With an annual field of between 30 and 35 runners assembling each season, the Cambridgeshire Handicap over 1m1f at Newmarket Racecourse is what one would describe as an each-way punters dream race.
Let’s take a look through some of the horses in the race that represent “value” in the current antepost market:
The Dermot Weld-trained Coeur d’Or (25/1) ran in the Irish version of the race of the 31st August and was only beaten 1¾ lengths by the Ryan Moore-ridden Wigmore Street. It was a race that he had won twelve months earlier too.
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The eight-year-old was running on in pleasing fashion in the closing stages of the Irish Cambridgeshire and this extra furlong should really suit him.
Going down by only 2½ lengths in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot in June, you would like to think that Coeur d’Or should be making the frame at the very least in this first leg of the autumn double.
Trainer John Gosden has won The Cambridgeshire four times down the years and his principle chance this season appears to be with Roi De France (16/1 in our horse racing betting).
The three-year-old son of Sea The Stars has already shown us what he can do over one mile at Windsor this season. A short-head defeat was quickly followed up with a comprehensive victory and the youngster handled the good to firm conditions well on both occasions.
My worry for this horse however is how will he handle softer conditions and his first attempt at a handicap? He’s sure to have his supporters at his current odds and also because he sports the famous colours of the now retired Stradivarius.
I can see William Knight’s Dual identity (25/1) being a popular pick amongst punters after his fairly narrow defeat to stable mate Sir Busker in the Finale Handicap at York’s Ebor meeting.
Just like Sir Busker, the six-year-old has been a credit to his syndicate owners – Kennet Valley, and he has been running at the top of his game all season long.
He’ll enjoy the trip and is versatile on the ground so he’s one for the shortlist. Whether Neil Callan or Callum Shepherd rides him remains to be seen but they are both very able in the plate.
Epic Poet (25/1 in our betting odds) was given a new home at David O’Meara’s yard back in May after leaving that of Freddie & Martyn Meade.
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Prior to that he was in the care of Jean-Claude Rouget and enjoyed a fair degree of success in France in his early years, winning and placing in Listed contests, plus placing in a Group 3.
I’m not privy to the politics of his stable hopping around Europe, but he does appear to be thriving at the O’Meara yard and he’s an altogether different horse to the 100/1 rag he was for this same race last year.
In fairness he was only beaten ten lengths twelve months ago and he’s made massive headway since then.
Lope De Vega progeny could well be the flavour of the next couple of months, so Epic Poet is yet another each-way play to consider.
Suggested bets: Coeur d’Or & Epic Poet – both each-way at 25/1.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
