Concluding the Future Champions Festival of 2025 at Newmarket races on day 2 of the meeting on Saturday, 11 October is a superb card. The Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, supported by other Pattern races, and the marathon Cesarewitch, makes for an excellent finale.
With the Flat now starting to wind down, this is the last major fixture from Headquarters. Supporting races alongside the Cesarewitch for staying handicappers and the Dewhurst are three Group 3 events. These are the Darley Stakes over nine furlongs, the Zetland Stakes at a mile-and-a-quarter and Autumn Stakes on the Rowley Mile.
Those latter two contests from the Future Champions Festival 2024 Newmarket races day 2 card are juveniles only events. They have that in common with the Dewhurst, which looks a strong renewal with some top two-year-olds running. It’ll be the last time we see these talented young horses on the track before the spring and the Classics.
It’s about the here and now, though, for our horse racing experts. They take a dip into the form book, searching for runners with the right pedigrees and performances, so you don’t have to. With all that legwork done for you, we point you towards online horse racing bookmakers with a bit of value in them.
So they can focus on the best of the action from Headquarters, our experts provide detailed analysis of the first five races on the card. Their Saturday selections all have good reasons behind them. As the curtain falls on another major meeting in Britain, check out their thoughts below…
Future Champions Festival 2025 Newmarket Races Day 2 Preview for Saturday, 11 October
1:15 – 1m 1f Group 3 Darley Stakes
Wathnan Racing running two looks significant, though, and it’s Sheikh Mohammed Obaid who poses the biggest threat to them courtesy of Liberty Lane, who likes this course and distance but got turned over in this race 12 months ago. Karl Burke’s five-year-old Teofilo gelding won both the Suffolk Stakes and Cambridgeshire Handicap here last season.
Younger horses have fared best in recent times, however, so Gladius could also be a danger. Andrew Balding needs him to step up on his Strensall Stakes fourth in this grade and over the trip from York. The runner-up did come out and land the Cambridgeshire, however, so that form isn’t too shabby.
Godolphin run First Conquest, but he’s best known for his exploits in Dubai at Meydan over the winter. He has a 2-4 record at Newmarket across both the Rowley Mile and July Course, so doesn’t mind his local tracks. Damysus doesn’t have anything to fear from re-opposing Deauville third Mister Rizz, who completes the line-up.
1:50 – 1m 2f Group 3 Zetland Stakes
Ballydoyle have Endorsement as the main market rival to Look To The Stars after his maiden success around Tipperary. That track could hardly be more different from Headquarters, though. Pierre Bonnard could offer more than just a second string for O’Brien here. He shaped at Leopardstown on his racecourse debut like he wanted a trip.
Del Maro is still a maiden and the second Godolphin entrant. He could also benefit from tackling a longer distance under Billy Loughnane. If the powerful connections don’t carve this up between them, then another who could go well is Spyce. He caught the eye for Alan King when runner-up in the Convivial Maiden at York and has since gone one better around Yarmouth.
2:25 – 1m Group 3 Autumn Stakes
🔵 Distant Storm powers clear to decisively land the G3 @Tattersalls1766 Stakes for team @godolphin pic.twitter.com/Dn2viit1AD
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) September 25, 2025
The apparent Godolphin second string ran on into third here in a Group 3 just over a fortnight ago. Archer Royal isn’t slow either, but his sire Blue Point keeps having winners over further than his own game of sprinting. Listowel maiden winner Straight Up encounters very different conditions to his racecourse debut for O’Brien now.
He could be anything off one run, though, and Ballydoyle also run New Zealand, who just held off Isaac Newton last time. Hankelow is back on a sounder surface for Burke, meanwhile, and the yard have done ever so well with their juveniles this term. The others don’t make much appeal, for all Pathein has done nothing wrong.
3;00 – 7f Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes (Colts & Fillies)
First-time cheekpieces go on Saba Desert and he returns to better ground after finishing last of six in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes in Ireland. Prevailing that day was Eve Johnson Houghton’s tough ZAVATERI, who looks the best colt ever to pass through her yard. He beat Gstaad by a head in gutsy fashion with other O’Brien runner Italy 2 1/2 lengths behind in third.
Those three take each other on again, but this is a home game for Zavateri. He just edges the call on official ratings too with 1lb in hand over Gstaad. Alparslan is the other unbeaten horse besides Zavateri in the line-up, but this is a big step up in grade for Burke’s charge after he landed a valuable Sales race on the same Curragh card last month.
Gewan is a big price on his defeat of Italy in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York over the summer, meanwhile. Andrew Balding’s Night Of Thunder colt must bounce back from defeat at Doncaster when fourth. Oxagon finished three lengths in front of Gewan on Town Moor, so could also have a shout if the market principals don’t fire.
3:40 – 2m 2f Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage Handicap)
A ready win for Irish raider Reverend Hubert in the Turners Cesarewitch Trial Handicap for Charles Byrnes 👏 pic.twitter.com/au5jwhISmu
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) September 20, 2025
Bunting hasn’t built on early promise since joining Closutton, but could relish this step up in trip on the Flat if he doesn’t run too free. Winter Fog is a veteran placed in Grade I hurdle races on both sides of the Irish Sea last term. He shed the maiden tag last time. Also crossing over from the Emerald Isle is the 2024 winner Alphonse Le Grande.
Now officially back in Tony Martin’s stable, he effectively has 9lb more on his back. Seamie Heffernan comes over for the ride. Re-opposing runner Manxman bids to go one better for the Simon & Ed Crisford team. They book Jack Callan in the saddle, who takes off a handy 5lb with his claim. Split the width of the track 12 months ago, just a nose separated Alphonse Le Grand and Manxman.
Irish raiders keep on coming with Joseph O’Brien marathon specialist Dawn Rising, Gordon Elliott’s Mordor and Ndawwi, and Charles Byrnes Cesarewitch Trial winner Reverend Hubert. All have claims, but catching the eye behind the latter in third was BELGRAVIAN. Balding’s runner is 1lb out of the handicap, but 5lb well-in on future assignments.
Belgravian is a three-year-old receiving 9lb weight for age here. Surrey Belle looks even better-treated off 6lb well-in for Adrian Keatley, meanwhile. She routed her rivals around Ayr and went close in the Chester Plate over this trip.
