Top commentator Simon Holt fancies Ranch Hand to take all the beating in the Emirates Cesarewitch while he also fancies a horse in the Coral Sprint Trophy at York.
Centre of attention on a tremendous day's racing at Newmarket on Saturday will be Pinatubo's attempt to maintain his unbeaten record in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes but, at prohibitive odds and with a possible big threat in the impressive Tattersalls Stakes winner Wichita, this is a race to watch.
Later, the Emirates Cesarewitch provides it's usual punting/tipping test but RANCH HAND looks a progressive three-year-old and runs like a thorough stayer.
Trained by Andrew Balding, whose father Ian won the race with Top Cees and Distant Prospect, the son of Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden is out of a talented mare called Victoria Montoya who stayed two miles.
It looks like Balding might have had Classic aspirations for Ranch Hand earlier in the season as, after two bloodless Southwell victories, he ran in the Lingfield Trial finishing a keeping-on fifth behind the subsequent Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.
Then, conditions appeared too lively for Ranch Hand in the Bahrain Trophy, a trial for the St Leger, next time at Newmarket, but he was again putting in good late work and, dropped to handicap company on his latest start at Haydock, he completely out-galloped his rivals over a mile and six furlongs on soft ground. That form was given two solid boosts when the runner-up Trueshan won Friday's Old Rowley Handicap at Newmarket while third-placed Elysian Flame chased home the progressive Hamish at York.
A pound well in here compared to the future, Oisin Murphy's mount could be open to much more improvement than many others in the big field and 8st 8lb is a fighting weight.
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Frankie Dettori, successful on Lord North in the Cambridgeshire two weeks ago, seeks to complete the Autumn Double on the Willie Mullins-trained Buildmeupbuttercup who must be a leading contender.
Mullins sent out Low Sun to win 12 months ago and the form of this mare's recent second in a handicap at Leopardstown was boosted when the winner Kastasa slammed Cypress Creek in a four-runner (weakish) Group Three at The Curragh next time.
Buildmeupbuttercup was beaten into second by The Grand Visir when well fancied for the Ascot Stakes in June but is now 4lb well in on her future rating and could be the chief threat to Ranch Hand.
At York, HEY JONESY can gain an overdue second career-win in the Coral Sprint Trophy.
The Kevin Ryan-trained four-year-old has had a light season (just six outings) and, off a rating of 101, is well handicapped if able to reproduce two good runs in the spring when he chased home the smart Dream Of Dreams at Chelmsford and then finished a creditable fifth (rated 107 at the time) behind Invincible Army in the Group Two Duke Of York Stakes over this course and distance.
While ground versatile, Hey Jonesy was probably stretched by seven furlongs at Haydock and Ascot in July and, most recently, lost a front shoe in the Ayr Gold Cup.
But the big positive here is York as Kevin Stott's mount, aside from his run in the Duke Of York Stakes, has finished first, second and third on three other visits.
Preview posted at 1700 BST on 11/10/2019
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