John Burke

Good morning all,

The curtain descended on this strangest of flat seasons on Saturday. Granted there is still the final Group 1 of the season the Vertem Futurity and the November Handicap to be run. Mind you I’m not sure anyone really cares about the latter race these days. Do they?  Yes, to all intents and purposes the flat season is done and dusted after Champions Day.

It’s hard to believe this was tenth Champions Day.  Despite the many doubters when it first began, It’s still with us.

Champions Day has achieved what it set out to do and be an end of season showcase for British flat racing and occasionally we even get to see a real champion at the meeting. We didn’t see one this season but we had plenty of good stories and performances to look back on.

Over the next two days I’m going to look back at the meeting, sarting today with the first two races on the card. Plus, I have a couple of fancies from Windsor & Wolverhampton.

Good morning all,

It’s that time in the week when I look ahead to the weekend’s big race action.

We are coming to the climax of a shortened flat season. It’s Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday and the following week it’s the final Group 1 the Vertem Futurity at Doncaster. Today and tomorrow I’m going to look at the six races from Champions Day.

Inside today’s main piece you can read my thoughts on the first three races on the card. Plus, I have fancy from Nottingham.

Good morning all,

It’s Tuesday so it’s three for the tracker day. Inside the main piece, you can find out which three horses caught my eye at the first big jumps meeting of the autumn/winter campaign. Plus, I have an each way fancy running at Leicester this afternoon.

Good morning all,

Plenty to look forward to at the end of the week. On Friday it’s the start of two days of Group 1 juvenile action at Newmarket with the highlight being the bet365 Fillies' Mile, and the Old Rowley Cup. It’s also the first big jumps meeting of the autumn/winter campaign at Chepstow with the feature race being Unibet Persian War Novices' Hurdle. To add to the fun there’s also a good-looking flat card at York.

On Saturday it’s Europe’s premier juvenile race the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the second leg of the “Autumn Double” Cesarewitch Handicap. There’s also the Coral Sprint Trophy at York and another competitive day’s jumping at Chepstow. 

The big handicap action doesn’t end on Saturday either. It just switches over to Ireland with the Paddy Power Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh and T McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick.

Inside today’s main piece, I have had a look ahead at four horses that are worth looking out for at the weekend. Plus, I have a couple of each way fancies from Ludlow and Navan.