Cambridgeshire Handicap Tips: Big Priced Pick In Big Race
With the Grand National reduced to a maximum field size of 34, the Cambridgeshire attracts more runners than any British race in the calendar.
Admittedly testing conditions at Newmarket have impacted this season’s turnout, but it still looks a cracker by the race’s high standards. Here's our analysis of one of Flat racing’s biggest handicaps, where we provide our main selection and a best alternative.
Finding a runner who will cope with the surface will be essential with conditions so testing at Newmarket. This will be one of the slowest-ground runnings of the Cambridgeshire in years and plenty will falter in the mud.
PADDY THE SQUIRE may not be one of those. Iain Jardine is showing a level-stakes profit with his runners who ventured on the long journey south to Newmarket and this horse loves soft ground. Considering Paddy The Squire represents a smaller stable, it was a surprise to see Jardine and his connections see fit to have him entered in the Irish 2,000 Guineas ahead of his debut.
The Classic dream never materialised, but this lightly-raced type has returned an improved four-year-old, going down on his shield against subsequent winner Theoryofeverything (a shorter price here) at Hamilton before shaping better than the result when third at Chester. We can expect him to be coming nicely to the boil for this assignment and stall 21 is typically no bad place to be in the Cambridgeshire.
That was the winning box in 2018 and 2021, and high numbers have seriously held sway in recent times. Among the main market protagonists, This Songisforyou was the subject of an early-week gamble for the shrewd Emmet Mullins and is noted. He is closely matched with Norwalk Havoc, another Irish raider representing Jessica Harrington, on their meeting at Galway in July. However, the Cambridgeshire record of the Gosden stable makes Roi De France of immediate interest from stall 25 under Oisin Murphy.
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The Gosdens saddled future Group-race performers Lord North and Wissahickon to land this in 2018 and 2019 and ROI DE FRANCE could be destined to go that way as well.
He has been the talk of the town for this contest for some time and shaped nicely on his return from a break at Yarmouth ten days ago, looking unfortunate to have bumped into a progressive Sir Michael Stoute runner with a nice profile whose rider Ryan Moore controlled matters throughout. Roi De France’s novice form reads well and his unexposed profile makes him a big danger to all if he handles the ground.
If low numbers end up being favoured then topweight Liberty Lane is respected from stall four. He is the class horse of the race and bounced right back to his best when a close second off this mark at the St Leger meeting. With course-and-distance winning form earlier in the campaign, this soft-ground winner could have a say for Karl Burke.
Selections
- NAP - Paddy The Squire
- NB - Roi De France