Five key horses to follow on Racing TV on Saturday

Race: 1.50 Newmarket.

Who doesn’t love a bit of Idris Elba? I went to Charlie Fellowes’ yard earlier this year and he was waxing lyrical about Luther then, and he was proved right with a very impressive display at Haydock when last seen.

He travelled beautifully into contention and was merely shaken up to do the business. He is open to all sorts of improvement and given his dam won on good to soft, I’d be hopeful that he would be able to handle conditions at HQ in the Royal Lodge.

Race: 2.25 Newmarket.

Clash of the Group One heroines with Babouche and Lake Victoria putting their unbeaten records on the line. The latter won the Moyglare over seven furlongs and for me this drop back in trip is not a massive positive as she looks to be doing her best work at the end of her races.

Babouche was very good in seeing off Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes. Her dam Pavlosk was a winner on soft ground and her action suggests she should be right at home on a softer surface. French raider Daylight is the big danger here.

Race: 3.00 Newmarket.

Whistlejacket has a fine constitution given this is his seventh run of the season and he is taken record a second Group One win in the Middle Park. It was hard not to be impressed with his victory in the Prix Morny under aggressive front-running tactics and his tactical versatility will prove important in this event. Ground conditions are also not an issue given he has winning form on soft ground. As long as a long, hard season doesn’t catch up with him. He looks tough to oppose.

Julius Caesar was once told to beware The Ides Of March. Ultimately, he didn’t and it led to his death (Et tu, Brute?), but whilst the equine version is respected, the form of his Round Tower win is not exactly strong and his stable companion brings Group One winning form to the table.

Race: 2.35 Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien has won the Beresford Stakes a staggering 21 times, but he has not won it for the last two runnings, which augurs well for Windlord who is bidding to become the first British-trained winner of the race since 1993. 

The son of Dubawi was coltish on his first two starts at Sandown, but following a two-month layoff, he looked more like the finished article when dotting up at York last time out. 

This is going to be no easy feat heading over to Ireland, but it’s interesting that Andrew Balding has decided to pitch him in here and he makes appeal at the prices.

Race: 3.15 Haydock.

Jer Batt has form figures of 12 at Haydock and he can improve that record with victory off a mark of 92. 

The handicapper has not put him for his fine second to the talented Shagraan at the track earlier this month and he makes appeal to land his fourth career victory here.