Newmarket Cambridgeshire Meeting: day three

a huge card at Newmarket today, including two Group One races, a Group Two and the Cambridgeshire, one of the biggest handicaps of the year and the first leg of the "autumn double". All races look very difficult and anybody who gets the tote placepot up today deserves a medal.
The card begins with the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes for 2yo´s over a mile at 14.55 CET. Aidan O´Brien won this last year and now sends over Afonso De Sousa with son Joseph in the saddle. It is the stable´s only runner here and must be taken seriously, but on collateral form he should not beat Steeler (Mark Johnston/ Kieren Fallon). Al Waab (Sir Henry Cecil/ Tom Queally) and the Monsun colt Excess Knowledge (John Gosden/ William Buick) are other candidates on a very open race.
The Cheveley Park Stakes (Group One) for 2yo fillies at 15.25 is generally regarded as the top race of the year for the juvenile fillies- despite the fact that there were two similar races here yesterday. Richard Hannon has a good line to 2yo form and his Maureen (Richard Hughes) has to go on the short list, together with the unbeaten fillies Rosdhu Queen (William Haggas/ Johnny Murtagh) and Winning Express (Ed McMahon/ Franny Norton). It would be nice to see the last.-named win for a small stable, but the race is wide open.
The other Group One is the Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile for filllies and mares, which has attracted a select field. Sir Henry Cecil has a strong hand here with Chachamaidee, ridden by stable jockey Queally, while the owners´ French jockey Christophe Soumillon partners Beauty Parlour. The latter is having her first race for Cecil, having won the French 1,000 Guineas earlier in the season for Elie Lellouche. Despite her defeat in the Fremch Oaks, she is clearly very smart and can win this, although Elusive Kate (Gosden/ Buick) looks a big danger.
The Cambridgeshire, a 9 furlongs handicap at 16.40 with 35 (!) runners, is the b ihggest betting frace of the day but presents an almost impossible challenge. Luck in running and the effect of the draw are two major factors here; we think that high numbers possibly have a small advantage, but the evidence yesterday was inconclusive.
At any rate, we have chosen 4 horses all drawn above 23 and hope we are right; they are top-weight Fury (Haggas/ Murtagh), Mijhaar (Riger Varian/ Neil Callan), French raider Talk About (Mikel Delzangles/ Umberto Rispoli) and Stevie Thunder (Ian Williams/ Graham Gibbons),who was runner-up last year to Prince of Johanne (Tom Tate/ Brendan Powell), but now meets him on much better terms.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Fantastic Moon - Steeler - Al Waab
2. Race: Maureen - Rosdhu Queen - Winning Express
3. Race: Beauty Parlour - Elusive Kate - Chachamaidee
4. Race: Mukhadram - Chil The Kite - Bronze Angel
5. Race: Red Turban - Botanica - Ghanaian
6. Race: Cape Classic - Gold City - Johnny Castle
7. Race: Marshgate Lane - Brockwell - Trader Jack

Newmarket Cambridgeshire Meeting: day two

A very high class card at Newmarket today, headed by the Group One Shadwell Fillies Mile for 2yo fillies at 15.55 CET. Certify (Mahmood al Zarooni/ Mikael Barzalona) and Ollie Olga (Mick Channon/ Martin Harley) are both unbeaten in 3 starts and stand out here. Godolphin have a good record in this race and their filly, a narrow winner of the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster last time, possibly has the edge.

Winsili (John Gosden/ William Buick) is probably next best; she has a lot to find on the form book, but the stable is in great form with 3 winners here yesterday. Gosden and Buick probably have a better chance in the Group Two Joel Stakes over a mile at 15.20, but this is a very open race. She is a Royal Ascot winner and ran well in Chicago last time, but it will be tough against the colts. Most Improved (Brian Meehan/ Kieren Fallon) lived up to his name by winning the St. James´s Palace Stakes, but is saddled with a Group One penalty, which does not make life easy, and in addition ran badly last time. We prefer the tough 8yo Premio Loco (Chris Wall/ George Baker), back to his best at Goodwood last time, and the consistent Side Glance (Andrew Balding/ Jimmy Fortune), who never runs a bad race and was a distant third to Frankel at Royal Ascot.

Thge third group brace on thre cafrd is the Oh So Sharp Stakes for 2yo fillies, this time over 7 furlongs at 14.15. This could be another Godolphin win with Power of Light (Al Zarooni/ Barzalona), who won her only start in good style a fortnight ago at Newcastle. This is a big step up, but the opposition does not look overwhelming; Annie´ s Fortune (Alan Jarvis/ Michael Murphy), 4th to Ollie Olga at Goodwood, could be the best of them.

The listed race over a mile at 14.45 is also restricted to fillies and has a very strong field.No fewer than 6 of the 12 runners ran in a Sandown Group Three at the beginning of the month. Dank (Sir Michael Stoute/ Richard Hughes) ran on well to win that race by a neck from Lady´s First (Richard Fahey/ Paul Hanagan), with Irish History (al Zarooni/ Barzalona) 6th, Falls of Lora (al Zarooni/ Frankie Dettori) 8th, Moone´s my Name (Ralph Beckett/ Jim Crowley) 10th and Princess of Orange (Rae Guest/ Seb Sanders) 13th of 16 runners. Dank has a 3 lbs penalty npw and is by no means certain to confirm the form, while Falls of Lora had a terrible run and should certainly be much closer now. Of the others Chigun (Sir Henry Cecil/ Tom Queally) won a good handicap at Ascot easily, but our selection is the very consistent Thistle Bird (Roger Charlton/ James Doyle), who has won 3 listed races this season and was runner-up to Premio Loco (runs in the Group Two 35 minutes later) on her only other start in 2012.

The final black type event is the listed race over 1 1/2 miles at 17.00, and this could be another Godolphin benefit as Retrieve (Dettori) and Songcraft (Silvestre de Sousa), both trained by Saeed bin Suroor, have the best prospects here. Harris Tweed (William Haggas/ Richard Hughes) and Arctic Cosmos (Gosden/ Buick) would both have a chance on their best form, but they have not showed that for quite a while.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Waterway Run - Power Of Light - Califante
2. Race: Thistle Bird - Dank - Chigun
3. Race: Most Improved - Joviality - Side Glance
4. Race: Certify - Ollie Olga - Winsili
5. Race: Stamford - King`s Request - Seek Again
6. Race: Retrieve - Songcraft - Harris Tweed
7. Race: Oxford Charley - Jo`Burg - Henry Allingham
8. Race: Exning Halt - Odin - The Tiger

Newmarket Cambridgeshire Meeting: day one

Newmarket´s first big meeting of the autumn starts today on the Rowley course, and although the card is better tomorrow and even better on Saturday, today´s racing is also of interest, with the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes for 2yo´ s over 7 furlongs at 16.40 CET the main event. Richard Hannon has his juveniles in great form and can take this with Havana Gold (Richard Hughes), who has won 3 of his 4 starts and was unlucky on the other, when his saddle slipped at Deauville. Hannon also saddles Glean (Pat Dobbs), but Havana Gold is readily preferred, and the main danger could come from Irish raider Canary Row (Patrick Prendergast/ William Buick), who has run some good races, notably when twice runner-up to Dawn Approach, probably the best 2yo seen out in Eiurope this year.

There are also two listed races on thecard, and there could well be a royal victory in the 1 1/2 miles event for fillies and mares at 16.10, as both the Queen´s runners Set to Music (Michael Bell/ Jamie Spencer) and Sequence (Sir Michael Stoute/ Richard Hughes) have good prospects. French hope Jehannedarc (Alain de Royer-Dupre/ Antoine Hamelin) could be a threat of his rider times things right (not always the case, as we saw at Cologne on Sunday), and on a line through Wild Coco, there is little between her and Gallipot (John Gosden/ Buick).

The other listed race is over 2 miles at 17.15 and Saeed bin Suroor saddles 3 runners here - Darley Sun (Mikael Barzalona), who won the Cesarewitch here in 2009, but has only run twice in the last 2 years, top-weight Cavalryman (Frankie Dettori) and Lost in the Moment (Silvestre de Sousa). Cavaltryman is very consistentz and despite top weoght he is ouir selection. Aaim to Prosper (Brian Meehan/ Kieren Fallon) has also won the Ces, back in 2010, but has not won since, and is just held on July form by Chiberta King (Andrew Balding/ Jimmy Fortune), when they finished 2-3 behind Cavalryman.

The handicaps are always tricky at these meetings, but it is interesting that two of last year´s winners turn out again, Boogie Shoes (Roger Varian/ Neil Callan) at 17.50 and La Fortunata (Eve Johnson Houghton/ Charles Bishop) and we would not be at all surprised to see them run well again.