After Royal Ascot and Epsom, there is plenty this week to keep what has hitherto been a brilliant Flat season firmly on the boil, with Classics and famous old handicaps on the agenda.
The three-day John Smith’s Northumberland Plate meeting will pack them in at Newcastle, while over in Ireland a high-class weekend culminates in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
Action at Newcastle starts on Thursday with a relatively moderate card before things hot up markedly on Friday night with the Listed EBF Hoppings Stakes and the always-competitive totesport.com Gosforth Park Cup.
Saturday is Plate day, and the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ – worth some £150,000 in added prize money – will command plenty of betting attention throughout the week.
Activate, a fairly lightly-raced Motivator colt trained by Michael Bell, has been a buzz horse for the Plate since his win at Haydock in May.
Newmarket trainer Bell has a second string to his bow in Tactician, although the pair have differing requirements with regards to ground conditions.
Chief supporting contest is the totesport.com Chipchase Stakes, a six-furlong sprint won by some decent types over the years, including future Group One victor Soldier’s Tale for Jeremy Noseda back in 2005.
A big week in the north gets going at Carlisle on Wednesday, where the Lloyd Motor Group Carlisle Bell can be traced back to its first running in the 16th century.
Newmarket host a Friday night-Saturday afternoon meeting on the July course with the second day full of quality and more than a few owners with eligible runners will have their sights on the £150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3-Y-O Cup.
Providing ample interest elsewhere at Headquarters will be the Group Three Criterion Stakes, and Listed events in the shape of the Fred Archer Stakes and Empress Stakes.
Saturday’s Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh is a target for newly-knighted Sir Henry Cecil and his prolific filly Midday.
The five-year-old is a multiple Group One winner and was a shade unfortunate not to lift the Coronation Cup last time out.
Cecil will not have a runner in the Irish Derby on Sunday, but Aidan O’Brien will be mob-handed in his quest for a ninth win – and sixth in a row after Dylan Thomas (2006), Soldier Of Fortune (2007), Frozen Fire (2008), Fame And Glory (2009) and Cape Blanco 12 months ago.
Treasure Beach, head runner-up to Pour Moi in the Epsom version, will lead the charge and Ed Dunlop has this in mind for close fifth Native Khan, ground permitting.
Dandy Nicholls will again be over from his North Yorkshire base with Inxile, three times a winner in Ireland this year and booked for the Group Three Sapphire Stakes.
Fixtures (Flat in capitals)
Monday: CHEPSTOW (evening), KEMPTON, WINDSOR (evening), WOLVERHAMPTON (evening)
Tuesday: BEVERLEY, BRIGHTON, NEWBURY (evening), Newton Abbot (evening)
Wednesday: BATH (evening), CARLISLE, KEMPTON (evening), SALISBURY (evening). Worcester
Thursday: Ffos Las, HAMILTON (evening), LEICESTER (evening), NEWCASTLE, WARWICK
Friday: CHESTER (evening), DONCASTER, FOLKESTONE, Market Rasen, NEWCASTLE (evening), NEWMARKET (evening)
Saturday: CHESTER, DONCASTER (evening), LINGFIELD (evening), NEWCASTLE (CH4), NEWMARKET (CH4), WINDSOR
Sunday: SALISBURY, Uttoxeter, WINDSOR