Saturday tips: Tipstar winner Katie Midwinter marks your card

Katie Midwinter was crowned the winner of the 2023 Tipstar: Search for a Broadcaster competition at Kempton this month, with a written column on racingtv.com among the bundle of brilliant prizes that she won. Katie has taken an in-depth look at the key races at Newmarket and ParisLongchamp on Saturday, and reveals her selections.

1:50pm - Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2)

Many stars have emerged from the Royal Lodge Stakes over the years, including the likes of Shirley Heights, Ela-Mana-Mou and Mister Baileys who all went on to record Classic glory.

In recent times, the incomparable Frankel claimed the prize in his usual impressive fashion, beating his rivals with ease. Roaring Lion was successful in 2017 for John Gosden, one of seven trainers to have won the race in the past ten renewals.

Short-priced contenders tend to run well in the race, with some exceptions, and the biggest-priced winner in recent times was Royal Dornoch (16-1) in 2019. He was Ballydoyle's third-string who beat a field which included Kameko and Pyledriver.

It may be wise to stick with those prominent towards the head of the market, despite there being only three winning outright favourites in the race since its switch to Newmarket in 2011, and Aidan O’Brien is set to saddle this year’s market leader, Capulet.

Capulet made Diego Velazquez pull out all the stops at Leopardstown last time out

The impressive son of Justify, out of Group Two winner Wedding Vow, who is a sister to 2020 Derby hero Serpentine, was last seen finishing a close second to stablemate Diego Velazquez in the Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown. It was an intense battle between the Ballydoyle duo in the closing stages, with 2,400,000gns purchase Diego Velazquez narrowly prevailing.

Capulet lost little in defeat and galloped on past the line, indicating there is plenty of further progression to come. The form of his maiden win at Dundalk has been franked, with third-placed Nor Time Nor Tide winning twice since, and the trip, as well as the ground at Newmarket, will suit this American-bred colt as he attempts to give trainer O’Brien a record-equalling eighth win in the contest.

Aablan, bidding for a third successive victory, displayed a good attitude and showed tenacity to prevail over a hardy Inishfallen in the Solario Stakes, doing his best work in the closing stages. A step up in trip should bring further improvement from the son of Dubawi, whose dam, Promising Run, excelled over a mile winning multiple Group Two contests, including the Rockfel Stakes at the track.

Al Musmak, in the hands of David Egan, is likely to be the favoured contender of a Roger Varian pair that includes the unbeaten Defiance. The former has two wins to his name, including a Listed success when last seen, but his four-length defeat to Rosallion, subsequently beaten in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, has left a blemish on his record, and he will need to show further improvement to compete at this level.

Richard Hannon, despite having a good record with his juveniles, has never won the race, and his sole representative Son, the most experienced runner in the field, appears exposed after three unsuccessful efforts in black-type contests.

Outsider of the field At Vimeiro could be one for the future for Jane Chapple-Hyam, with his stamina-laden pedigree suggesting the 650,000gns yearling purchase will be most effective when upped in trip, being by Sea The Stars out of a 1m4f Group Two winning Nathaniel mare.

Selection: Capulet.

2:25pm - Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (Group 1)

Four of the past seven renewals of the Cheveley Park Stakes have been won by Aidan O’Brien, making the Ballydoyle maestro the joint-leading trainer in the race. However, the current market suggests that the prize is unlikely to head back to Ballydoyle this year, with both of his representatives available at double-figure prices.

Cherry Blossom, the shortest-priced of the pair, has been consistent this season with a Curragh maiden win and two second-place finishes, including when a length behind Relief Rally in the Lowther Stakes. The daughter of No Nay Never must reverse form with the William Haggas-trained favourite, but her six-length defeat to spectacular debutant One Look in the Goffs Million last week can be forgiven, and a drop back in trip on a sounder surface will be to her liking.

Pearls And Rubies beat a field including three subsequent winners on debut before a narrow defeat in the Chesham Stakes and second in the Anglesey Stakes. Exposed on the form of her past two starts, she perhaps lacks the quality to compete at Group One level but is a useful filly capable of outrunning her big odds and shouldn’t be discounted representing a top yard.

The Cheveley Park Stakes has been won by seven Lowther Stakes winners since the turn of the century and Relief Rally, four from five this term, is fresh from her first black-type success at York last month.

Haggas has saddled one winner of the Cheveley Park - 2012 heroine Rosdhu Queen, who also won at York before she was victorious at Newmarket.

This year’s Somerville Lodge representative was unlucky to taste defeat in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot when touched off by Crimson Advocate but has otherwise been faultless. The form of her Salisbury victory in May has been franked by runner-upJuniper Berries, who won the Group Three Dick Poole Stakes earlier this month, and the Kodiac filly is a sprinter who has shown exceptional speed that will be difficult to match here.

Soprano, winless from four starts since making a winning debut, has two lengths to find with Porta Fortuna, but has good form behind Fallen Angel, a subsequent Group One winner, and was unlucky not to land a black-type success at Salisbury this month when slowly away from the stalls before running on strongly at the finish.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner has shaped as though a Group win will be achieved in the near future, but she has faced easier tasks than this before and failed to deliver.

Donnacha O’Brien’s Albany Stakes winner Porta Fortuna impressed when taking on the colts in the Phoenix Stakes and will appreciate a sounder surface than when third at the Curragh last time out. She could show further improvement but needs to prove herself at Group One level.

Unbeaten Jasna’s Secret is an intriguing French-raider for Carlos & Yann Lerner. The unexposed Galiway colt has two Deauville successes to her name, including a victory over Listed winner and Group Three placed Zorken.

Course-and-distance winner Jabaara could be overlooked for Roger Varian as one of the outsiders of the field, but may be capable of showing improvement on her fifth start. Despite disappointing in the Albany Stakes and failing to feature in her subsequent appearance when upped in trip, she returned to some form at Chester when a runner-up to Great Generation, who went on to finish second in the Firth Of Clyde, despite racing wide around the home turn on a tight track that is difficult to manoeuvre, and on softer than ideal ground.

Selection: Cherry Blossom (each-way).

3:00pm - Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (Group 1)

Brigadier Gerard, Oasis Dream, Dark Angel and more recently The Last Lion, U S Navy Flag and Perfect Power are just some names to have won the prestigious Group One Middle Park Stakes on the Rowley Mile.

There are nine contenders heading to post in this year’s renewal, and recent Prix Morny winner Vandeek currently disputes favouritism with Irish-raider River Tiber.

The Simon & Ed Crisford-trained Vandeek is unbeaten in three starts, with two impressive Group level wins to his name, including a Group One when last seen at Deauville. The Havana Grey colt impressed on very soft ground in France, showing a great turn of foot to overhaul warm favourite Ramatuelle. However, he is yet to run on ground without soft in the description, and will need to cope with the faster conditions at Newmarket.

Leading Ballydoyle juvenile River Tiber must reverse form with the Prix Morny winner, but the son of Wootton Bassett may have needed the run following a setback that kept him out of the Phoenix Stakes and is likely to be better prepared for this challenge.

The form of his Coventry Stakes success has been franked multiple times since and he is more than capable of providing Aidan O’Brien with a record-extending eighth victory in the contest. The trainer saddled the first and second in the race last year, in Blackbeard and The Antarctic respectively, but is solely represented by the promising River Tiber in this year’s renewal.

Jasour could only manage eighth in the aforementioned Deauville Group One, but can be forgiven for underperforming in testing conditions. He had previously won the Group Two July Stakes on good to firm ground and was taken out of the Richmond Stakes due to softer going, therefore a return to a sounder surface should allow him to be seen to better effect.

Lake Forest, second to Jasour in the July Stakes, was disappointing in fourth when sent off at odds of 1-3 in lesser company in his following race, perhaps unsuited by the slightly easier surface. He returned to form in emphatic fashion by winning the Gimcrack Stakes, back on firmer ground, and could be capable of showing further progression if getting his favoured conditions at Newmarket.

Hat-trick seeking Task Force is the mount of Rossa Ryan, who has a 25 per cent strike-rate when riding Ralph Beckett’s juveniles this term.

The unbeaten son of Frankel, out of three-time Group One winning mare Special Duty, landed a Listed prize when last seen, showing signs of inexperience but beating stablemate Matters Most in assertive fashion. A colt possessing plenty of speed, connections opt to stick to the 6f trip as he steps up in class, unexposed at this level.

Expensive purchase Givemethebeatboys, acquired for £1,100,000 prior to his fourth-place finish in the Coventry Stakes, has been exposed at this level when five-and-a-half-lengths behind Bucanero Fuerte in the Phoenix Stakes. The Group Three winner still has potential, though, and may represent value at a big price.

Selection: River Tiber.

Saturday's racing at ParisLongchamp

Whilst the juveniles battle it out for the top prizes at Newmarket, live on Racing TV, there is palpable excitement across the English Channel where some of the sport’s greatest stars are on show at ParisLongchamp.

On Saturday, the stayers take centre stage, with Trueshan attempting to regain the Prix du Cadran and fend off Irish challengers in Emily Dickinson and Run For Oscar. The ground is unlikely to be as soft as desired for the recent Doncaster Cup victor, or for Ballydoyle filly Emily Dickinson, but the pair set the standard in the field.

Joseph O’Brien saddles two interesting contenders on Saturday's card, including Wootton Bassett colt Islandsinthestream who has finished second to Ballydoyle star Henry Longfellow twice this term.

In the Prix Daniel Wildenstein he saddles Caracal, a new French recruit from the Jean-Claude Rouget yard. The four-year-old son of Zelzal was absent for 511 days before making a winning return at Tipperary this month under 7lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh, beating two more fancied runners in the form of Lust and Warrior Brave. He was declared a non-runner due to unsuitable ground at Cork on Tuesday and now makes a swift return to his homeland in this Group Two contest.

A field of nine line-up in the Prix Dollar, with recent Mint MIllions Stakes winner Ancient Rome representing Charlie Hills. Unbeaten for new connections, the War Front colt enjoyed a fruitful spell in France when trained by André Fabre, landing a Group Three prize as a juvenile and placing in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. He struggled to build on a successful debut season but had shown glimpses of a resurgence before winning the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood prior to his Kentucky Downs victory. Now returning to the scene of his Prix des Chenes success, he may be good enough to make the frame in a competitive race as he bids for a hat-trick of successive wins.