Jack Nicol's Tote Placepot picks for Newmarket on Saturday

The Flat season may be winding down but there are still several significant meetings before the season closes and the Future Champions Festival at Newmarket always offers plenty of quality with Classic clues also on offer. 

It's a stacked card with the Group One Darley Dewhurst taking centre stage alongside the Cesarewitch over two miles and two furlongs. 

I've got a perm consisting of 24 lines to consider for Saturday's card. 

Best of luck with whatever you're playing: 

We kick off with the Darley Stakes over nine furlongs where the recent roll of honour contains such as Alflaila and Mostahdaf. 

The named pair were both winning this at three years of age and I think Lead Artist can add to the strong record from the age group. The Dubawi colt has improved with each start this season but found 7f too sharp at Doncaster last time out and will be much more at home back up in trip. He'd previously been very impressive over a mile with victories at York and Goodwood and should have no issues with an extra furlong on this drying ground. 

Al Mubhir consolidates the attack in the opening leg as he bids to emulate his dam, Muffri'Ha, who won the 2016 renewal of this race. The five-year-old was gelded over the winter and has found extra improvement this season, landing a Listed race at Sandown in July and running close in Group Three company subsequently. He's sure to be on the premises once again. 

Selections: Al Mubhir (1) and Lead Artist (8) 

The Zetland Stakes looks a trappy affair and punters should note that a maximum of seven runners will head to post, meaning at most there will be two places on offer in the Placepot. 

As a result, we'll go bold and play a sole selection here as Shackleton looks a solid proposition for the Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien combination. 

The colt was admittedly quite disappointing when turned over on his second start at Tipperary last month but his conqueror there, Tennessee Stud, has since finished second in a Group Two and that looks strong form with hindsight. 

Shackleton has since got off the mark when running out a comfortable winner when making all at The Curragh two weeks ago and I suspect they will try and replicate those tactics here which often work so well on the Rowley Mile. 

Selection: Shackleton (4) 

There's a small turnout for the Autumn Stakes and, again, there will be a maximum of two places on offer for Placepot purposes. 

I'd be willing to take on the O'Brien favourite as he looked a tad laboured in his effort last time out and could be vulnerable to an improving type. 

Silver Peak fits the bill with just two starts to date and got off the mark in good style at Haydock last month, with the runner-up boosting the form subsequently with a runaway success at Pontefract earlier this week. Charlie Appleby has won the past four renewals of the race and looks to have excellent claims at making it a five-timer with this Dubawi colt. 

Selection: Silver Peak (4) 

There's a running theme on the card with just six declared for the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs. 

The Lion In Winter heads the market at a shade of odds-on and rightly so. The colt was an impressive winner of the Acomb Stakes at the Ebor Festival at York in August, with subsequent Royal Lodge scorer, Wimbledon Hawkeye, in second, and there should be plenty more to come on this his third career start. 

He's an obvious selection in the Placepot but we have scope for an extra selection here, especially with many selections likely to be hanging on the O'Brien hotpot, and it could be worth taking some insurance in case the favourite blows out. 

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin rely on Ancient Truth and Shadow Of Light. The latter was supplemented at a fee of £35,000 on the back of his victory in the Middle Park here two weeks ago but now has to step up in trip as he contests seven furlongs for the first time. 

I thought he handled the soft conditions better than most last time out and this seems like a bit of an afterthought. It doesn't fill you with confidence in their now apparent second string either, with James Doyle taking the ride on Ancient Truth who hasn't been sighted for three months. 

As such, I'll take a chance on Expanded who backs up after just seven days from making his debut, but a successful one all the same. 

The son of Wootton Bassett overcame greenness to get up late in the day and is sure to come on plenty for this introduction. It's a tough ask on the back of such a swift turnaround but connections are clearly happy to let him to take his chance and could be one to threaten the runner-up spot at a bigger price. 

Selections: Expanded (2) and The Lion In Winter (6) 

We have 25 runners to pick from in the Cesarewitch and at first glance punters can be forgiven for thinking it is a Cheltenham handicap with the market shaped by Willie and Emmet Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Gavin Cromwell and Joseph O'Brien. The Irish have won five of the past six renewals, with three of those coming from Willie Mullins, so it will be no surprise to seeing it going that way once again. 

It's a bit of a guessing game with Willie Mullins' Sea Of Sands, who is currently favourite. The German recruit scored on stable debut in a Listowel maiden hurdle two weeks ago with that demonstrating his wellbeing after a mammoth 776-day break but he could be vulnerable to the bounce factor and Mullins has already seen a similar type beaten in one of these heritage handicaps, with the unlucky Hipop De Loire finding trouble in-running when finishing fifth in the Ebor at York in August. At skinny odds, I think the six-year-old can be opposed. 

Instead, my main fancy is the Cromwell-trained Sixandahalf. She's had a busy campaign and been on the go since April but looks to be thriving as she has moved up in trip and already boasts Newmarket form, albeit on the July Course, with a success here in August over a mile and six furlongs. A good third in the Irish Cesarewitch has since followed and this test looks tailor made for the filly. 

I also like the chances of Ndaawi, who looks well-handicapped from a mark of 92 for Elliott. The gelding was stopped in his run at Royal Ascot in the summer but ran a good second in the Galway Hurdle subsequently and I suspect this has been a long-term plan. 

Selections: Ndaawi (10) and Sixandahalf (14) 

We have a seven-furlong nursery to round off proceedings and a trio of selections have been banked to ensure we can take a strong attack in the finale. 

Olympus Point sets a good standard on the back off his win here last month but it is a slight concern that he drops back in trip, with a mile on soft ground clearly bringing out plenty of improvement in the colt. 

Spell Master is another who has been running with credit this season, holding his form well throughout but has only been victorious once in five outings. Connections now reach for the blinkers to eke out a bit from the son of Kameko. 

Finally, Magic Love could go well again on the back of her runner-up effort here a fortnight ago. She's found some form since moving into handicaps and clearly has no issues with the track. On drying ground, she could be in the mix once again. 

Selections: Spell Master (3), Olympus Point (4) and Magic Love (10)