ITV Racing Tips: Sizzling Saturday with NINE live

ITV have just secured a new four-year deal to continue televising horse racing free-to-air until 2030 - great news. The channel are covering NINE live heats on Saturday; five from Ascot including the G3 Cumberland Lodge; three from Newmarket, with the G3 Sun Chariot the highlight; plus Redcar's prestigious and well-endowed Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy.

The action kicks in at 13:15, and it's sure to be spectacular.

Horse Racing Odds

Fast Racing Results

Full ITV schedule;

13:15 Ascot - 7f October Stakes (Listed)
13:50 Ascot - 5f Rous Stakes (Listed)
14:25 Ascot - 1m 4f Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Group 3)
15:00 Ascot - 6f John Guest Bengough Stakes (Group 3)
15:35 Ascot - 7f Challenge Cup (Handicap)

13:30 Newmarket - 1m 2f British Premier EBF Handicap
14:05 Newmarket - 7f October Auction Stakes
14:40 Newmarket - 1m Sun Chariot Stakes (Group 3)

15:20 Redcar - 6f Two Year Old Trophy (Listed)

Rationale;

13:15 Ascot - Bright Thunder @ 4/1

A top-quality 7f Listed heat for fillies and mares gets us underway in Berkshire.

Our selection Bright Thunder is one of many from the mighty North Yorkshire yard of Karl Burke looking to take down some of the day's showpiece contests.

By my reckoning he's got 12 horses leaving Coverham for various targets at Newmarket, Ascot, Redcar and Wolverhampton, on what could be a real red-letter day for the operation.

This four-year-old daughter of Night Of Thunder ran a blinder at Donny 20 days ago when losing out in the G3 Sceptre Stakes by just a short-head. She's ultra-consistent, and nearly took another G3 at Goodwood in July, missing out by just half-a-length.

She's won three from 12 all told, including at this level, but several of her reverses have been by pretty slim margins. An admirable operator that back down to Listed level should take all the beating on Saturday.

Cliff Lee, who could have a field day, is in the plate.

13:30 Newmarket - Morrophore @ 15/8

Classy HQ fillies' handicap, over 10f.

Team Gosden's four-year-old daughter of Kingman, Morrophore, announced herself loudly when last seen in May, sluicing up off a mark of 88 at Ascot by nearly 5l. The subsequent absence is a slight concern, but her mighty yard will hopefully have her where they want her.

She's up 10lb for that last emphatic success and as this will only be career start number six who knows what her celling could be? It's doubtful we'll see it today as there's likely to be plenty more to come, but it might easily be enough.

Will Buick, for the first time, has the riding assignment and that's seen very much as a positive. Plenty of weight all round to concede, but she's earned it.

13:50 Ascot - Beautiful Diamond @ 5/2

It's Mr Burke once more - this time with a four-year-old daughter of Twilight Son looking to take a Listed 5f Stakes contest.

Beautiful Diamond has four career wins from 12 starts and comes here fresh from recording a career-best last time at Ayr 15 days ago. At this Listed level she was mightily impressive, pulling clear by 2.5l.

She's performed very respectably in loftier Group company and stable jockey Cliff Lee is here to spearhead the Ascot challenge. Interestingly she's entered up in a Dundalk G3 in about three weeks time and can take this en route.

14:05 Newmarket - Half Sovereign @ 7/4

Karl Burke's having a busy day as we know, and here's another huge chance on a day littered with them.

Half Sovereign is a two-year-old Ten Sovereigns filly who's a spectacular, progressive four-from-five in her career thus far. Sam James has been on top for all but one of her races and is doing the pushing again this afternoon.

She's won here already, and looks well worth a pop at this very lucrative Auction Stakes contest. Might need to improve again but there's every likelihood of exactly that transpiring this afternoon.

The 7f trip is seemingly perfect and despite a massive field to overcome her price is unindicative of her perceived prospects.

14:25 Ascot - Al Qareem @ 2/1

You already know what I'm going to say - it's Karl Burke/Cliff Lee-time yet again.

This wonderful old favourite Al Qareem is six years of age and is a fantastic servant for the yard. Eleven wins from 33 starts - what a record - and a very real threat in any middle distance or staying test.

He's bumped into Trawlerman, Illinois and company once or twice of late, but has taken the scalps of the likes of Samui and Absurde. He took this race 12 months ago and probably has another magnificent veteran, William Haggas' Hamish (nine!), to beat.

Al Qareem overcame subsequent Arc heroine Bluestocking at Chester a couple of years ago giving that filly 12lbs. That's what we're dealing with here - a warrior who invariably rolls up his sleeves and battles ferociously. One of the races of the day for me.

Hamish comes out best on official marks but I'm hoping the Burke bandwagon is rolling along nicely by this point.

14:40 Newmarket - Cinderella's Dream @ 2/1

The fairer sex are once again centre stage, in the G1 Sun Chariot over a mile.

Looks a potentially outstanding renewal, and I'm siding with Charlie Appleby's Cinderella's Dream, the mount of Godolphin's main man Will Buick. She's a four-year-old daughter of Shamardal out of a Dubawi mare - beautifully bred, and undoubtedly talented.

Eight-from-13 all told, she took the G1 Falmouth here in July, then failed by 2.25l in another top-level affair at Deauville (the Jean Romanet). She's nicely in with the majority of the field on official figures, bar one - Fallen Angel, who in theory holds a very similar chance.

The trainer of who I see as the main danger? Need you ask - one Karl Burke. There are numerous other lurkers in what looks an absolute cracker but I'm happy to pin my hopes on the boys in blue on their home patch. Mouth-watering.

15:00 Ascot - Apollo One @ 11/2

G3 sprinters over 6f now, in what looks a super-competitive affair.

We've plumped for another battle-hardened veteran - the seven-year-old gelding Apollo One. Paul Mulrennan, who has ridden him twice previously, is on board for training combo Peter Charalambous & James Clutterbuck.

He's won at this level - this very race, 12 months ago, under Danny Tudhope. He signalled a return to somewhere near his best last time in the Portland at Donny three weeks ago, going down by just-half-a-length, so arrives with high hopes of a repeat.

Last season he nearly won the Portland and came here to take this. Looks like it's his time of the year - history repeating-time?

We're paying 1/5 the odds four places each-way, so you might want to bear that in mind if playing. Fantastic race; period.

15:20 Redcar - Song Of The Clyde @ 9/4

Redcar's big juvenile test - and a winner's prize of some £118k.

Sixteen are slated to start, so a bit of luck in running is definitely on the wish list. Our selection Song Of The Clyde is a Sergei Prokofiev colt, two wins from five, and trained by Clive Cox - exceptionally adept at taking these big sales prizes.

In two such tests in recent weeks our selection has won one of these at York (Goffs, £338k), and then finished runner-up at Donny (Weatherby's Scientific, £86k for coming second). He's a real money-spinner then, and on official marks he's got an outstanding chance of yet more moolah on the Yorkshire coast.

Rob Hornby has the riding assignment, and as last time was a big personal best for the horse there's every reason to think he might take another step forward on Saturday.

Anything transpiring along those lines will make him exceptionally hard to beat.

15:35 Ascot - Hickory each-way @ 7/1

Seasoned handicappers go 7f chasing the small matter of a £90k+ winner's purse.

Our selection Hickory is a seven-year-old gelding trained in Upper Lambourn by former top jump jockey Jamie Osborne. We're paying five places each-way and that's certainly the way I'm leaning, with 18 slated to face the starter.

Hickory has only been with Osborne since May (previously with James Fanshawe), but has been fairly busy, running on nine occasions. He won on the first of those, at this venue, off a mark of 86; and repeated the dose when last seen, again here, 29 days ago.

That last success was achieved off 90 and he has a career-high 93 to overcome this afternoon. While evidently in such good heart, and at a trip/track he appreciates, he might just be able to reach great heights once again.

Ed Greatrex rides, for the first time.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.