Newmarket Cambridgeshire meeting: day two

The Cambridgeshire meeting continues atNewmarket with another excellent Card. The fields may be fairly small (with the exception of the Cambridgeshire consolation race at 18.00 with 26 runners) but they are all fiercely competive and difficult to sum up because of all the foreign form. Main feature is the Group One Shadwell Fillies Mile for 2yo fillies at 16.15, which has been won for the last 3 years by Godolphin runners.

Godolphin have entered two here - Ihtimal (Saeed bin Suroor/ Silvestre de Sousa) and Sound Reflection (Charlie Appleby/ Mickael Barzalona). With the Godolphin youngsters in fantastic form, both must be respected; on the form book, Ihtimal has the better chance after winning two Group races in excellent style, but the other, unbeaten in two lesser events, has been supplemented, so a strong performance is clearly expected. The one to beat is clearly Rizeena (Clive Brittain/ James Doyle), who is top-rated after winning the Irish equivalent race and is obviously one of the best European juvenile fillies.

Mike de Kock, who has horses in training here while being prepared for another attack on Meydan, has two strong entries today - Igugu (Pat Cosgrave) in the mile listed race for fillies at 15.10 and Soft Falling Rain (Paul Hanagan) in the Group Two over the same trip half an hour later. Both would be a certainty on their South African form, but there are reasons for being sceptical about today´s races. Igugu has had problems with acclimatising to Europe conditions and is also running over the wrong distance; she could well win, but for betting purproses we prefer Lanansaak (Roger Varian/ Dane O´Neill) and Purr Along (William Muir/ Frankie Dettori). Soft Falling Rain ran well on his British debut and should be much sharper today; but this stiff mile is not ideal. Penitent (David O´Meara/ Danny Tudhope) and Montiridge (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes) probably need softer ground, so the two to concentrate on here could be oldtimer Premio Loco (Chris Wall/ George Baker) and Glory Awaits (Kevin Ryan/ Jamie Spencer), who was after all runner-up in the 2,000 Guineas over this CD.

Foreign form must also be taken into account when considering the listed race over 1 1/2 miles at 17.25. Gatewood (John Gosden/ William Buick) has spent most of the year in Australia, while Wigmore Hall (Michael Bell/ Jamie Spencer) has shown his best form in Canada. Of these we just prefer Wigmore Hall, but perhaps Marco Botti´s consistent Renew, with his new stable jockey Martin Harley; is the most reliable option here.

The opening Group Three for 2yo fillies over 7 furlongs at 14.40 is another tricky race. André Fabre rarely has runners here so Miss France (Mickael Barzalona) is an obvious contender. Radiator (Sir Michael Stoute/ James Doyle) was most impressive when winning at Lingfield (on turf) by 15 lengths, but probably did not beat much. Midnite Angel (Richard Hannon/ Dettori) was runner-up to Ihtimal (runs in the Group One) here in August and has run well since, so we make her a narrow selection.

Fans of German breeding should have a look at Baarez (Varian/ Hanagan), who makes his debut in the 2yo maiden at 16.50. His dam is an own sister to Samum and Schiaparelli and comes from what is currently the most successful Family in Germany. He faces 15 opponents, the best of whom should be Yuften (William Haggas/ Kieren Fallon).