Newmarket Future Champions Day Tips: Four Best Bets Including The Dewhurst Stakes

With the domestic flat season drawing to a close, this weekend provides a snapshot of things to come in 2026. Appropriately named the Future Champions Festival, this two-day fixture from Newmarket regularly helps identify future Classic winners.

Here, using information presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out four Newmarket betting selections, including Dewhurst Stakes tips and a Cesarewitch betting preview.

Dubai Future Champions Day Races

1:50 Night Of Thunder Zetland Stakes

Charlie Appleby has won three of the past four editions of this 1m2f event and boasts a strong hand in 2025. William Buick sides with Look To The Stars over Del Maro – and it’s easy to see why. The son of Galiway arrives seeking a hat-trick and has duly worked his way to the head of the market. However, we just prefer another.

Aidan O’Brien has drawn a blank in this race since saddling Kew Gardens and Norway to win back-to-back editions in 2018 and 2019. Endorsement can end that wait for a winner. By the late Wootton Bassett and out of a Galileo mare, the mount of Wayne Lordan powered clear over 1m1f at Tipperary in August, suggesting a step up in trip may see him in an even better light. Granted an additional furlong to play with here, he may be tough to beat.

• Recommended Bet - Endorsement to win @ 3/1 with BetGoodwin

2:25 Emirates Autumn Stakes

With five wins in the past eight years, Charlie Appleby has also enjoyed a fine time of things in this Group 3 contest. The Dubawi colt Al Zanati is the stable's first string this year, having scored over 7f of the July Course on debut. That was a likeable effort, but we will be continuing the theme of our first selection for our bet.

In common with Endorsement, Straight Up hails from the yard of Aidan O’Brien, is sired by Wootton Bassett, and out of a Galileo mare. While many runners from the O’Brien yard need the run first time out, that wasn’t the case for Straight Up. Having hacked up by three lengths on debut, he is fancied to take this step up in class in his stride.

• Recommended Bet - Straight Up to win @ 11/4 with BetGoodwin

3:00 Darley Dewhurst Stakes

Charlie Appleby’s Distant Storm heads the market in the big Group 1 on the card and looked like a star in the making in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes over this course and distance. The son of Night Of Thunder should go well, but we prefer an each-way punt.

Before his Tattersalls Stakes win, Distant Storm had finished third behind Gewan in the Acomb Stakes. Gewan, in turn, finished fourth in the Champagne Stakes – two places behind Oxagon. With the winner of the Champagne Stakes since landing a Group 1 in France, Oxagon looks like a great value bet to at least hit the frame.

• Recommended Bet - Oxagon each way @ 8/1 with BetGoodwin

3:40 Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap

21 runners line up in the 2m2f Cesarewitch in a typically open renewal. Having caused a 33/1 shock in 2024, Alphonse Le Grande is significantly shorter this time around. Bunting represents the Willie Mullins/Tony Bloom combo and has also come in for strong support.

In general, we prefer to take an each-way chance in big field handicaps such as this. The two to catch our eye are the Gordon Eliott duo of Mordor and Ndaawi, with a narrow preference for the former. Making only his fifth start in a flat handicap, the five-year-old gets in off the same mark as when finishing second over 2m4½ at Goodwood last time. With the better ground and drop back in trip in his favour, he represents solid each-way value.

• Recommended Bet - Mordor each way @ 18/1 with BetGoodwin

For adventurous punters, a 50p each way Lucky 15 on the above four selections at the recommended prices has potential winnings of £2,455.75 with BetGoodwin.

Future Champions Day FAQ

• When is the Future Champions Festival 2025? - The Dubai Future Champions Festival takes place at Newmarket Racecourse on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th October.
• What time is the Dewhurst Stakes? - The Dewhurst Stakes is the fourth race on Newmarket Future Champions Day and takes place at 3:00pm
• Who is the favourite for the Cesarewitch? - At the time of writing, the 2024 winner Alphonse Le Grande, and the Willie Mullins-trained Bunting were vying for favouritism at around 7/1.