Alex Hammond tips: Racing blog ahead of the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket

By Alex Hammond

14:28 · THU September 26, 2024

The bet365 Cambridgeshire Handicap is the big punting race on Saturday and Alex Hammond has a couple of suggestions for the Newmarket race.

This weekend is an unusual one for me. Rather than head to a racecourse for an enjoyable afternoon of sport, this Saturday I’ll be packing my bags (rucksack, sturdy boots and waterproofs – not dissimilar to a day at the races currently) and heading for the south coast for a charity challenge on Sunday.

Along with 50+ other hardy souls, I’m aiming to walk 22 miles of the Jurassic Coast, incorporating 1400 meters of climbing (higher than Snowdon apparently) in aid of Racing Welfare, a wonderful charity that supports the workforce of British horseracing. Now, I love a good walk but after we had a meeting about this little stroll I fear I may have underestimated the challenge. However, an ultra-running friend of mine called it an all-day picnic! Let’s see.

One of my partners in this endeavour will be friend and colleague Josh Apiafi, who has set up our JustGiving page: you can also donate £10 by texting TEAMALEXANDJOSH to 70460.

We will be bringing you updates as we go along via the At The Races and Sky Sports Racing socials. So many lovely people have kindly sponsored us so far and at the time of writing we are 19% away from reaching our target, but obviously the more the merrier.

So, I’ll be watching the racing from afar and it’s Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting that takes centre stage on Saturday with the first leg of the Autumn double, which is described on their website as a test of skill and stamina.

Well, horses will need to stay 1 mile 1 furlong at least in the bet365 Cambridgeshire Heritage Handicap and given the rain that has fallen, they will need to get the trip comfortably. Sky Bet are thankfully helping us out with 8 places rather than 4.

There’s been a punt on the Emmet Mullins-trained This Songisforyou who is now 11/2 market leader. Emmet has a history of cleaning up in competitive handicaps on the flat and over jumps so it’s understandable the bookies are taking no chances and the horse is 2lbs well in at the weights following a comfortable win at the Curragh last time out.

Judging by his US pedigree he may not want the ground to deteriorate too much, so I’m happy to let him run at that price. Plus, there have only been four winning favourites since 2000.

Last year I went with Bopedro, and he ran well to finish third. He’s 9lbs lower in the weights this time round and after his excellent resurgent run to finish second at Doncaster’s Leger meeting I’m happy to have him in my team again off that same handicap mark of 93 he ran off at Doncaster and his draw in 22. He may be an eight-year-old now but trainer David O’Meara has a great knack of keeping horses fresh and competitive as they get older. O’Meara is also represented by Bennetot and Theoryofeverything.

Silver Sword is a horse I should be leaving well alone, but I’ve fallen off a cliff following him this season and I bet he pops up in something soon. He’s 11/1 but given his form this season should probably be bigger. Maybe he’ll be revitalised by a return to this course and distance having finished second in a Group 3 here on soft ground last October.

John Gosden has historically been adept at finding the right horse to win this. Along with son Thady they have Roi De France, but he’s not been missed and is 7/1 second favourite. The horse was just touched off on handicap debut at Yarmouth on his fourth start.

Ron O is more familiar with Newcastle than Newmarket, but it would be a fabulous result for his small stable to win a race like this. Ray Craggs has snagged the services of Rossa Ryan for his six-year-old who is as good as ever this campaign. He needs a career best to win though and is a 16/1 shot.

Godwinson went into many notebooks after his close second in Newbury’s Spring Cup on handicap debut back in April and he managed to win for the first time this season at Goodwood over a mile last month.

Ryan Moore has only had a handful of rides for Dermot Weld over the years and he’s been called up for Coeur D’Or who has plenty of weight but is well drawn and is 10/1.

I’m going to stick with Bopedro once again and of course Silver Sword gets another chance.

The Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes is one of two Group 1 contests on Saturday’s card. This is for the two-year-old fillies over six furlongs. Irish trainer Ger Lyons won it in 2011 with Lightening Pearl and has unbeaten Babouche for the sponsors this year.

The heavy rain will make this a test that she hasn’t faced before but she’s very smart and if she handles it, I feel she’ll be hard to beat. She won on good to soft on debut, so it won’t be a complete shock to the system. She’s 6/4 favourite with Sky Bet.

Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria is in the same boat (she might need a boat) but her win in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes looks very good although this is her first start over a trip shorter than seven furlongs.

Daylight won’t mind conditions, and French-trained horses have a fair record in this race. Trainer Patrice Cottier is no stranger to winning decent events but he’s yet to win a race in the UK with a small sample of runners. She finished behind the colts when third in the Prix Morny last time out. At 15/2 she may be worth chancing if conditions continue to deteriorate on the Rowley Mile.

The other top-level contest is the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes for the juvenile colts over the same six furlongs as the fillies. Whistlejacket won that Prix Morny, so if Daylight runs well that will give a boost to his Deauville win. Prior to his latest win he finished runner-up behind Babouche, so the fillies form ties in closely with the colts. He’s even-money favourite to win this again for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. The trainer also saddles Ides Of March who will be ridden by his St. Leger winning jockey Sean Levey and is 11/4.

Shadow Of Light and Defence Minister both missed the Mill Reef at Newbury on account of the heavy ground, so rain hasn’t helped their cause.

Good luck with your selections this weekend and I hope you find a horse with the necessary skill and stamina. I’m hoping I don’t run out of the latter 24 hours later.

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