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Mark fancies four on Future Champions Day
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His best bets comes at York
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Mullins/Buick partnership can land the Ces
It's Future Champions Day at Newmarket on Saturday, where plenty of top-flight juveniles are in action, but there could also be a very good one on show in the first race at York as Division takes the step up to listed company.
The William Haggas-trained son of Kingman showed plenty of promise when second on debut at Windsor in August (a race that's working out well) and then made no mistake next time, running away with a Haydock novice.
He wasn't quite so impressive at Yarmouth last time, but still comfortably accounted for a subsequent winner, and this £800k purchase looks to have plenty more to offer.
His draw in stall eight should be fine and this well-bred sort looks the type to make up into a fine three-year-old.
Back Division in 13:30 York
The big two-year-old race over at HQ is the Dewhurst, where we get a rematch between Zavateri and Gstaad, who had little separating them when finishing first and second in the National Stakes at the Curragh last time.
I don't have a strong opinion on that race, but I am keen on Pierre Bonnard in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes earlier, a contest that showcases some potentially useful young stayers for the future.
Quite a few of these are bred to excel over this 1m 2f trip and further, so deciding between them isn't all that easy, but Pierre Bonnard impressed me when winning over 1m at Dundalk last time and he'll only get better the further he goes, as one would expect being a son of Camelot.
Fresh from his near miss on Minnie Hauk in the Arc, Christophe Soumillon takes the ride on the Aidan O'Brien contender and they've had plenty of success together over the last few weeks.
Back Pierre Bonnard in 13:50 Newmarket
Returning to York for our next selection, the big handicap of the day there is the Coral Sprint Trophy over 6f and I'm siding with one who hasn't won in quite a while but has eased to a tempting mark.
Korker is very much the type who needs things to drop right in this sort of race given he tends to miss the break and lacks a bit of early foot, but he generally goes well at this track and is now operating 7lb below his last winning mark.
Throw in the fact that promising apprentice Jack Nicholls takes off a further 5lb and Karl Burke's charge is beginning to look very well weighted, while his useful course record (won or in the frame on 10 of 15 starts at York) adds to the appeal.
The selection obviously comes with plenty of strings attached given he's not got his head in front in the best part of two years, but we do have five places available on the Sportsbook and I can't let Korker go unbacked each-way at 22/123.00.
Back Korker, each-way, in 15:15 York
Willie Mullins and William Buick have a fine strike-rate when teaming up together in handicaps on this side of the Irish Sea and they can take another big staying conest with Bunting in the Cesarewitch.
The duo's most recent big UK handicap winner came in the Ebor at York, when Buick steered home Ethical Diamond, and Bunting himself is still unexposed on the flat having made just four career starts on the level. He shaped really well when fifth over 1m 5f at Leopardstown last time, where he stuck to the task despite being caught wide throughout.
It's also worth noting that the selection is yet to try a marathon trip in this sphere and that could well unlock some further improvement.
Mullins also fields another couple including Ebor sixth Hipop de Loire, who ran well to finish third in the Doncaster Cup last time, but it looks significant that Buick has hopped off that one to take the leg up on Bunting, who makes plenty of each-way appeal.
Back Bunting, each-way, in 15:40 Newmarket
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