What's on this week: all roads lead to City Of Troy's date with destiny at Del Mar while jumps stars return at Down Royal

Monday

Dan Skelton will bid to carry on his winning momentum from Cheltenham's Showcase meeting when he sends five runners from Warwickshire to Ayr, including promising novice hurdle debutant Country Mile (1.17). 

The maiden races on the Flat card at Galway will be worth watching as they have a history of producing useful performers. The opener (12.30) was won by the subsequent Group 1 winner Thundering Nights in 2019.

The other afternoon meetings are on the Flat at Redcar and Leicester and over jumps at Wexford, followed by evening meetings on the all-weather at Newcastle and Southwell. 

Connections of City Of Troy and company are set to discover their Breeders' Cup draw fate. The ceremony starts at 11.45pm GMT.

Racing Post readers and Members' Club subscribers can also get the exclusive lowdown on Gordon Elliott's powerful squad in our latest stable tour.

Tuesday

The jumps focus is in Wales with fixtures at Chepstow and Bangor.

The feature 2m3½f handicap chase (3.10) at Chepstow has attracted a deep and competitive field. Grade 2 winner Do Your Job will take on last-time-out winners Nocte Volatus and Opening Bid. 

Do Your Job (right): entered at ChepstowCredit: john grossick

Several well-related types, including a half-brother to the Hennessy Gold Cup winner Cloth Cap in Unleash The Beast, line up in the bumper (4.20). The powerful stables of Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls, David Pipe, Fergal O'Brien, Joe Tizzard, Philip Hobbs and Harry Fry are all represented.

The action at Bangor will also be informative, with plenty of recent winners engaged and several smart types set to make their seasonal reappearances. There is racing on the Flat at Catterick and also at Newcastle in the evening.

The big autumn jumps meetings are looming and entries will be revealed for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, Greatwood Hurdle and Coral Gold Cup.

Wednesday

Nottingham stages a good Flat card in the afternoon including the Golden Horn Maiden (1.05) – won in 2020 by future Derby hero Adayar – and the Listed Robin Hood Stakes (2.08).

Adayar: maiden winner at Nottingham in 2020 - who will follow in his footsteps? Credit: Edward Whitaker

The pick of the jumps action is at Newton Abbot, where the 2m5½f handicap hurdle (3.30) looks interesting. Several of the entries have done plenty of winning of late, including Major Fortune, What A Johnny and El Granjero.

Fakenham also stages a jumps card and more Flat action comes from Kempton and Dundalk in the evening.

The day has significance for British racing away from the track as chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers Labour's first Budget for 14 years.

Racing Post readers can enjoy a new column from professional punter Mark Holder, who is back with his unmissable tipping insight. Lucinda Russell also gives the inside line on her string in our latest stable tour.

Thursday

The week starts to get busier from here on. 

Declarations will be made for Saturday's races, including the Grade 2 bet365 Hurdle and Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and Ascot's lucrative card headlined by the Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

Last season's Betfair and County Hurdle runner up L'Eau Du Sud could make his debut over fences in a handicap chase (2.05) at Stratford. 

L'Eau Du Sud (grey): could be a crack novice chaser over two miles this seasonCredit: John Grossick

At Newcastle the Ben Pauling-trained Northern Bound could head the weights for the feature 2m4f handicap chase (2.45).

Thurles stages the day's jumps meeting in Ireland. 

Flat racing in Britain comes from Bath in the afternoon and Southwell and Chelmsford in the evening.

Friday

A host of Flat trainers will be hoping to unearth their own Bosra Sham in the Listed race named after the flying filly (1.43) at Newmarket. The once-raced William Haggas-trained Nardra makes plenty of appeal based on her excellent debut win at Haydock.

There is Listed action at Wetherby with the Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle (2.25) on the first day of the Charlie Hall meeting. Dual Cheltenham Festival winner Langer Dan took the race in 2019, and two years later it was landed by subsequent Grade 1 winner Porticello. 

This year's possible candidates include three Gredley Family-owned horses in Liam Swagger, East India Dock and Opec. Denzil could represent the Skeltons, while Fergal O'Brien could take the wraps off Roi De Baviere. Adrian Keatley may also run dual winner Model Approach.

Smart hurdler West Balboa could go for the 3m novice chase (1.15), while Midnight River, Colonel Harry and Outlaw Peter could run in the 2m3½f handicap chase (3.00).

Diva Luna: Grade 2 bumper winner could make her hurdling debut at UttoxeterCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Exciting mares Diva Luna and Let It Rain (12.55) are entered in the mares' maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter. Personal Ambition and Kalif Du Berlais could clash in the 2m novice chase (2.35).

Evening racing takes place at Newcastle but the focus will primarily be on Del Mar, where the Breeders' Cup gets under way. Big Mojo and Aesterius are in the Juvenile Turf Sprint (9.45), while Lake Victoria will bid to enhance her claims for next year's Classics in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (11.05).

The Juvenile Turf (12.25) will be a clash of big British and Irish stables as New Century, Al Qudra, Aomori City, Henri Matisse and The Waco Kid face off against the local brigade.

Lake Victoria: star name on Del Mar's Friday cardCredit: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Saturday

The Breeders' Cup reaches its climax on Saturday evening, with City Of Troy's bid for greatness in the Classic (9.41) the focal point on a spectacular evening of racing. Can he end his career in glory on a new surface against America's elite? 

Other star names on show include Bradsell, Believing and Big Evs in the Turf Sprint (7.41), star three-year-old dirt filly Thorpedo Anna in the Distaff (8.21), Rebel's Romance and Emily Upjohn in the Turf (9.01) and Notable Speech, Porta Fortuna and Ramatuelle in the Mile (11.45).

Notable Speech: 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner will head to post for the Breeders' Cup MileCredit: Edward Whitaker

There is high-class jumps action in the Charlie Hall and bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby and the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal (2.40), which is set to include last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe and Envoi Allen.

Keep an eye out for star performances on an excellent card at Ascot, while there is also jumps action at Ayr. 

Newmarket (two Listed races) and Southwell (evening) host meetings on the Flat in Britain.

Sunday

It will be time to reflect on a momentous weekend of sporting action. 

Falcon Eight could go for back-to-back wins in the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes (2.27) at the Curragh.

Big-spending owner Kia Joorabchian, the mastermind behind Group 1-winning outfit Amo Racing, features in The Big Read.

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