
The Lion In Winter will, however, face his biggest test taking on the useful Godolphin pair in Shadow Of Light, who won the Middle Park last time impressively, and their unbeaten Ancient Truth.
Chaldean in 2022 was the last Dewhurst winner to follow up in the 2000 Guineas the next season.
- 1:15 – Space Blues Darley Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m1f ITV
- 1:50 – Palace Pier Zetland Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (2yo) 1m2f ITV
- 2:25 – Emirates Autumn Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (2yo) 1m ITV
- 3:00 – Darley Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1) (No Geldings) Cl1 (2yo) 7f ITV
- 3:40 – Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo+) 2m2f ITV