Mike Cattermole previews Saturday's feature action at Newmarket
Alan King is enjoying a fine season on the Flat and Mike Cattermole fancies him to land the bet365 Cambridgeshire with Beringer.
ALAN KING has won most of the big prizes around over the jumps and has been doing increasingly well with his smaller but talented Flat string too over the past few years.
The Barbury Castle trainer, who won the Northumberland Plate in July, is just a couple short of 250 career wins on the level and Beringer looks the value bet to land the Bet365 Cambridgeshire for him at Newmarket on Saturday.
Beringer has a nice profile for this race, starting the season off with an excellent third over a mile in the Lincoln and then posting two fine efforts in class 2 handicaps over ten furlongs at both Sandown (beaten a short head by Jazeel but now 6lb better) in July and Goodwood later in the month when fifth to Fayez after being denied a clear run.
The nine furlongs should be ideal.
His last effort was well below his best at York and a line can be confidently put through that but the recent rain will have helped him and I like the fact that up-and-coming 5lb claimer Thore Hammer Hansen has been booked.
Drawn right in the middle, leaving options open, he is available at 25-1 at the time of writing and that represents a bit of value when you consider that Jazeel is a best price of 16-1.
Of those at the top of the market, Fifth Position tackles handicap company for the first time and has to be respected while Lord North warmed up for this with an excellent second at Ascot and looks to have been primed by four-time winning trainer John Gosden.
Le Don De Vie is going the right way and his Goodwood win has been franked by the runner-up Great Example at Newbury. Oisin Murphy has been claimed to ride Good Birthday so Ryan Moore was quickly signed up by Hughie Morrison. Not that Good Birthday, a hold–up performer, is not without a chance, either and is up 3lb for his win at Beverley.
Cheekpieces have woken up Bedouin’s Story who is bred to be suited by the extra furlong compared to his win at York and second at Chelmsford over a mile. Interestingly, he was sixth to Beringer at Newmarket in April but is 5lb worse off. See above!
Another Touch intrigues me off a mark of 94 after being rated 102 just over a year ago. He reappeared after a 10-month absence with an excellent fourth to Pivoine in the John Smiths Cup at York in July and then was given a break until running at Ayr last Saturday when looking all over the winner until weakening near the finish.
Could it be that the finishing touches were being applied there by Richard Fahey? He is a tempting 40-1 with SkyBet who are paying out on the first eight.
The Group One Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes is as good a two-year-old race as you could wish to see.
Three unbeaten records are on the line and of the big trio, both Earthlight and Siskin have won at Group One level already, the former in the Prix Morny (Golden Horde third) and the latter in the Phoenix Stakes.
Earthlight’s Morny form will be further put to the test by runner-up Raffle Prize who contests the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes half an hour earlier. Already, the fifth, A’Ali, has won the Flying Childers at Doncaster.
Earthlight travels and quickens and is Andre Fabre’s first Middle Park runner for over a quarter of a century, having won it twice before in the 1990’s with Lycius and Zieten.
Siskin has looked a real pro but the winning margin over Monarch Of Egypt in the Phoenix was not as pronounced as it had been in the Railway Stakes and is it significant that Aidan O’Brien sends the Monarch out again for a third go?
Mums Tipple was sensational at York in the Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes with his 11-length winning margin against some useful types also impressing with the clock.
It was 1.4 seconds faster than the Lowther that day and Richard Hannon’s colt was also carrying 5lb more. The York fourth, Piece Of Paradise, won a Listed race at Ayr next time.
Mums Tipple’s defeat of Molatham at Ascot on his debut is also looking good, with the runner-up winning twice since, including against Thursday’s runaway Group Three winner Wichita at Doncaster.
Hannon also saddles Threat who has won the Gimcrack at York and Champagne Stakes at Doncaster but he had lost out to Morny third Golden Horde in the Richmond at Goodwood, which suggests Earthlight has his measure.
Incidentally, why is Golden Horde some ten points bigger than Threat? That makes little sense.
It’s mouth-watering affair and Mums Tipple can take it from Earthlight.
The Cheveley Park looks Raffle Prize’s to lose but Living In The Past is not out of it and neither is the Fabre filly Tropbeau whose form was boosted at Maisons Laffitte on Wednesday.
Finally, Highland Chief, third to Pinatubo in the Chesham at Royal Ascot, ought to relish the step up to a mile in the opening Group Two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes and is preferred to Solario runner-up Kameko.
Selections:
1.50 HIGHLAND CHIEF, 2.25 RAFFLE PRIZE, 3.00 MUMS TIPPLE, 3.40 BERINGER (ANOTHER TOUCH EW)
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