FAVOURITE COUNTRYWIDE FLAME PRIMED FOR BETFRED CESAREWITCH BID

Countrywide Flame, successful in the Grade One Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, will be looking to capture another prestigious prize in the £160,000 Betfred Cesarewitch  (3.35pm, 34 runners) on Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket this Saturday, October 13. The four-year-old is the 8/1 favourite with race sponsor Betfred.

The heritage handicap, run over two and a quarter miles, forms the second half of the 'Autumn Double' and John Quinn's stable star warmed for up for the famous contest with a gutsy front-running success over two miles at Chester on September 14.

Quinn, based near Malton, North Yorkshire, said: "Countrywide Flame is very well in himself and we are very happy with him.

"We were expecting him to run well at Chester. If he hadn't run well we wouldn't be heading to Newmarket but were expecting a good run because he had been training well going into the race.

"He has been in good form since and we have been very happy with him.

"He is going up in trip but I think he will get it all right and the ground shouldn't be a bother to him."

 

If successful, Countrywide Flame would follow in the footsteps of Detroit City, who won the Triumph Hurdle and the Cesarewitch in 2006.

Other notable contenders for the staying contest include Mark Johnston's talented Group Two Doncaster Cup third Hurricane Higgins (11/1) and Dermot Weld's lightly-raced York handicap scorer Olympiad (12/1).

Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien has booked Ryan Moore to partner I Have A Dream (14/1), who is three from four this season, while leading ante-post fancy Montaser (12/1), trained by David Simcock, is currently first reserve.

BETFRED CESAREWITCH BETTING: 8 Countrywide Flame, 11 Hurricane Higgins, 12 Olympiad, 14 I Have A Dream, Motivado, 16 Alhellal, Kepler's Law, Martyr, Tominator, 20 Albert Bridge, Beyond, Decoy, Lordofthehouse, Martial Law, Very Good Day, 25 Aaim To Prosper, Bernie The Bolt, Icon Dream, 33 Address Unknown, Blue Bajan, Cosimo De Medici, Cry For The Moon, Dark Ranger, Ermyn Lodge, Lyric Street, Nafaath, Western Prize, 40 Ashbrittle, Montaff, O Ma Lad, Right Stuff, Sentry Duty, Stormy Weather, 50 Astral Thunder.

Each-Way 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4

12 Montaser (Reserve 1), 25 Eagle Rock (Reserve 2) 

A seven-race card at Newmarket for Dubai Future Champions Day kicks off with the £80,000 Group Two Dubai Challenge Stakes (1.50pm, 11 runners) over seven furlongs and is followed by two of Europe's leading juvenile contests.

The £150,000 Group One Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes (2.20pm, 10 runners) over six furlongs sees an exciting clash between Clive Cox's unbeaten Darley Prix Morny hero Reckless Abandon and last month's impressive Group Two Mill Reef Stakes victor Moohaajim, who is trained by Marco Botti.

The £300,000 Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (2.55pm, six runners) has long been established as Europe's premier two-year-old contest and Jim Bolger will be looking for his fifth success in seven years with his star two-year-old, the unbeaten Dawn Approach.

High-quality juvenile action continues with the £60,000 Group Two Vision.ae Rockfel Stakes (4.05pm, 11 runners) over seven furlongs and the £40,000 Group Three Autumn Stakes over a mile (4.40pm, 11 runners) which includes six unbeaten colts.

Dubai Future Champions Day is concluded with the £55,000 Group Three Darley Stakes (5.15pm, 13 runners) over nine furlongs and features Marcus Tregoning'sBetfred Cambridgeshire winner Bronze Angel.