Guide to the 2019 Newmarket Cambridgeshire Meeting & an 89/1 Acca!

The flat season may well be drawing to a close as we enter autumn, however that does not mean that the quality of the racing is lacking. Thursday marks the start of the Cambridgeshire meeting from Newmarket.

Over three days there are numerous high class pattern races before the nine-furlong charge down the Rowley mile in the Cambridgeshire. Along with our usual Horse Racing Tips for the meeting, here is a guide to help you with your punting.

Top Trainers in 2019

• Roger Varian 8/28 – 2019’s leading trainer sends the Albany winner Daahyeh to the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes on Friday. Having only found Raffle Prize and Love better in her last two starts, she rightly heads the market.
• Charlie Appleby 6/21 – Godolphin’s Appleby will be bidding to get the meeting off to a flying start with Discover Island in the opening race on Thursday. Beaten a neck on debut by one who’s since placed in Listed company, he’ll appreciate the return to a mile.
• Mark Johnston 4/26 – This year’s leading juvenile filly Raffle Prize won two successive Groups Twos before only going down by a neck in the Prix Morny behind Earthlight. She should be capable of making amends in the Cheveley Park on Saturday back against her own sex.
• Sir Michael Stoute 3/11 – Stoute has worked his usual magic with Zaaki. Having won the Strensall last time, he’ll be going for Group Two glory in the Shadwell Joel Stakes on Friday.
• William Haggas 3/15 – Maqsad impressed when winning the Pretty Polly here in May before struggling in Group One company twice. She’ll appreciate the return to Listed company in the Rosemary Stakes in the opener on Friday.

Top Jockeys in 2019

• William Buick 7/23 – A Group Two winner last year, Loxley has raced just twice this season. He’ll need to improve from his recent reappearance at Doncaster when last of six at Doncaster. If doing so, Friday’s Mukhadram Godolphin Stakes could be within reach.
• Silvestre De Sousa 5/21 – No rides for last year’s champion who was injured at Chelmsford in August.
• Andrea Atzeni 4/9 – The Italian will be onboard current Cambridgeshire favourite Fifth Position for his boss Roger Varian. He makes his handicap debut after a number of solid efforts in pattern company.
• Oisin Murphy 4/21 – Three time Group One winner Benbatl is having his first start for nearly a year in the Shadwell Joel Stakes. He was last seen chasing home Winx in the Cox Plate.
• Jim Crowley 4/22 – Edaraat was beaten just a neck at Kempton on Monday. He runs off the same mark in the Silver Cambridgeshire on Friday.

Thursday

The opening day of the meeting has the Tattersalls Stakes as its feature. A Group Three for juveniles, this looks a great opportunity for Lord Of The Lodge to return to winning ways, who’s our NAP Of The Day. A dual novice winner, he only found Threat too good in the Gimcrack.

Another one who is rightly a warm order is 2017 Cesarewitch winner Withhold in the Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes. He struggled under a huge weight in the Ebor last time, however he’ll be far more at home over this trip, with his record over two-mile or further reading four-from five.

Friday

The action steps up a notch on Friday with four races coming live on ITV Racing. After Listed and Group Three races for the older females comes the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes, a race for juvenile fillies over seven. It’s hard to see past the aforementioned Daahyeh who was beaten less than a length in the Moyglare when last seen.

Whilst the fillies and mares are the focus of the earlier action, the highlight of the second day comes in the form of the Shadwell Joel Stakes. Both Benbatl and Zaaki line up here, although they’ll be doing well to beat the three-year-old King Of Comedy.

A winner of his first two this year, he was only beaten a neck in the St. James’s Palace Stakes by Circus Maximus. He ran another hugely admirable race in defeat behind Japan in the Juddmonte International last month.

Saturday

It must be some day’s racing when two Group Ones play second fiddle. With support from Haydock comes four races from Newmarket featured on ITV Racing.

The day starts with the Royal Lodge, a Group Two over a mile for colts, where A P O’Brien’s Armory would have to be of interest if appearing. He completed a hat trick this summer before only finding Pinatubo too good in the National earlier this month.

Frankie Dettori and Mark Johnston teamed up with Raffle Prize to land two Group Twos earlier this year before bumping into Earthlight at Deauville last time. The Cheveley Park looks a good opportunity for her to gain a deserved top level success.

The aforementioned Earthlight is one of three bringing unbeaten records to the Middle Park, alongside Mums Tipple and Siskin. A juvenile clash to savour, we’ve had a closer look at this year’s contenders.

With the record of the Fabre yard at Newmarket and the eye-catching performance of Hannon’s colt at York, there’s a chance that the first two in the betting have been overhyped. This has led to the market neglecting the claims of Ger Lyons’ Siskin who goes on any ground and proved his battling qualities when landing the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last month.

The high-class supporting card leads us to the feature of the week, the Cambridgeshire Handicap. A thirty-five runner cavalry charge over nine furlongs, Hughie Morrison landed the contest in 2009 and looks to have a good chance of glory this year with Le Don De Vie.

His only defeat this year came over twelve, scoring over a mile at Epsom and twice over ten furlongs, the latest when a cosy winner at Goodwood where he had a subsequent winner five-lengths behind him. With Ryan Moore onboard, and raised a lenient five pounds, he has a great chance.

An acca with Lord Of The Lodge, Withhold, Daahyeh, King Of Comedy and Raffle Prize can be backed at 89/1, best priced at time of writing. The eight, for those of you feeling even braver, would return a whopping 12,021/1!