TimeformBlog

The highest profile event next week takes place over jumps at Wetherby, but there is plenty of other good racing, including Newmarket's final Flat meeting of 2010 as well of the return of NH action to Ascot...


Sunday October 24

There are five NH meetings set to take place in Britain and Ireland on Sunday, the best of which is at Aintree, where Champion Bumper winner Cue Card is reportedly set to make his hurdling debut in the two-and-a-half mile novice at 16:30.

Monday October 25

There is Group 3 action for juveniles at Leopardstown in the shape of the Killavullan Stakes (14:25) over seven furlongs, which threw up successive classic winners in 2003 and 2004 courtesy of Grey Swallow and Footstepsinthesand.


Thursday October 28

Lingfield stages one of its better midweek cards of the year on the Thursday, with two listed events for fillies set to take place, namely the Fleur de Lys Stakes (15:40) over a mile and the River Eden Stakes (16:10) over a mile and five furlongs.


Friday October 29

Newmarket's penultimate raceday of the year kicks off on Friday with the six-furlong Bosra Sham Fillies' Stakes (15:00) for two-year-olds, while the card also features a couple of maidens which are normally full of potential winners for the next season.

There is also a good jumps card at Wetherby, where both the handicap chase at 15:20 and the juvenile hurdle at 15:55 hold listed status


Saturday October 30

Newmarket shuts down for the year with a card that features three listed events, the most notable of which is perhaps the Montrose Stakes (15:10) over a mile for juvenile fillies, which has thrown up the odds Oaks contender over the years, both Passage of Time and Timepiece featuring prominently in the betting for that race after their wins in the Montrose.

It is over jumps that the day's most interesting fare takes place however, with the highlight being the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase (15:25) at Wetherby. Nigel Twiston-Davies' veteran Ollie Magern is bidding for his third success in the race, having run in it five times, though he will face stiff competition from the younger guard, which is likely to include last season's smart novices Knockara Beau and China Rock. The other Grade 2 event on the card is the West Yorkshire Hurdle (14:50) over an extended three miles, in which Philip Hobbs's Fair Along is set to line up in an attempt to win the race for the second year running.

Competitive handicaps are the order of the day over jumps at Ascot, a trio of such events set to take place, the most valuable of which is the three-mile United House Gold Cup (15:40).