ITV Racing Saturday Newmarket and York Preview

The first race of the day from Newmarket on Saturday is the Group Three Zetland Stakes over 1m2f and we giving a chance to Flying Honours to get back to winning ways in an easier event.

Making his debut in July at Newmarket over 7f, he was fourth in a decent maiden learning a lot for the experience as next time out he got off the mark in emphatic fashion at Sandown, going clear by nearly 10 lengths.

Stepped up to a mile next time out at Salisbury, also stepping up into Listed company, he made a mockery of the field again.

The form of that event has been franked in a big way with the second Stormbuster for Andrew balding since winning a good conditions stakes at Newbury by five lengths.

Last time out at Newmarket only 14 days ago he was underwhelming in a tactical four runner renewal of the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes when third, albeit not beaten far.

Getting more of a pace in this race will help and dropping in class gives us the expectation that he can bounce back.

York's first event of the afternoon on ITV sees the Listed Rockingham Stakes and Alpha Capture for trainer William Haggas looks a solid contender.

Seen three times in his career to date the gelding made his debut at Newbury in July when second to a Richard Hannon horse but off the back of that he got off the mark at Carlisle in fine style.

Last time out he was sent into the £300,000 2-Y-0 event at Doncaster and was narrowly denied by Cold Case for Karl Burke who went on to frank the form last time out in the Listed William Hill Two Year Old Trophy at Redcar.

Big player if improving again.

Next up is the Group Three Autumn Stakes over a mile a race won by some superb horses over the years, none better than this years 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus.

This season although Godolphin have a strong hand in the race, we are taking on the favourite with the John & Thady Gosden trained Epictetus.

Only seen once to date this son of Kingman could be a very smart type winning convincingly on debut ahead of the talented Leadman, Desert Order and Flying Honours over 7f on the July Course.

The form has been franked from that race and having not been seen since July and saved for this event, he has the freshness edge and will have also improved for his first run.

Very exciting talent.

A tricky event from York is the Class 2 Handicap over 1m 2 1/2f and we are giving another chance to Protagonist for William Haggas.

A fair horse in Ireland over much further for Jessica Harrington, the five year old this term now with the master William Haggas looks a different animal.

Making his seasonal debut at Sandown over 10f he was a good fourth of 15 in a tough handicap maybe needing the run, but next time out got off the mark for the season at Doncaster beating market rival on Saturday Savvy Victory giving him 3lb.

Up 1lb for that to a mark of 90 he made it back to back wins this time at Sandown when beating another market rival in Dual Identity, again giving weight away.

Up 7lb for that to a mark of 97 it allowed him to race in the Cambridgeshire Handicap last time out but racing on the wrong side of the track from a tough draw, he couldn't really get involved.

Back in a smaller event off the same mark, he is worth another go.

The big Group One event of the afternoon at Newmarket is the Darley Dewhurst Stakes and we can't get away from the well backed Nostrum, who just oozes class.

Still unexposed when looking at the field for Sir Michael Stoute in the Juddmonte colours, there is more than a thought he could be the yards and owners next superstar.

A winner on his first start over 7f at Sandown when bolting up by close to four lengths, he was then saved for the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over course and distance at Newmarket and in a talented four runner affair he showed a great turn of pace to win easily in the end.

Although a fairly quick turn around he looks highly progressive and a Group One winner in waiting but he will need to be better than ever in this field full of superstars.

The final event from York on Saturday looks to be extremely tough with many familiar sprinters taking each other on again and Lucky Man for Richard Spencer should hit the frame at a course and distance he performs well at.

Highly consistent in all of his runs this season placing in nine of his 11 races, including three wins in some valuable handicaps, he very rarely runs a bad race.

Rising through the handicap, two starts ago over course and distance he got back to winning ways after some frame runs when taking a 13 runner Class 2 Handicap.

Up 5lb for that win to a mark of 96, he then finished a superb fourth of 24 in the Ayr Gold Cup and running off the same mark from a decent draw, he looks a player at a double figure price.

The final event on ITV on Saturday is the Newmarket feature Cesarewitch Handicap and with a huge field heading to post we have picked out two each way punts.

The first is the Willie Mullins trained Baby Zeus who is the bigger price of the two horse for the Closutton trainer but makes big appeal with William Buick on board.

Second in the race last year with Burning Victory for this partnership, Mullins has a superb record in the race winning three of the last four renewals.

Baby Zeus in 2021 moved from Ger Lyons to Mullins in 2021 and won on his first start for his new yard over 1m2f in May at the Curragh.

Staying in the early 90s after that he was slowly moved up in trip but could not get back to the form of his debut win.

Upped massively in trip for his first run this year, the gelding finished a good fourth of 15 at Kilbeggan in a 2m3f Maiden on hurdles debut.

Sent back on the flat in July at the Galway festival he put up a superb effort to finish third of 18 over 1m4f and then off a 1lb lower mark last time out up to 1m5f he was a decent sixth of 23 in a big fielded handicap at Leopardstown.

Off a mark of 92 going back up in trip, he looks to have been set up for this race and from stall 22 he could be handy.

At a similar price but drawn on the other side of the track is the Hughie Morrison trained Vino Victrix who does need to do a lot from stall 2 but if doing so could play a big part in the race.

A horse that has been steadily stepped up in trip this season, he made his seasonal debut at Kempton over 1m4f when third in a Class 3 event and then over the same course and distance he was a below par fourth.

Looking like a step up in trip would bring improvement, Morrison sent him back to Kempton over two miles and he was a superb second behind Master Milliner, who went on to land the valuable 2m4f handicap at Glorious Goodwood.

Second again at Kempton over two miles dropping into a slightly weaker race, last time out he got back to winning ways at Goodwood when beating the smart Malakahna for Ian Williams, giving over a stone away.

That horse has since won a staying event at Ascot and only up 4lb to a mark of 92, he looks interesting, especially with Benoit De La Sayette taking the ride again.