It’s never easy picking winners, and today’s feature race, the Betfred Cesarewitch at Newmarket, looks very tough with 35 runners galloping up the famous turf, writes NIALL HANNITY.
No doubt it’s a great spectacle, but finding the winner in recent years is something I can’t claim to have done too often!
The last two years the winner has returned at 66-1, so it may be better splitting our stakes and going for a couple at a double figure price.
A lightweight has never been a bad thing either in this race and with only eight stone on his back Jonny Delta makes appeal for trainer Jim Goldie.
The seven-year-old was placed in the races 12 months ago and run this time in better form. 
Earlier in the campaign he broke the track record at Musselburgh, and that race has worked out very well with the Northumberland Plate winner in behind and several other horses who have franked the form.
Goldie has turned to apprentice Joey Haynes to take the ride, a young jockey who has impressed on several occasions this term. 
Others I like are the John Quinn pair Swnymor and Moidore. The Malton trainer is widely regarded as one of the finest dual-purpose trainers in the land and has a couple of contenders in Swnymor, fifth behind Quick Jack at Galway, and Moidore.
Quinn said: “Swnymor is in great from at home and all has gone well since running in Galway.
“The draw in 34 is a big negative but if he can get some luck in running we feel he will run a big race.
“Moidore is a horse who is better for knowing and Joe Doyle, who takes the mount, rides him regularly at home.
“He ran a blinder up at Ayr where the ground was too quick for him.
“Unlike Swnymor he’s got a good draw in stall four and he has a squeak.
“We came close to winning this race in 2012 when Countrywide Flame was second.
“Hopefully one of them will go one better as both horses are fit and well and have the right profile for the race.’’
It’s hard to believe but today is the last fixture of the season at York and while the feature race, the Coral Sprint Trophy, has attracted a big field I expect Aetna to rip them apart.
The four-year-old appears to excel when the mud is flying, recording impressive victories at Newcastle and on the Knavesmire early in the season before she was given the summer off as faster ground prevailed.
Aetna made an encouraging return from over four months off the track, when a close third at Newmarket a little over a fortnight ago, and is a warm order to regain winning ways in the £75,000 contest.
David Easterby, son and assistant to trainer Mick, said: “I walked the course earlier in the week and I thought it was genuine good to soft ground.
“They’ve had a bit of rain since then and that will suit her, as the word ‘soft’ is paramount.
“We’ve protected her during the summer when the ground has been quick and we were pleased with her first run back at Newmarket.
“She’s going to relish the conditions and we’re looking forward to running her.’’
It’s a long winter and Mick Easterby will be looking to get his hands on that valuable prize and I think he will do just that.