Katie Midwinter's guide and tips for Saturday's races

Tipstar champion Katie Midwinter marks your card with a comprehensive summary of the main events at Newmarket, Curragh and Ascot.

An interesting card at Newmarket features the Group One Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Inspiral returned to the winner’s enclosure with a second success in the Group One Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August, having previously disappointed on soft ground when last of five in the Sussex Stakes.

The daughter of Frankel is a class act when on-song and 11lb clear of her British and Irish-trained rivals on ratings. A course-and-distance winner, she is bidding for a fifth top level success to add to her list of honours, and is set to go off as a short-priced favourite under Frankie Dettori.

Mqse De Sevigne, aiming for a third successive Group One victory following back-to-back successes at Deauville, attempts to become the latest French-raider to claim the prize following the 2015 success of Esoterique, also trained by André Fabre in the colours of owner Baron Édouard de Rothschild.

The four-year-old daughter of Siyouni drops back in trip over a proven distance, with the form of her Prix Rothschild success over a mile franked by both Sauterne and Kelina, respectively.

Life In Motion, a close second to her stablemate in the first of her Deauville wins this term, has been exposed at Group One level since however, and while Mqse De Sevigne is capable of posing a threat on her best form, the predicted good ground is unlikely to be in her favour. Testing conditions would have significantly increased her chances.

Top class as a juvenile, Meditate has been unlucky to be up against Tahiyra during her Classic season. Often found playing second fiddle to the Dermot Weld-trained superstar, Meditate has struggled to build on an excellent debut season and is winless this term.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly is effective over a mile on fast ground, as shown when winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but the trip has tested her capabilities at times, especially on slower ground, and she may be seen to better effect over a shorter distance.

By No Nay Never out of a sprint winner, Meditate possesses plenty of speed that she could use to great effect if the pace isn’t too intense. With Roman Mist and Random Harvest potential pace angles, two fillies who are competent over a mile but rarely run over further, it’s unlikely to be a tough staying test, and Meditate could be the one to take advantage late on should either of the main protagonists underperform.

An impressive winner of the Group Three Atalanta Stakes when the subject of strong market support, Heredia has been progressing well this season and faces her toughest assignment. Bidding for a hat-trick of wins, she steps up in grade to Group One level for the first time as an unexposed improver.

Course-and-distance winner Coppice makes a quick reappearance following a Listed success at the track last week. Her future lies in the USA but she is again tried at Group One level in England in hope that she is able to improve on a Falmouth Stakes fifth, in which nothing went her way.

She was slowly out of the stalls when running on the July Course and raced widely, out on the wing, against some older, more experienced rivals and was unable to land a blow.

Coppice was a tenacious winner of the Rosemary Stakes last time, but whether or not that level or form is good enough to beat the quality of fillies she faces here remains to be seen.

Random Harvest has shown masses of improvement to earn a career-high rating of 108 this season, and the five-year-old mare will be suited by the sounder surface following a disappointing effort on soft ground at Goodwood.

The Ed Walker-trained mare beat Roman Mist to land the Valiant Stakes at Ascot in July, but more will be required at this level. Archie Watson-trained Roman Mist won a German Group Three when last seen but is yet to reach that level domestically and has 12lb to find with the favourite.

Irish-raider Goldana may need more cut in the ground, having been declared as a non-runner on three occasions due to unsuitable ground since her last run when third to Jackie Oh in the Rathbride Stakes at Gowran Park. The daughter of Galileo Gold opened her four-year-old campaign with a Group Three success at the Curragh following a Listed win at Hanover last season and is an intriguing contender making her British debut for Joseph O’Brien.

Moore and Appleby link up

Earlier in the card, Ryan Moore notably has three rides for in-form trainer Charlie Appleby. Moore and Appleby do not often combine, but have an all-time strike rate of 20% when they do, and three-year-old filly Whispering Words, a beaten favourite when last seen, is their hope in the opening race.

The Dubawi filly, a first foal out of Listed winner Hadith, will attempt to bounce back to winning ways following a narrow defeat by a progressive Venus Rosewater when last seen at Kempton, and should improve for the step up to a mile-and-a-quarter. She beat five subsequent winners to land her maiden and has leading claims in this contest but will face stiff opposition on handicap debut, with Red Danielle, half-a-length second to Sweet Memories in a higher-class contest in July, posing the biggest threat. Experienced Kingman filly Totnes is also a danger as she bids for her fifth success of the season.

The second race on the card sees Heather Main’s hat-trick seeking Zoulu Chief as the warm favourite, 10lb clear of his rivals on ratings. The Zoustar colt sets the standard in this field following a competitive nursery handicap success at York’s Ebor Festival over subsequent Group Three winner Starlust and should take all of the beating.

Curragh: O'Brien seeks familiar success

The second race on the card at the Curragh is the Group Three Staffordstown Stud Stakes, also known as the Silken Glider Stakes. First run in 2001, it has been won ten times by leading trainer Aidan O'Brien, including by subsequent Group One winners in Together Forever and Fancy Blue, and the Ballydoyle maestro saddles two representatives in this year’s contest.

Content won her maiden at Leopardstown in August before stepping up in class when a beaten favourite in the Ingabelle Stakes. She reappeared in the Group Three Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh, but could only manage sixth of seven, eased by jockey Ryan Moore when the race had been lost, perhaps unsuited by the softer going. She is beginning to look exposed at this level and will need to show significant improvement to reverse form with Kitty Rose.

Gleneagles filly Brilliant cost 650,000gns, but is yet to justify her price tag with only a win in maiden company to her name from seven starts. She has made four appearances in stakes races, achieving her best finish at the track when six-and-a-half-lengths second to stablemate Opera Singer, a recent Group One winner at Longchamp.

Whilst finishing behind the subsequent Prix Marcel Boussac heroine could be seen as a good level of form, given the daughter of Justify put five-lengths between herself and the rest of a quality field in her French victory, it’s likely Brilliant will need to improve further to compete with some improving fillies and unexposed types.

O’Brien’s boasts an impressive 25% strike rate with juveniles at the track this year but his pair must overcome the challenge of hat-trick seeking Kitty Rose if they are to add to their trainer’s successes.

Trained by Natalia Lupini, the exciting filly landed her first black-type success with a Listed victory at the Irish Champions Festival last month. A daughter of Invincible Army, she made light work of the opposition that included Content and Sea The Boss to reign victorious at Leopardstown and is the one to beat - provided she is allowed to take her chance.

Sea The Boss made a quick reappearance at Leopardstown, six days after making a successful start to her career on debut at Tipperary. She has over four lengths to find with Kitty Rose on Leopardstown form, but could improve further for the experience having shown greenness and inexperience on what was her second start.

The daughter of Sea The Moon was forced wide coming around the home bend too, but stayed on to finish fourth indicating that a step up in trip will see her to best effect. Her sire’s progeny tend to improve with age and as they are upped in distance, and the Jessica Harrington-trained filly is one to keep in the tracker for future races.

Unreasonable, a 375,000gns purchase as a yearling, won nicely on debut at Cork last month despite showing greenness, narrowly prevailing over Settlement who was disappointing when next seen in a Group Three, but may have had her excuses.

Although the form of her Cork maiden is yet to be franked, it was a positive beginning to her career and she showed enough ability to suggest she will improve further with experience.

Chesham Stakes winner Snellen was disappointing in the Group Two Debutante Stakes at the track on her last appearance and has been off since. Pearls And Rubies, who finished second to the Gavin Cromwell-trained filly at Royal Ascot, had disappointed when upped in grade but returned to form when a 33/1 second in the Cheveley Park Stakes last week, suggesting the form of the Listed Ascot contest could be better than expected.

This step up to a mile may suit the daughter of 1m4f winner Illumined (Sea The Moon), and her sire Expert Eye won a Grade One over the trip with many of his progeny effective over a mile.

Saxon Warrior filly Foxtrot Zulu is a half-sister to the Group Three winning sprinter Mitbaahy and cost 450,000gns as a yearling. Sent off at odds of 4/6 when beaten by Unreasonable on debut, she was unable to justify the strong market support for her but is clearly well thought of by connections and could improve plenty for her first racecourse experience.

Romance could blossom at Ascot

Emaraaty Ana is 7lb clear of his rivals on ratings in the Listed Rous Stakes (1.50), but failed to justify favouritism at York and is winless since his Sprint Cup Stakes victory in 2021. If able to rediscover a spark this is a winnable contest for the seven-year-old, but he is no longer the force of old and could be vulnerable to an improver.

Three-year-old filly Zudu Spirit is an intriguing newcomer for George Boughey, making her first appearance on British soil. The daughter of Zoustar has three wins in France to her name but is yet to make an impression in black-type and may be suited by a drop in trip on a sounder surface.

The Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes (2.25pm) has attracted eight runners with William Haggas-trained Al Aasy at the head of the market. The six-year-old gelding landed his fourth Group Three success in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock in August, with jockey Jim Crowley timing the ride to perfection aboard the experienced son of Sea The Stars.

A clash with Adelaide River at the Irish Champions Festival ended in defeat in his following run, as hat-trick seeking Al Aasy had too much ground to make up coming around the home bend and struggled to reel in the eventual winner, eventually losing by half-a-length. On form he sets the standard, but on ratings he is 2lb inferior to fellow Shadwell Estate representative Israr, who could be his biggest danger.

Al Qareem returned to the winner’s enclosure when last seen at Chester, dropping back in trip having been campaigned over further this year, and on ratings he has little to find with the leading pair in the market. Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Claymore is on a retrieval mission and could pose a threat if he is back to full fitness following a spell on the sidelines.

Another Group Three follows on the card at Ascot, as ten sprinters race over 6f in the Bengough Stakes (3.00). Commanche Falls has defied expectations to reach a career-high mark of 113 now as a six-year-old, and with a Group Three alongside two Listed contests to his name this term he is an in-form contender, capable of recording a 13th career win. The Michael Dods-trained gelding has a battling attitude that makes him tough to beat, and he is a reliable, consistent performer.

Recent Portland Handicap winner Annaf carried top-weight to victory at Doncaster, beating a field including handicap debutante Happy Romance, and is now back up in grade. He finished third in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, and if able to replicate that performance he has an excellent chance of winning a first Group Three prize.

Happy Romance reverts to 6f following a respectable seventh in the Prix de la Foret over 7f at Longchamp. The form of her Listed success at Bath has been franked on multiple occasions, including by second-placed Perdika, who subsequently won the Prix Marchand d’Or and finished second to Highfield Princess in the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, and third-placed Get Ahead who went on to win a Listed contest of her own before finishing second in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh. Richard Hannon’s five-year-old is an enticing price at current odds and will be suited by the trip as well as the drying ground, receiving the mares’ allowance.

In the Listed October Stakes (4.10pm) later on the card, the proven Queen Aminatu is a strong contender down in grade following a fifth-place finish in a Doncaster Group Three. She finished ahead of the progressive Heredia when second to 106-rated White Moonlight at Chelmsford on her penultimate start and had previously placed behind Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes runner-up Sacred and subsequent Park Stakes winner Sandrine, when third in the Chartwell Fillies' Stakes.

Despite being most effective on an all-weather surface, she has performed well enough to suggest she can claim a victory on turf and is presented with a feasible opportunity at Ascot.