Newmarket - 28th Sept

2012 Cambridgeshire Handicap

                                           

Bronze Angel winning the Cambridgeshire last year pretty much made my flat season and really helped cushion the blow that was Orfevre's defeat in the Arc a little over a week later. Twelve months on and both horses are back in their respective races. Nice.

With the Tregoning 4yo it is a negative that he hasn't had a race thus far in 2013 and that has to temper confidence but he won the race last year in the manner of a horse worth putting on the tracker as one to follow, once again being asked to race wider than the main principals just as he had to do in the Britannia when he first appeared on my radar. That Cambridgeshire victory was his first race after his run at the Royal meeting so he has proved that he is best when fresh and given that his trainer has had all of eight winners this flat season I expect him to be ready to run for his life tomorrow. Another plus point is 2013's race really doesn't look as good as 2012's- I was afraid of the likes of Mukhadram and Mull of Killough a year ago but this time around no one horse sticks out as a danger. If my selection is back to his best, and it is an if I do concede that, he will outrun his price big time. Once again in both his big field handicap attempts he has finished impressively on both occasions despite having to cover more ground than his main rivals due to his draw.

EDIT: 28/9
With Bronze Angel being such an important bet I didn't sleep to well last night and was up early looking through the race again. Queensberry Rules of all the runners is the one I worry about. He actually replicated Bronze Angel's finishing position in the Briannia twelve months on earlier in June and although he didn't have to cross most of the width of the track to get involved like the selection did the year before he did have to bob and weave a bit through the field. His runs subsequent (when he seemed to be well backed both times) aren't that relevant as the International at Ascot is over 7f and the handicap at York he was well down the field in last time out was run at a crawl. He's worth a bit of cover.


The Sun Chariot looks a race worth tucking into given the skimpiness of Sky Lantern's price. This filly has been on the go since April when she ran over course and distance in the Nell Gwyn and history shows us that a fresher contender is needed for this contest. Elusive Kate won the Falmouth fair and square and is the best filly in the race on form. I'll take 11/4 all day long in this sort of scenario - and some 5/2 with a nice concession.

Cambridgeshire:
Bronze Angel £90w @ 21/1, £15ew @ 20/1 (5pl) and £20pl @ 11/2 (4pl) (lost)
Queensberry Rules £20ew @ 16/1 (5pl) (lost)

Sun Chariot Stakes:
Elusive Kate £30w @ 11/4 and £25w @ 5/2 (lost)

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