And fairly good Friday
The weather has been distinctly autumnal in Camridgeshire of late and the going is down as Good to Soft with Soft probably being the operative word if the rain keeps coming.
Friday has three Group races starting with the Princess Royal G3 for f&m over 2400m and 8 will run. Time Lock tops the market for Harry Charlton and Ryan Moore on 9/4 with Place of Safety Gosdens-Shoemark on 3/1 and Hughey Morrision's Mistral Star on 4/1.
The Rockfell Stakes G2 is for 2yo fillies and 7 will run. Sir Michael Stoute's Formal may be a vehicle for some more glittering prizes for the master trainer – she's by Dubawiu, on 11/8 and Will Buick rides. The O'Brien team are serious competition with Bubbling on 5/2 and Sean Levey riding and Ecstatic the choice of Ryan Moore on 7/2.
The Joel is G2 over 1600m and Lead Artist is on top despite being the beaten favourite (by 2 lengths) to Kinross at Doncaster. We like the chances of Ice Max here for Karl Burke and Cliff Lee as he beat Poker Face last time they met and we can't see any reason to think that could be reversed although at present Poker Face is further up in the market.
The Royal Lodge is G2 for 2yos on the straight 1600m course. The Fellowes trained Luther looks very promising – he's by Frankel – and nice to see Kevin Shoemark gets the eride. Wimbledon Hawkeye showed good progress recently and is on 10/3 for James Owen and James Doyle – by Kameko. However beware the Irish raiders and Aidan is sending the Camelot product Puppet Master to this with Ryan Moore to ride and 5/1 the quote.
The Chevely Park is G1 over 1200m for the 2yo fillies and 8 going to post. Babouche is on top thanks to very consistent efforts on 6/4 for Ger Lyons and Col Keane will ride. She's unbeaten in her three starts to date as is the O'Brien Lake Victoria who is on 2/1. The French are sending over some raiders and might be worth adding one of them to the multiples so keep an eye on the betting
The Middle Park G1 is for 2yo colts over 1200m with a field of 8. We are running again (meaning Whistlejacket) and on evens after winning our first G1 recently. O'Brien-Moore of course. Our stablemate Ides of Marhc is on 11/4 with Sean Levey riding and we had picked Defence Minister last week when he got scratched because of the track so 14/1 is extremely tempting.
The Cambridgeshire is one of those great cavalry charges and this one starts is one county and finishes in another – it's over 1800m and 35 runners to line up. Of course it is very open with current favourite being This Songisforyou on 6/1 for Emmet Mullins and Col Keane. Godwinson is on 9/1 for Haggas-Marquand and then the lucky pin went a bit wider and landed on Liberty Lane 14/1 for Burke-Lee and 25/1 Bennetot for David O'Meara and Billy Loughnane
