Tag Archive for: Cambridgeshire

Astro King rules supreme in Cambridgeshire

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Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Astro King pounced late to land the bet365 Cambridgeshire under top-weight at Newmarket.

The six-yar-old gelding was a 20-1 chance under Richard Kingscote and travelled on the inside as the 34-strong field split into several groups down the Rowley Mile.

At one stage the race looked to be happening on the other side, but as Greek Order, the smooth-travelling 5-2 favourite, accelerated down the centre as a gap finally came for Harry and Roger Charlton’s hotpot, he took with him the Kubler challenger.

In the final strides the two locked horns and it was Astro King that just put his head down to seal a valuable triumph by half a length under the burden of 9st 12lb.

“We didn’t pay a fortune for him and you always buy hoping you can win races like this. It doesn’t work very often but it has worked very well with him,” said Daniel Kubler.

“After the John Smith’s Cup the race back at York was the obvious target and how he ran there was going to dictate where we went next.

“William (Buick, jockey) said he might get a mile and a half and we considered it, but when we looked at all the options and you looked at this you thought ‘they will go a massive gallop and you need to get a mile and a quarter’.

“The prize-money is huge, there is only one Cambridgeshire and what was the alternative?

“We will have to go into stakes company now. He could have run in a Listed race but they are worth £50,000 or £60,000 and this is worth £100,000 to the winner.

“This is massive for the team as they all work really hard. Everyone wants to compete at the highest levels and to win a big handicap like this, hopefully now everyone is looking forward to the next step.

“We’ve got some nice horses and we have had a good season, but it means a bit to be winning on the biggest stages. It is special for them.”

Regarding future plans, a trip to the Middle East could be on the agenda for the Bahrain International Trophy in mid-November.

Kubler said: “You hope something like this goes well and hopefully he might be rated high enough to go out there. It will be fast ground over 10 furlongs and it is a massive prize.

“The horse owes nobody anything so you may as well have a go and see what happens. He is six years old so there is no point saving him for next season. You may as well enjoy him.

“We will seriously consider it.”



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Greek Order poised for Cambridgeshire test

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Greek Order will bid to show the Pattern-class potential connections hoped he possessed at the start of the season when he takes his chance in the bet365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.

Trained by Roger and Harry Charlton, the Juddmonte-owned colt is a full-brother to the smart Sangarius and has found his feet following placed efforts on his first three starts.

Having got his head in front at Sandown in May, he followed up at Newbury in August – form boosted by four and a half length runner-up Maximilian Caesar winning next time out at Doncaster.

Greek Order now bids to become the first three-year-old to win the first leg of the autumn double since the high-class Lord North in 2019.

“It’s a very difficult task, he’s a very inexperienced three-year-old horse taking on seasoned campaigners, but he’s a nice horse and we’re giving it a go,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for the owners.

“You probably do need to be a Group horse, and earlier this season we probably thought we’d have gone out of handicaps by now, but just the first couple of runs of the year didn’t pan out for him.

“We took our time and he had a little hold-up then midsummer, so we were a little bit behind the eight-ball, hence the reason we’re still in the handicap division, but we’re looking forward to seeing him.”

Oisin Murphy retains the ride after being on board at Newbury and is looking forward to the challenge.

He told Racing TV: “The Cambridgeshire is a very hard race to win but he’s nicely weighted and on past renewals he has a nice draw.”



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Second time lucky for Dual Identity at Sandown

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Dual Identity booked his ticket for the bet365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket later this month as he came home a decisive winner of the Virgin Bet Handicap at Sandown.

The five-year-old had dropped down the ratings after a lacklustre run of results so far this term, but he roared back to form in the hands of Marco Ghiani.

Dual Identity (9-2) grabbed the lead with a furlong to run and found plenty for Ghiani to improve on last year’s second in the race, coming home four and a half lengths clear of Certain Lad with Stay Well back in third.

Dual Identity finished third in the 2022 Cambridgeshire and trainer William Knight expects his clear-cut victory will ensure his place in the Newmarket field on September 30, with the five-year-old a general 10-1 shot.

Knight said: “His mark has come down and he has run off 1lb higher today than he did last year and he was a good second last year.

“We thought he was in good form at home, but he has just come back down to that winnable mark and he has won so well there today, almost a bit too well.

“The plan was always to come here and then go to the Cambridgeshire so we will stick to that.

“That should definitely get him in.”

Classical Song is set to jump up to Listed level after notching her first career victory in the Virgin Bet Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Second on her initial run at Goodwood, the Lope De Vega filly, who is a half-sister to prolific Italian Group One winner Dylan Mouth, was sent off the 4-6 favourite to go one place better this time.

She duly obliged with the minimum of fuss in the hands of Ryan Moore and while her odds for the Fillies’ Mile were cut to 10-1, trainer Ralph Beckett is planning to aim a little lower.

He said: “The last furlong was her best. She was relaxed and behind the bridle as she took a bit of waking up, which is good.

“I’ve not done much with her since Goodwood, but that’s on purpose because she is May 17 foal. She is a filly that puts plenty in the mornings and she really enjoys her work and we need to manage her for next year.

“She needs to go a mile and have a bit of juice in the ground for the time being. There are Listed races like the Montrose and Silver Tankard, but I’d say she will only have one more start this season.”

Maywake (13-2) gave Oisin Orr his first Sandown winner in the opening Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Handicap.

The Richard Fahey-trained runner seemingly thrived for a return to seven furlongs as he sprinted four lengths clear of King Cabo.

Orr said: “It is my first ride here, so it has already been lucky enough and hopefully we can keep that up. The race went smoothly and I got the run of the race really. I think he enjoys that bit more ease in the ground. He has won well in the end.

“He went up a good few pounds for winning at Thirsk and we thought maybe the handicapper had him, but that ease in the ground just helps him.

“Last time he didn’t really get the mile and dropping back today seemed to work.

“It is my first run at a season (over here) and last year I came a couple of months into the season. It is going really well.

“Richard has got lots of nice horses and I’m starting to get a few outside rides which is the main thing. Hopefully we can keep it up.”



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