Cambridgeshire Meeting. Day Three – Copybet
It’s the conclusion of the three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting at Newmarket on Saturday and the 1m1f heritage handicap is the highlight of an excellent eight-race card.
The action gets underway at 13:50 with the Group 2 Royal Stakes Stakes and is closely followed by a pair of Group 1s at 14:25 and 15:00 before the feature race at 15:40 and the finale at 17:55.
Bow Echo – Newmarket
BOW ECHO has done his racing on flat tracks so far, but he’s looked a colt of considerable ability and can enhance his claims for next season’s 2,000 Guineas with victory in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes for trainer, George Boughey.
An impressive winner of a Newbury maiden on his debut, he was backed into a shade of odds-on when upped to Listed company at Haydock at the beginning of the month and proved that confidence correct, appearing to outstay his chief market rival, the highly regarded Publish.
This clearly represents another step up for the son of Night Of Thunder, but he’s already third-best in most ante-post lists for the 2,000 Guineas back here next spring and sets the standard on ratings; upwards of 2lb ahead of those with a mark.
The Publican’s Son – Newmarket
The eye was very much drawn to the run of Joseph O’Brien’s THE PUBLICAN’S SON on his debut in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes last month, the two-year-old almost getting up to beat Aidan O’Brien’s Mission Central, who’d run away with a maiden over the same course-and-distance previously.
Starting off in such company is rare, but he more than proved his worth in the field under Ronan Whelan, the son of American sire Beau Liam rattling home from the rear to snatch second, beaten just three-quarters-of-a-length.
He earned an impressive Racing Post Rating of 99 for that and, whilst that still leaves him with a stone to find with Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach, he’s sure to know more this time and could find the necessary improvement.
Tribal Chief – Newmarket
There’s a smaller field than is usually the case for the feature Cambridgeshire, but there’s still plenty of value to be had, namely with the David Menusier’s-trained TRIBAL CHIEF, who looked tailor-made for this race when coming from an impossible position to snatch second behind Bullet Point on his reappearance over a mile here in April.
The selection was one of the big handicap stories of last season, winning four times, including a hat-trick and seeing his rating go from 61 to 86.
He was just touched off by Bullet Point on his final start of last year, again over a mile here, but it was his run in the spring that made him a real standout, the four-year-old somehow getting within three-and-a-quarter lengths of William Haggas’ rock-solid yardstick, having given away a mountain of ground at the start.
He disappointed up to 1m2f at Longchamp subsequently, but has steadily got back on track and arguably better than ever when defying a mark of 90 from the reopposing Triple Tee (won since and likely favourite for this) at Goodwood last month.
Sean Leavy, who was aboard last time, retains the partnership and, although another 4lb rise makes life harder, he’s sure to appreciate a fast-run 1m1f.