NEWMARKET takes centre stage this afternoon with three group races and the Betfred Cambridgeshire Handicap all televised on Channel 4, writes RAY BURROUGHS.

The meeting gets underway with the group two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes, which is run over a mile for two-year-old colts and geldings.

Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien runs three in the race – Daddy Long Legs, Tenth Star and Wrote. All must be respected but perhaps the prizemoney could remain in the country courtesy of the John Dunlop trained Farhaan, the mount of Richard Hills.

The group one Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs for two-year-old Fillies could be a tricky affair, with several runners in with good chances.

Wiltshire trainer Richard Hannon’s charge Best Terms will be looking for her fifth win on the bounce while top jockey Johnny Murtagh partners the Irish-trained Lightening Pearl.

Lambourn trainer Charles Hills is represented by Angels Will Fall and Sajwah with Manton trainer Brian Meehan relying on Shumoos.

The Hannon two-year-olds have been in sparkling form this season and this column’s selection is for Best Terms to bring the £92,000 prizemoney back to Wiltshire.

The Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes – another group one contest – features the older fillies and mares over a mile with riders from France and Ireland.

Aidan O’Brien’s Together and the John Oxx-trained Alanza represents the Irish with the Rod Collet-trained Sahpresa the French.

Among the home side’s runners are the Sir Henry Cecil-trained duo of Timepiece and Chachamaidee, while local trainer Brian Meehan runs Strawberrydaiquiri ridden by stable jockey Martin Dwyer.

Set to go off favourite is Sahpresa, but if the David Simcock-trained I’m A Dreamer, ridden by William Buick, gets the run of the race he could land the spoils.

Local interest in the Betfred Cambidgeshire Handicap centres around the Roger Charlton-trained duo of Proponent and Cry Fury.

Cry Fury has come in for some ante-post support in the week and could well go off second favourite to the likely market leader Dare To Dance, the Jeremy Noseda-trained three-year-old just making the cut.

The Beckhampton trainer was reported as saying Proponent, who was last seen finishing runner up in the Tote Mile at Goodwood, has been specially prepared for the race, adding: “I can see why he was beaten trying to give weight to subsequent dual group three winner Green Destiny at Newmarket earlier in the year.”

The 35-runner field will probably provide the bookmakers with a profitable afternoon, with several big-priced runners in with chances.

However this column’s selection is for the three-year-old Dare To Dance to show his older rivals a clean pair of heels with a tentative each-way interest on the Roger Varien -trained Tinkertown, the mount of promising apprentice Harry Bentley.

Other meetings are scheduled for Chester where the best bet could be Devoted in the last race on the card, Haydock, where Cheveton could win for the second time in seven days in the five-furlong handicap and at Ripon, where Repeater could win the two year old Nursery for trainer Sir Mark Prescott and jockey Seb Sanders.

Wolverhampton stages an eight-race card under lights and there is a jump meeting at Market Rasen.

  • IT'S been a sad week for British racing with the death of two of its stalwarts, Ginger McCain and Michael Jarvis.

Aintree legend McCain saddled Red Rum to win the Grand National three times in 1973, 1974 and 1977 before winning for a fourth time with Amberleigh House in 2004.

Son Donald maintained the family tradition by winning this year’s race with Ballabriggs.

Former Lambourn trainer Jenny Pitman, who became the first woman to train the winner of the National when Corbiere won in 1983 and again with Royal Athlete in 1995, said: “Ginger’s words when Red Rum died come to mind – ‘We’ll miss the old bugger’.

“Ginger is just irreplaceable – we had known one another a very long time. He was one of life’s colourful, special people.”

Jarvis on the other hand was one of the most respected trainers on the flat with his high-profile string winning many top class races.

He retired recently, handing over the reins to his assistant of many years, Roger Varien.

  • Wootton Bassett – named after the Wiltshire town – has been retired, with trainer Richard Fahey saying that things just haven’t worked out this year after his disappointing run at Haydock recently.

    He added: “I sat down with the owners and together we thought it would be in his best interest to retire him and try to get him a job covering mares. Wootton Bassett was a real trier who went very fast. He was also very genuine.”