ITV Racing Tips: City Of Troy to confirm star status in Dewhurst Stakes
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On another monster weekend of racing, Newmarket stages Future Champions Saturday.
On this day last year Chaldean claimed the Dewhurst Stakes and returned in May to claim the 2,000 Guineas under Frankie Dettori.
Saturday and British Champions Day will be the last two weekend raceways when we will get to see the superstar of the saddle riding on British soil – though he is not giving up for good.
In a twist to his retirement plans, he is moving to California to continue his career so catch him while you can.
He is not riding any of the big contenders on the Rowley Mile where City Of Troy will be out to cement his Classic credentials in the Dewhurst.
His jockey Ryan Moore also rides Pied Piper, the favourite for the Cesarewitch, the day’s other highlight.
On a nine-race schedule Newmarket shares the action with York which kicks off on ITV at 13:00 and switches to ITV4 at 14:55. We have previewed three of the day’s significant races in our ITV Racing Tips.
Is City Of Troy the next Ballydoyle star off the conveyor belt? He certainly looked like it when he slammed Haatem by six and a half lengths in July after which he was described by Aidan O’Brien as “unusual” and “unbelievable mentally”.
Now the colt must back that up as he tries to maintain his unbeaten record off a 91-day layoff. No other candidate has emerged in the meantime to knock him off 2,000 Guineas favouritism and Haatem, who reopposes as a 50-1 outsider, has not done a great deal to frank the form. It’s City Of Troy’s race to lose.
Portland winner Significantly and Stewards Cup winner Aberama Gold are among a highly competitive field of sprinters for this York race. Julie Camacho has booked 3lb claimer Ryan Sexton for Significantly to cancel out much of the 4lb rise he got for his Doncaster victory.
He should go well again if he gets the breaks. It’s one of the last chances of the year for King’s Lynn to get his head in front. He has tumbled down the weights and at Ascot last Saturday did not fire from his draw out in the middle of the track. He will surely run better at each way odds.
The 2m4f handicap has come to be dominated by the jumps yards. Roger Charlton was the last Flat trainer to win it and that was back in 2017.
Three-time winner Willie Mullins is sending over six challengers, but they seem unfancied and it’s Gordon Elliott who leads the charge this time with Pied Piper, the only horse in the race at single figure odds.
There is plenty of value among the rest of the field and Zoffee could be worth taking a chance with. He has been given a break since August and the freshen up could pay off for the stayer who is back on the mark from which he was beaten a neck in the Chester Cup in May.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday, 14th October
13:15 York – Rockingham Stakes
13:25 Newmarket – Autumn Stakes
14:00 Newmarket – Dewhurst Stakes
14:25 York – Sprint Trophy Handicap
14:40 Newmarket – Cesarewitch Handicap
15:05 York – 1m Maiden
15:15 Newmarket – Zetland Stakes
15:35 York – 1m2f Handicap
15:50 Newmarket – Darley Stakes
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
