ITV Saturday York, Newmarket And Ascot

The first race of the day is the Class 2 Handicap over a mile and we like the look of the William Haggas trained Ajyaall who could be very well handicapped still.

The four year old Ajyaall makes a big appeal and is advertised as an each way selection in the contest being a lightly raced son of Kingman.

As a three year old the gelding was seen three times, winning two events well once at Haydock and another at Wolverhampton, also finishing second in another event on the all weather.

He returned this term at York over 7f and the soft ground scuppered any chance of running a big race and now back on good ground and back up to a mile he looks a big contender off 1lb lower.

Another nice event is the seven furlong Fillies' Handicap and a horse that needs to bounce back but looks well handicapped is the Andrew Balding trained Nebulosa.

The three year old really got the hang of things towards the back end of her juvenile career when winning over course and distance in taking style.

Back this season for her seasonal debut she made it back to back wins at Goodwood when winning by a short head on good to firm, showing she can win on both quick and soft ground.

Last time out on heavy she ran no sort of race and getting back to a quicker surface could be the making of her, getting weight off some of the key runners.

Each way player.

The feature race of the day at York is the Group Three John Smith's Silver Cup over a marathon trip and the stand out runner looks to be Hukum.

The four year old colt was a decent two year old, only racing twice and getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Kempton over a mile.

Burrows always planned to step this horse up in trip and on his seasonal debut last term he landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in gritty style.

The way he battled and stayed on that day showed he could handle a bigger trip and when stepped up to 1m5f in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, he was a runaway winner in soft conditions.

Both these runs set him up perfectly for a crack at the Group One St Leger at Doncaster, but on the day he was outstayed by better horses and had to settle for fifth.

He returned this season at Sandown in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown over 1m2f and looked to need the run in the final stages.

As expected he came on for the run last time out when getting off the mark for the term in the Listed Tapster Stakes at Goodwood back over 1m4f and that put him spot on for a go at back to back Royal Ascot winners.

He headed into an above average renewal of the Hardwicke Stakes and plugged on well in soft ground to grab third behind the dual Group One winner Wonderful Tonight.

That form sets the standard and he should stay this trip.

The bet365 Mile Handicap sees a very smart field of three year olds head to post but they look to all have to beat the favourite Royal Fleet.

The three year old was seen making his debut last season at Kempton over seven furlongs and he was a smart winner of a 13 runner event.

Saved for this season he was sent to Yarmouth for his seasonal/turf debut and backed up his debut in emphatic style winning a Novice Stakes.

He makes his handicap debut on Saturday and although giving some weight away looks the one to beat.

The feature race of the day at Ascot on Saturday is the Group Two Summer Mile and this contest looks set up for the smart Sir Busker.

A highly campaigned handicapper, Sir Busker has amassed 25 runs and five wins during his career to date.

Most notably when winning the Silver Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot last year. Shouldering top weight, he finished like a steam train under Oisin Murphy to a thrilling success.

He nearly followed it up in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket but found the drop to seven furlongs too sharp to see him get the better of Motakhayyel.

Career best efforts soon followed with a second in the Group Two Celebration Mile and fourth in the Queen Elizabeth II, finishing just behind the superstar miler Palace Pier.

The straight mile at Ascot is certainly his bag and he returned with an encouraging third this term in the Listed trial for the Queen Anne Stakes.

He went over to France for his final bit of prep and he was underwhelming but bounced back in a big way last time out when finishing a superb third behind Palace Pier again and Lope Y Fernandez in the Group One.

That sets the standard in this race and with how much he loves it at Ascot he looks an obvious contender

One of the best races at Newmarket on the day is the Group Two Superlative Stakes over seven furlongs and this race has been won by some special horses in the past.

This season we think this trend will continue with the John & Thady Gosden trained Dhabab, who looks to have bundles of ability and just needs some luck in running.

The two year old son of No Nay Never was last seen at Royal Ascot in the Coventry Stakes. Well backed until post time, he was sent off the 4/1 favourite but some trouble in running saw him only manage sixth place.

He made significant late headway when he saw daylight and surely would have gotten a lot closer had he had a clear run.

A smaller field here hopefully means he won’t have the same traffic problems and the bookies are already ducking for cover as Dettori takes over in the saddle.

Big player.

The second event of the day on ITV from Ascot sees the Betfred Heritage Handicap over five furlong and the horse that takes the eye is the William Haggas trained Hurricane Ivor.

The four year old came over to Haggas this season from France and needed his debut at York when last of 12 on slow ground.

However, he bounced back to form in a big way when winning a decent handicap over 5f at Sandown last time out and if in the same form should handle the 5lb hike.

The Class 2 Bunbury Cup Handicap over seven furlongs has always been a nightmare for punters but this year we believe to have found a solid each way contender.

At 16/1 Symbolize for trainer Andrew Balding and rider Oisin Murphy represents big value, with plenty of firms potentially set to offer extra places on the race, depending on the amount of runners declared.

The four year old son of Starspangledbanner has proven form on both good and soft ground during her career, but ideally he would not want the heavens to completely open.

Having been a decent handicapper over seven furlongs for a while, he enters calculations for this race off the back of his run at Royal Ascot las time out.

The gelding managed to finish a staying on seventh of 28 in the Buckingham Palace Handicap Stakes on good to firm ground, being on the wrong side of the track to where the pace was but still managing to get involved.

He looks weighted to get involved if coming on again for that run and with less of a draw bias than at Ascot he should be in the frame.

Another smart event at York is the John Smith's Cup Handicap over 1m2f and at a huge price What's The Story for Keith Dalgleish is not to be taken lightly.

The seven year old has landed two races from four outings over course and distance, running well in this event last year 3lb higher.

In November the gelding finished a good second over 1m2f at Chelmsford and then after a break returned in March at Doncaster in the Listed Mile Stakes and finished a good second behind Top Rank.

The fourth and fifth in that race have since come out and ran to a fair standard and he is only 1lb higher than that mark.

Although being poor at Ascot last time out, his overall form at this track is worth sticking by him at a huge price of 33/1.

The feature race of the day is the Group One Darley July Cup Stakes over six furlongs and the horse the looks the value is the three year old Dragon Symbol.

He bolted up on debut under Hollie Doyle at Wolverhampton and quickly backed that up under a penalty. Moved into handicaps he made a mockery of a mark of 85 to record his hat trick.

Dropped in trip to five furlongs and moved into a conditions race, he again put up a stellar performance to another win.

Rightly moved into graded company he contested the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on bottomless ground.

He was just denied by outsider Rohaan by a nose who’s since won the Wokingham off an eye-watering mark of 112.

With strong form in the books we last saw Dragon Symbol be first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup only for the result to be overturned in the steward’s room afterwards.

He’s worth his chance here if making the most of his weight for age allowance and looks the value in the market.

The City Walls Stakes over five furlongs sees some top class sprinters head to post and we are siding with the Edward Bethell trained Moss Gill.

The five year old sprinter has been a superb yardstick over the years and loves racing at York racing five times and placing in every event, winning two of them, including this event last term.

One of his best performances at the track was his close third in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and putting up a run like that in Listed company sees him go close.

This season he has been in fine form with two good seconds at Lingfield and Haydock and his course form puts him right in the mix.