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THERE are two more major weekends in the UK flat season with Champions Day on October 18 following on from this afternoon’s cracking card at Newmarket with four Group events, a Listed race and, of course, the feature betting rush being the Cesarewitch Heritage Handicap at 3.40.

Ireland have taken a stranglehold on this famous staying event, but sadly in tandem with its autumnal sister the Cambridgeshire, we have a well-below-sized field convening at the two-and-a-quarter mile start. 

The norm would be an over subscribed 35-runner event, but we are set to receive a maximum field of just 21 this time around, a sad reflection on the state of racing on these shores and the decline of the sport. On top of that, there is the comparison with the Irish version which attracted 30 runners which may well be in no small reason to the prize money which is 75 per cent higher than the Newmarket version.

The Emerald Isle have landed six of the last seven renewals and once again have a very strong hand led by the mighty Willie Mullins, with a team of three including the top weight Hipop De Loire and the lightly raced Winter Fog. But I fancy that BUNTING is his number one player here, having been aimed at this contest from some time ago and backed up by the booking of William Buick.

This bay gelding has visited the race track on just 12 occasions and warmed up for this task with a very promising and never nearer fifth of 17 (beaten two lengths) by Happy Pharoah over 13 furlongs at Leopardstown. Everything points to the view that this son of Bathyrhon will stay the extra yardage and with more improvement to come, I expect him to land a fourth Ces for his esteemed handler.

The likely fast ground could see the field depleted even further before the off time, but one charge that won’t be inconvenienced by this unseasonal quick ground will be one of only two three-year-olds in the race, Pole Star. Charlie Johnston’s runner will only be stepping onto the track for the ninth time in his career and his last four starts over a mile-and-three-quarters suggests he needs this extra test of stamina to bring out his full potential. A further cause for optimism is the fact that he has shown his form on ground ranging from soft to good to firm.

Of the more experienced campaigners, the mare Surrey Belle is respected as she has made great strides in the past 12 months both over hurdles and on the flat. She is one of only a small handful that like to race from off the top which will be an advantage, but she will have to use up a bit of petrol to race prominently from box number 19.

Beylerbeyi has been shaping as though the extra yardage will suit him as well. His running style will be totally different to that of Surrey Belle, with Billy Loughnane likely to anchor him in rear before making his move from half a mile out. The new kid on the jockey’s block though will have to time his moves to perfection to pick up what will be the majority of the field down the long home stretch.

Mordor loves a test of stamina so will need a real end to end gallop and despite running well on soft ground in the 2m4f Goodwood Stakes, his back form suggests that he wants a quicker surface to show his very best form and his handicap mark of 88 is very playable. 

Last year’s first and second Alphonse le Grande and Manxman are very tightly matched up on that run 12 months ago, but that came on soft ground and a bigger player could well be the old boy Dawn Rising who gets a massive pull with the first two home from last year when he finished sixth. Joseph O’Brien’s charge could well be the dark horse in the race despite being totally exposed.

The Dewhurst Stakes has been won by some exceptional horses in the past from Nijinsky and Mill Reef in consecutive years 45 years ago through the likes of Zafonic (92), Frankel (07) and City of Troy two years ago. A really solid field of nine are set to line up this afternoon. I think that we have yet to see the best of the O’Brien second string Italy who will relish this return to quick ground alongside an end to end gallop. 

Distant Storm heads the three strong Godolphin team and he was hugely impressive in winning the Tattersalls Stakes two weeks ago over the course and distance. This though is a much deeper race at a higher level and I would be quite happy to let him win at odds of around 9/4. 

Instead, my main play will be on OXAGON who has five lengths to find with the boys in blue favourite on his debut run on the Newmarket July course when he was very green, raced away from the main group and was not given an unduly hard time in the closing stages by Oisin Murphy. An easier winner of his novice at Sandown Park, he then put up a career best on his third start when second to Puerto Rico in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, form which was emphatically cemented at Longchamp last weekend.

CELANDINE (4.50) has been racing in the highest company against the boys this season and will arrive down at the start for the Listed Boadicea Stakes (4.50) a fresh filly, set to have only her fourth start of the year. This 14-runner field could be in single figures by the time they set off up the six-furlong trip due to the likely fast ground, but the daughter of Kingman looks sure to relish a return to this surface.

Of the other group races on the card at Headquarters I fancy a massive run from the Alan King-trained SPYCE (1.50) in the Night of Thunder Zetland Stakes over the stamina sapping one-and-a-quarter miles for the juveniles and at a huge price, GLACIUS (2.25) in the Autumn Stakes. Hugo Palmer’s raced too freely to do himself justice in the Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock and I known connections feel he is way better than that form suggests.

Away from the main meeting of the day, there is a cracking card at York and I have a strong fancy for TAKE HEART (2.05) to finally come good again for the first time in eight outings since scorching to victory in the big 10 furlong handicap at the Glorious Goodwood meeting 15 months ago off a handicap mark of 95. It has taken seven defeats for the handicapper to drop back down to a mark of 90 and this return to fast ground is a huge plus, as is the fact that he ran an absolute cracker at the track when a closing eighth of 20 behind Enfjaar in the Magnet Cup, form he readily reversed in that subsequent win at Goodwood.

Finally, have a second look at the likes of KORKER (3.15) and ARRANGE (4.30). The former is very well treated on his never nearer second of 14 over the course and distance off 103 in July and earlier on over the same course and distance off 96. Today the six-year-old will run off 90 with the services of top class claimer Tack Nicholls on board and I am shocked that 33/1 is freely available about him.