Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Saturday, 10 October - Newmarket, Chepstow & Hexham
Charlie heads to Newmarket on Saturday for his best bet
It's a busy day of racing action in the UK and Ireland, and Charlie McCann is here with his exclusive free horse racing tips - only at FreeBets.
2:25pm Newmarket - Rock Montreal (Nap)
The ground was described as good on Friday morning after 5mm of rain overnight. There is a largely dry forecast.
Sergei Diaghilev was no match for Dewhurst and 2000 Guineas favourite Desert Castle over 7f in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month but will appreciate the return to a mile, the distance of his previous listed success at Gowran Park.
The Group 3 Autumn Stakes is not a race Ballydoyle tend to target, although they did win the corresponding event two years ago with subsequent Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes winner Delacroix. It will be interesting to see if "the lads" empty their piggy banks at a best price of 11/4 on Friday morning, but he is drawn out on the wing in stall seven, and marginal preference is for ROCK MONTREAL (Nap).
The selection also suggested that a mile would see him in a better light when second in the 7f Flying Scotsman over the same course and distance as Sergei Diaghilev would run at Doncaster twenty-four hours later. I thought Rock Montreal should have won at Doncaster, and the form has been franked by the third – Nabati – who won the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes the following week.
The winning time of the Flying Scotsman was over a second quicker than the Champagne Stakes and, as long as conditions remain no worse than good, the Roger Varian-trained Godolphin-owned juvenile gets the vote.
William Buick replaces Ray Dawson on the selection although, interestingly, he has yet to ride either of the Godolphin-owned runners in this Group 3 contest.
Recommendation: Rock Montreal (Nap) - 13/8 with William Hill
This is Charlie's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Alan Kelly's pick too.
3:40pm Newmarket - Beylerbei & Kirchner
The Cesarewitch is not the race it once was, with prize money not keeping abreast of the Ebor and Irish equivalent, but it has still attracted a 29-runner field, and my two against the field are last year's winner BEYLERBEI (22) and KIRCHNER (3)
Beylerbei has somehow managed to avoid winning since landing this prize from a 10lbs lower mark in 2025, but the form of his close fifth in the Ebor and second in the Doncaster Cup behind subsequent Group 1 winner Cabello De Mar is top class form. He used to pull like a train but is more amenable to restraint this term. History is against him – no horse has won the race back-to-back – but he is improving despite not having struck gold this term.
Billy Loughnane was in the plate last year, and he returns to the saddle on the six-year-old for the first time since they were controversially beaten on the July course behind Valedictory, whom he meets on 6lbs better terms. Beylerbei should have won on that occasion, and we know he stays and has a good turn of foot for a stayer. He had a low draw (5) when beating Dawn Rising twelve months ago, and the latter has drawn stall five this afternoon. He is a must for any shortlist despite being a nine-year-old, and do remember a 10-year-old won the race three years ago.
Kirchner looked one to follow when scoring at Ascot on his penultimate start and the grey was never competitive when staying on into a never nearer sixth at York over 2m last month. Ryan Moore rides Dawn Rising with Rossa Ryan taking over in the plate.
Manxman has been on my radar for the race since sluicing home at Goodwood last month on soft ground, but the 5mm they got overnight into Friday is unlikely to be enough for this six-year-old who loves to get his toe in.
Recommendations: Beylerbei - 11/2 with William Hill & Kirchner - 12/1 with William Hill
2:45pm Chepstow - Stick To The Board
One of the horses I was most looking forward to in the Novice Hurdle division this term is the Paul Nicholls-trained STICK TO THE BOARD, although there are no prices available at the time of writing. Please ignore if he is odds-on, but that is unlikely to be the case with Nimba in the field.
Nicholls used to have an excellent record at this meeting – less so in recent years – and these are challenging times at Ditcheat, having lost several leading owners in the last couple of seasons. He remains a brilliant trainer, and there was a glint in his eye when speaking about this inmate when he bolted up in a Bumper here back in March for a group of his loyal owners.
The selection cost Fergie and chums £215,000 last November, having come down at the last when holding every chance in his sole point-to-point in his native Ireland. That point is working out well, and he was eased down to win his Bumper by over 2l here on good to soft ground back in the spring.
Nimba won a Catterick Bumper before failing to defy a penalty at Fontwell behind a Ben Pauling horse who disappointed at Aintree on his sole subsequent start. I will be disappointed if Stick To The Board were not able to make a winning hurdling debut.
Recommendation: Stick To The Board - 15/8 with bet365
3:45pm Hexham - Passing Diamond
I expect the money will come for Tiddesley Wood on chase debut for Adrian Keatley, having changed hands for £160,000 in April. He will relish the forecast good ground and has the size and scope to jump a fence, but he has a tough nut to crack courtesy of PASSING DIAMOND, who landed the nap for us at Cartmel six weeks ago and can continue to defy the handicapper.
The selection has won four of his last five starts and has gone up 18lbs in the weights. He is unbeaten in two starts over the larger obstacles both at Cartmel over 2m1.5f but has won over this 2m4f trip over hurdles twice earlier in the year and will appreciate the forecast good ground.
Only four go to post for this valuable novices' handicap chase, but it could well be a race worth following.
Recommendation: Passing Diamond - 13/8 with bet365
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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