Thundering Blue is 8/1 favourite with Sky Bet after standing his ground for Saturday's Betfred Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket.
David Menuisier's improving grey completed a hat-trick of handicap wins this year with a taking performance over 10 furlongs at Sandown at the start of September and he's set to line up off a 6lb higher mark on the Rowley Mile.
He heads the betting at 8/1 and is closely followed by the Mick Appleby-trained Big Country at 12/1. The four-year-old missed an intended engagement at Ayr's abandoned Western Meeting last week so will head to headquarters on the back of a break since finishing second to Ballet Concerto in York's John Smith's Cup in July.
Another priced at 12/1 is Sir Michael Stoute's El Hayem who is set to tackle a trip beyond a mile for the first time in Saturday's nine-furlong contest.
Godolphin's Very Talented has been a mover in the antepost market and is 14/1 despite having not made the track since finishing third to Spark Plug in last year's Cambridgeshire.
Last weekend's impressive Newbury winner could attempt to back up that victory for trainer Andrew Balding and can also be backed at 14s with stablemate Naval Warfare trading at the same price with Sky Bet.
Martyn Meade's Chelsea Lad is among those priced at 16/1 along with Master The World and Fire Brigade, who could struggle to make the cut for the big race, while Leader Writer, Bless Him, Qassem and the experienced Gm Hopkins are others to have stood their ground.
Key statistics from the last 10 renewals of the Betfred Cambridgeshire
- Winners have been aged three (3), four (2), five (4) and six
- Winners have carried between 8-4 and 9-9 with seven between 8-7 and 9-2
- Winners have been rated between 87 and 104 with eight between 95 and 104
- Winners have been priced between 5/1 and 40/1 with eight returned at 16/1 or shorter and two sent off favourite
- Nine winners finished in the first five on their preceding start; two finished first and carried penalties
- Nine winners had run since the beginning of August
- Eight winners had won a race during the current season
- Nine winners had won or been placed in a Class 2 handicap or better, the exception was unraced at that level
- Five winners had either won or been placed on either the July Course or the Rowley Mile Course
- Five winners had had 14 or fewer career starts whilst four had raced between 21 and 26 times
- Seven winners have been drawn 11 or higher
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