Saturday ITV Tips: Mark Milligan's three to back at Ascot and Newmarket at up to 10/1

• Veteran to go well if the rain arrive

• Progressive filly can land Group 1 feature

• Akkadian can Thunder home at Ascot

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14:25 Ascot - Back Hamish @ 13/82.63

With rain in the forecast over Friday and Saturday, conditions could well come right for the admirable veteran Hamish as he bids to win the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes for a second time having taken it in 2022.

The William Haggas-trained nine-year-old relishes cut in the ground and is relatively lightly raced nowadays, with connections picking and choosing their spots carefully and going where conditions appear most suitable.

He had to work a bit harder than ideal when getting the better of Mount Atlas at Chester last time, but the ground would have been lively enough for him there (Timeform called it good) and he'll take plenty of stopping if plenty of rain comes.

There's probably little downside to backing Hamish at this stage as he'd be unlikely to take his chance anyway if the rain doesn't arrive in the quantities needed to show him to best effect.

There is a massive Saturday evening KO in the Premier League. Read Opta on Chelsea-Liverpool here, featuring an 8/19.00 tip

14:40 Newmarket - Back Lady Of Spain @ 5/16.00

Saturday's big race of the day in the UK takes place over at Newmarket, where we have a competitive renewal of the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes.

Cinderella's Dream and Fallen Angel are vying for favouritism at the time of writing but neither looks bomb proof and I'm prepared to take the pair on with the progressive Lady Of Spain.

Roger Varian's filly is unbeaten in five starts and will come into this fresher than most having made just one appearance this season, that coming when getting the better of Blue Bolt in Group 3 company at Sandown in August.

That filly takes her on again but Lady Of Spain can be expected to strip fitter for the run and I'll be disappointed if she can't confirm the form, for all that Blue Bolt looks progressive herself.

This doesn't look the strongest Group 1 in form terms and it won't take much of a step forward for the selection to be bang there.

15:35 Ascot - Back Akkadian Thunder E/W @ 10/111.00

The 7f Challenge Cup Heritage Handicap is as open as you'd expect for the big money that's on offer and I'm siding with one who hasn't been seen at all to best effect on his last two starts but could well bounce back at a venue he goes well at.

David O'Meara's Akkadian Thunder has been placed twice in handicaps on the Ascot straight course, perhaps most notably when a fine second of 27 to subsequent Group 1 winner Never So Brave at the Royal meeting in June.

That came on the back of a win at Doncaster and Akkadian Thunder is currently in miles better heart than his recent form figures suggest. The selection got no sort of run at Newbury two starts ago and also struggled to find room to work with on the all-weather at Newcastle last time.

Neither of those efforts should be held against him with this in mind and he surely has more races in him from a mark of 95, the same perch that he ran off when putting up that fine Royal Ascot performance.

With five places available on the Sportsbook, Akkadian Thunder looks a sound each-way play.

Now read Katie Midwinter's Saturday racing tips