Newmarket Saturday

2:10 - British EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap 1m2f

Andrew Balding has his horses in fine heart as the turf season enters its final weeks, and he has a fine chance of another winner here in the shape of Be More. The case for this useful filly is a straightforward one – she is a consistent and fairly handicapped filly who is a course winner, and has shown her best form on a testing surface.

In fact, she is unbeaten in three runs when the ground has been soft or worse, and is only 3lb higher than when scoring over this trip at Sandown in July.

That form is as good as anything on offer here, and it’s only a rare below-par effort at Chester last time which sees her at such rewarding odds. She is likely to bounce straight back, and the combination of track and ground looks right up her street.

2:45 - Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (Group 1) 1m

Billesdon Brook is routinely overlooked at the top level, which is baffling given she has won the 1000 Guineas and last year’s renewal of this contest in three lifetime starts over track and trip.

She was unlucky not to win the Falmouth Stakes over 1m on the July Course earlier in the year, finishing best to split Nazeef and Terebellum, and handled soft ground perfectly well there, so I see absolutely no reason to complicate matters.

Nazeef has beaten her twice this year, but was receiving 7lb at Kempton in June, and only just held the Hannon mare’s late thrust here in July.

She will again be overpriced in the market, but has only 2lb to find on official figures, and tends to come up trumps when it really matters, particularly at this track, so looks an each-way bet to nothing.

Ascot Saturday

1:20 - John Guest Racing British EBF Stakes (Listed) 7f

Onassis, as I reported at the time, was better than the result from a bad draw in the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster last time, and she is taken to prove the point by regaining winning ways here.

At Doncaster, four of the first five home came from stalls 10, 12, 13 and 14 in a 15-runner race, and Onassis did very well to finish amongst them having had to race in isolation from stall one. That form has already worked out, with the pair she split that day finishing first and second in the Listed Rosemary Stakes here the other day.

The collateral form gives Onassis every chance of winning, while the fact that she stays farther and handles the course having won the Sandringham Stakes here in June, will also be in her favour.

The going could be very testing, but there was plenty of cut underfoot for her Royal Ascot win, and she should not be inconvenienced unless it became a complete bog, which doesn’t seem to happen on the straight track since it was re-laid on a sand base.

1:55 - tote.co.uk Rous Stakes (Listed) 5f

There are one or two at skinnier prices, notably last year’s hero Dakota Gold, but Maid In India is another mare who tends not to get the credit for her excellent racecourse performances, and she appeals as a value pick after her latest fourth in the Flying Five at the Curragh.

In fact, I reckon Eric Alston has missed a massive trick in not sending her to Longchamp for the Prix de l’Abbaye, where a kind draw would have made her a very credible candidate for a Battaash-free contest.

Maid In India beat Dakota Gold in receipt of 3lb in the World Trophy at Newbury last autumn, and now meets that old rival on 5lb better terms having failed to win this season. She has run two huge races, though, firstly giving lumps of weight to Liberty Beach at Haydock, and then when just run out of the places at the Curragh behind Glass Slippers.

Those fillies will both be fancied to win the Abbaye, so the case for Maid In India getting all the allowances in a listed race on ground she relishes is clear cut.

2:30 - tote.co.uk Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Group 3) 1m3f211y

Logician makes the market here for backers, and given he nearly died earlier in the year and didn’t need to prove he retained his old ability to win a farcical match on his belated return, he can’t be backed with any confidence meeting testing ground for the first time in his life.3

The more reliable, if less brilliant, option is Royal Ascot winner Highland Chief, who has gained both of his wins on a soft surface, and is racing on ground which suits for the first time since beating Tritonic under a big weight here in June.

Highland Chief has been far from disgraced when runner-up in the Gordon Stakes and Great Voltigeur since, and he was making late headway when fifth to Mogul in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris last time. A test of stamina at this trip and at this track will clearly suit him, and his ability to handle the ground is a big positive compared to the favourite.

3:05 - tote.co.uk Challenge Cup (Heritage Handicap) 7f

Kynren should not let each-way backers down in the Challenge Cup, a race he landed a gamble in last year. He bounced back to form, and ran a smasher over a trip too short when beaten only two lengths in the Ayr Gold Cup last time, and the return to 7f on soft ground will suit him ideally here, bearing in mind his only other run over course and distance saw him finish second in the Victoria Cup last May.

Ascot handicaps invariably go to horses with back form in similar events, and that makes it fairly easy to narrow the field here, with 2018 winner Raising Sand an obvious danger, and Jacks Point is another to include for those looking to perm exotic bets.

Recommended

Saturday

Billesdon Brook 2:45 Newmarket – 1pt e/w @ 12/1 (Betfair, BetVictor, Paddy Power)

Onassis 1:20 Ascot – 1pt win @ 7/1 (Hills)

Maid In India 1:55 Ascot - 1pt win @ 6/1 (general)

Highland Chief 2:30 Ascot – 1pt win @ 6/1 (general)