The signs of awakening from the National Hunt slumbers may be increasing by the day, but the Flat season isn't quite ready for consignment to the history books.
This weekend will prove that, with plenty of high-quality action and nowhere more so than at Newmarket, where they stage the Dubai Future Champions Festival across Friday and Saturday.
They have Group 1 action on both afternoons and lots of quality support races, but the big betting race of the day on Saturday is the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (3.40).
Clive Gildon assesses the big race and gives his best bet and alternative.
Bet On The Cesarewitch Handicap
3.40 - Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap
This race often goes to a horse that has been hiding away over the summer to protect its mark, but this year might be an exception because Premiere Ligne can buck the trend.
The Hughie Morrison-trained five-year-old has been a model of consistency in six starts this season and followed his victory at Lingfield in May with four consecutive runner-up finishes in hot races.
Premiere Ligne looked like winning all of them at one stage or another and traded at lows of 1.17, 2.8, 1.62 and 1.4 in running, but he doesn't always finish his races as strongly as you would expect.
He appeared to have everything covered in the trial for this race over course and distance last month before handing back the initiative to winner Robert Johnson in the dying strides. However, that was still a superb effort from Premiere Ligne, who pulled seven lengths clear of the third in a good time.
Premiere Ligne probably needs to be delivered as late as possible and have his head put in front near the line, but talented 5lb claimer Jack Doughty is capable of doing just that and a 25-runner race like this should suit such a strong traveller as he can slowly pick his way through rivals with plenty to aim at.
Morrison fits first-time blinkers in a bid to help Premiere Ligne, and it's worth taking a chance to see if they work.
If the race is to go the same way as it has done in recent years then it will probably go to a horse better known as a jumper. Nine of the last ten winners had run three or fewer times on the Flat in that season and eight of those were jumps horses.
With that being said, the best alternative might be last year's winner, The Shunter, who is only 5lb higher than when running away with it 12 months ago and has run only once since. That was over hurdles.
He is 11 now, but Caracciola won this race at that age back in 2008, and The Shunter is still unexposed despite his advancing years as he has run only six times on the Flat.
He has been off for 327 days since his last run over hurdles at Punchestown last November, but we know this will have been his big target again and trainer Emmet Mullins doesn't miss too often in Britain.
He can be expected to have The Shunter at full tilt for this return, and we know he is well suited to the demands of a big field handicap like this, whether it be over hurdles, fences or on the Flat.
SELECTION: PREMIERE LIGNE
BEST ALTERNATIVE: THE SHUNTER
