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With four Group events alongside the marathon handicap of the year, this afternoon’s Newmarket meeting is one of the highlights of the racing year, except that this year’s 2m2f feature betting event has come up a long way short on numbers, like many races of its ilk this season, with a pitiful 22 runners set to go to post.

Year in, year out the Cesarewitch (3.40) is contested by fields in the 30s with lots of horses balloted out, but this year’s entry has been sold very short, another red flag for those who rule the sport to get their fingers out and do something pro active.

Anyway on to the race proper and the likely favourite, following the sad demise of Adagio, looks like being the Nicky Henderson trained AHORSEWITHNONAME. The Lambourn trainer has become a dab hand at laying a national hunt horse out for this autumn feature having previously taken away the gold medal with Landing Light (2003), Caracciola (2008) and last year with the impressive Buzz.

His representative this year is very lightly raced for a seven-year-old with only 14 career runs to her name, being four from five on the flat. Her last success came at York over an extended two miles when the daughter of Cacique was always running all over her rivals, eventually recording a strong running five-length success off a mark of 86. A 10lbs hike in the weights quite naturally requires more in a better race, but this galloping track allied to the extra quarter of a mile looks hugely in her favour.

Of course many of you will rightly seek a bit of value away from the market leader and the likes of Inchicore (20/1), Withhold (40/1) and Prince Imperial at 25/1 fit the bill. The second of those is the oldest horse in the field at the age of nine and didn’t really fire in this race last year when dropping away tamely from the three-furlong marker.

In the end the nine-year-old was beaten fully 43 lengths, but otherwise he has a really good record at Newmarket with form figures of 11120 with the first of those victories in this race in 2017 off a mark of just 87.

Last year the veteran performer ran off a rating of 107, but now finds himself off 98. He could well be worth a saver behind the selection and I shall be putting all four horses mentioned in combination forecasts and tricasts to boot.

Elsewhere on the card, the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (3.00) looks a cracking renewal of this champion two-year-old race despite the recent withdrawal of impressive Mill Reef Stakes winner Sakheer.

The imposing NOSTRUM looks just about the right favourite following wins in a maiden at Sandown Park and then a fluent success in the Group Three Sommerville Tattersalls Stakes over the course and distance. There is little doubt that once he fully matures and strengthens up he looks like being a real three-year-old, but he will once again have to take a significant step forward to see off the likes of the more experienced Naval Power (also looks like he will be a much better horse up in trip next year) and relative outsider Isaac Shelby.

The last named could well be underestimated in the market at a double figure price after landing the Superlative Stakes on the July course at Newmarket in what amounted to a messy race. He looks sure to be much more effective granted an end to end gallop here.

I fancy a massive run from the once raced EXOPLANET in the Autumn Stakes at 2.25, while MYSTIC PEARL has strong claims off a light weight in the nursery at 4.15. The William Haggas-trained filly showed a cracking attitude from the front at Thirsk, and I suspect will be better getting a lead which she should get here in a race full of prominent runners.

Away from the main card at Headquarters there is a really competitive meeting at York with the Sprint Handicap at 3.15 – the big betting race of the day – and it is worth noting that all through the year, low numbers have been at a distinct advantage on the straight track.

Last year’s third Air Raid has a cracking chance off a one pound higher mark and returns to the Knavesmire fit and fresh following a significant break, while last year’s winner, Volatile Analyst, is also only a pound higher in the weights and has a lovely draw from box number four, even though he would possibly prefer a bit more dig in the turf.

But the speedster I am going to hang my hat on is last year’s Ayr Gold Cup hero, BIELSA (nap). He achieved that famous win at the West of Scotland track off 98 and has continued to run well in both group races and top handicaps this season. The assessor has given the seven-year-old a real chance of making a mark here – though off a rating of 97 and with blinkers tried for the first time, allied to a nice draw in stall nine, he looks ready to bounce back to his best here in a race which could set up nicely for him.

The Listed Rockingham Stakes at 2.05 looks good for ALPHA CAPTURE who was only just touched off by Cold Case in the big sales race at the Doncaster St Leger meeting, and that winner has cemented the form with an easy success in the valuable Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar.

The Roger Varian trained PRAIANO runs in the two mile handicap here at 4.25, in preference to the Cesarewitch, and he can make the most of his current rating of 84 with cheek pieces applied for the very first time in his career.

Away from the big meetings, the national hunt season gets a boost at Chepstow with the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle (4.02). This race has been a good stepping stone to bigger and better prizes for previous winners, and with several frontrunners/pressers in the field this could be set up nicely for LORD BADDESLEY.

He took a tumble when travelling strongly, clipping heels at Plumpton last time out. I am hopeful he can reverse that form with winner Bourbali at what should be an each-way price.