The betting for the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday revolves around Harry and Roger Charlton’s improving three-year-old Greek Order, who could well be the only horse in a 34-strong field to set off at single-figure odds.
The recent history of this historic handicap is littered with market leaders with similar profiles that came up short, however, and the last six runnings have featured winners at 50-1, 40-1 and two at 25-1, with Lord North, a subsequent Group One winner, the only favourite to reward his backers.
Greek Order has made short work of his first two handicap starts and is one of the least exposed runners in the field, but he has also been hiked 10lb since his latest start and does not have much, if anything, in hand of several rivals on his bare form, so quotes of around 4-1 look very thin.
Astro King, rejuvenated by Daniel and Claire Kubler this season, is an obvious alternative, along with Crack Shot, with the useful 3lb claimer Georgia Dobie aboard, but with some bookies offering seven or even eight places each-way, the best option could be David O’Meara’s Zozimus (3.40).
He is more exposed than many of his rivals, with 24 runs in the book including 16 for Donnacha O’Brien in Ireland before he joined O’Meara’s yard at the start of this year. It has also taken some time for his new trainer to coax him back to his best form, but Zozimus has drifted down the weights as a result and has been beaten only narrowly by well-handicapped horses on his past two starts.
The times of both races were strong, the form has been franked since, and Aiden Brookes’s 5lb claim is another point in his favour.
Newmarket 1.50 A strong renewal of the Royal Lodge in which Ghostwriter, who posted an excellent time when successful under a penalty at Ascot earlier this month, could be the pick of the prices at around 5-1.
Chester 2.05 Emiyn’s front-running style is ideal for this track and Zak Wheatley, successful on the six-year-old in this race 12 months ago, will look to take advantage of their ideal draw in stall one.
Newmarket 2.25 Charlie Johnston’s Sacred Angel ran well against the colts when fourth behind Vandeek, the Middle Park favourite, in the Prix Morny last time. At around 10-1, she is a plausible alternative to the market leaders, whose form perhaps lacks a little substance.
Haydock Park 2.40 Woolhampton was back to form last time and could have another win in him off his current mark.
Newmarket 3.00 The unbeaten Vandeek has improved with every run and showed an excellent attitude to run down the leader after being stuck in traffic in the Morny last time. With further improvement likely, his perfect record should remain intact.
Chester: 1.30 Robbo 2.05 Emiyn 2.35 Prince Of Zenda 3.10 Count D’Orsay 3.45 Dreams Adozen 4.20 Legal Reform 4.53 Compliant 5.28 King’s Code
Ripon: 1.45 Kandoo 2.20 Half Moon Rising 2.55 Mr Trevor 3.30 Brazen Bolt 4.05 May Blossom 4.40 Kardia 5.15 Pledgeofallegiance
Newmarket: 1.50 Ghostwriter 2.25 Sacred Angel 3.00 Vandeek (nb) 3.40 Zozimus (nap) 4.15 Topanga 4.50 Liv My Life 5.25 Star Of Orion
Haydock: 2.10 Bolsena 2.40 Woolhampton 3.15 Roach Power 3.50 Otto Flash 4.25 Arkendale 5.02 Our Havana 5.35 Dark Jedi
Market Rasen: 2.14 Casa No Mento 2.45 Max Of Stars 3.20 Tedwin Hills 3.55 Vintage Fizz 4.30 Enthused 5.05 Eagle’s Realm 5.40 Rhodia
Chelmsford: 4.57 Birkie Boy 5.30 Deira Mile 6.00 Surface To Air 6.30 Fair Angellica 7.00 Sir Rodneyredblood 7.30 Sunset In Paris 8.00 Darlo Pride 8.30 Golden Moon
Shuwari toppled by Carla’s Way
Carla’s Way, a stable companion of Vandeek, the favourite for the Group One Middle Park Stakes on Saturday, booked a possible trip to the Breeders’ Cup in California in early November with an impressive defeat of the previously unbeaten Shuwari in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
James Doyle rode a well-judged race on Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly, taking closer order behind the pace-setting Spiritual than his main rivals and then easing to the front after passing the two-furlong pole. He then had more than enough in reserve to hold the late challenge of Shuwari, the favourite, by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
“She did it really well,” Simon Crisford said afterwards. “I think the fractions early on were pretty strong so all credit to her for picking up well. I think she was slightly running on empty the last 100 yards, so that [seven furlongs] is probably as far as she wants to go trip-wise. The [Group One] Fillies’ Mile back here in two weeks might just stretch her stamina too much, but a quick two-turn mile at the Breeders’ Cup might be OK, as this was a win-and-you’re-in race.”
In contrast to the winner, Shuwari’s performance suggested that she will appreciate an extra furlong and the Fillies’ Mile is the likely next stop for Ollie Sangster’s filly. “The way the race panned out, she had a lot to do,” Sangster said, “but she stayed on well. She had been off for 64 days and she will come on again so we will definitely think about the Fillies’ Mile.”
Just a length separated the first five home in the Listed Rosemary Stakes, but Frankie Dettori coaxed a strong late run from Coppice to claim his 499th career victory at Newmarket. “As we ran downhill, she lost her way a little bit and her legs went everywhere,” Dettori said. “I was lucky I didn’t lose too much ground there and I knew I would come to my own when I hit the rising ground, and that’s what happened. Once she got organised, she really stuck her neck out.”
Time Lock, a 9-2 chance, powered nearly five lengths clear of her field in the Group Three Dubai Stakes and could now head to the Group One event for fillies and mares on Champions Day at Ascot next month if the ground does not deteriorate. “If the ground was good, we could definitely think about giving it a go,” Barry Mahon, racing manager for the Juddmonte operation, said, “but it would need to be good or good-to-soft. If it was heavy, it wouldn’t be her cup of tea.”
The course specialist Mutasaabeq took his record on the Rowley Mile to four wins from five starts with a narrow defeat of Regal Reality in the Group Two Joel Stakes. Jim Crowley, who will ride Hukum, the King George winner, in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, made the running and held on by a head as the runner-up renewed his challenge in the closing stages.
