Weekend racing preview: Luxembourg makes eagerly awaited return to action

However, there remains competition action aplenty with the ITV cameras at Newbury, Ripon and Newmarket, whilst there is also excellent fare at the Curragh on Saturday afternoon.

We have previewed the pick of the action and you can find the best odds on the SBK Sportsbook App.

The pick of the domestic action comes at Newbury with a number of Pattern Stakes events. They include the G2 Hungerford Stakes (3.35pm) over seven furlongs. Tiber Flow landed the Listed Carnavon Stakes when last seen and has since gone to fill eighth in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. The dip into calmer waters here makes the three-year-old a leading player.

Chindit is deeply respected for Richard Hannon having tasted Group Two and Listed success already this season. He was sixth in the Sussex Stakes last time out, but emerged with credit. Pogo has won a brace of Group Three events this term and again shaped with an abundance of promise when third in the Lennox Stakes last time out. Double Or Bubble is another interesting runner as she shaped nicely when fifth in the July Cup on her latest start.

Elsewhere on the card, five go to post for the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at 2.30pm. Zechariah was narrowly beaten in a Group Two event at Royal Ascot in June and has to be considered along with Away He Goes who filled fifth in the Goodwood Cup last time out. Universal Order has struggled to recapture his best form this term and needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort at Newmarket last time out, whilst Listed scorer Outbox and Silence Please complete the quintet.

Over at the Curragh in Ireland, Group One scorer Luxembourg is the standout name as he makes his eagerly awaited return to action in the €55,000 G3 Royal Whip Stakes (4.05pm) Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the three-year-old concluded an unbeaten juvenile campaign with Group One glory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy. He reappeared when an excellent third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, but was then ruled out of a tilt at the Derby following an injury. He remains a hugely exciting prospect and this looks a perfect race to return in as he steps up to 10 furlongs for the first time.

He is joined by stable companions Anchorage who was fourth in Listed company on his latest start and drops back down to the mile and a quarter trip and Realism who remains a maiden after two starts, latterly finishing third at Navan in April.

Insinuendo shaped with plenty of promise when second to the smart Mother Earth at the Curragh last time out and is another name to note along with Point Gellibrand who finally opened his account at the fifth time of asking. The five runners are completed by Georgeville who was fourth at Leopardstown in a Group event when last seen.

ITV Racing selections

1.20pm Newbury - Definite

1.40pm Ripon - Wen Moon

1.55pm Newbury - Victory Dance

2.10pm Newmarket - Atlantis

2.30pm Newbury - Away He Goes

2.50pm Ripon - Snash

3.00pm Newbury - Gisburn

3.18pm Newmarket - Mister Bluebird

3.35pm Newbury - Chindit