Cambridgeshire Meeting Tips: Saturday’s Newmarket Lucky 15 from Steve Ryder

Aidan O’Brien has won the Royal Lodge Stakes with lesser fancied runners in recent years including Mohawk (8/1) in 2018 and Royal Dornoch (16/1) in 2019, and I think GREENLAND (best priced at 7/2) has a good opportunity to turn over the short price favourite Flying Honours. The son of Saxon Warrior showed good form in defeat on his first three starts before getting off the mark at Roscommon last time when making all over 7f.

This step back up in trip to a mile will suit Greenland and I am hoping Ryan Moore will be able to make all in this small field. Flying Honours is rated 10lbs higher than the selection following his easy win in a listed race last time but that was a weak contest and he faces question marks at the track following his debut defeat on the July course when sent off a short priced favourite. I feel the price discrepancy between the two is too big and I am hoping that Greenland can upset the favourite.

The supplemented Treasure Trove is respected in the Cheveley Park Stakes but preference goes to MEDITATE (best priced at 9/4) despite her losing her unbeaten record last time. The Aidan O’Brien trained filly had previously won all of her four starts including the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot where she had the reopposing Mawj behind her. She followed up in the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh before finishing 2nd behind Tahiyra in the Moyglare Stud Stakes earlier this month.

That run behind Tahiyra still sets the standard in this race as Meditate still pulled 4 ½ lengths of the third with the winner looking extremely exciting for next season. She faces Trillium, who has won over 5f on her previous two starts and needs to prove that this step back up to 6f will suit, and Lezoo who returns from 63 days off the track following her Group 3 victory at Ascot. Meditate is top rated in this field and she will be hard to beat in this race her trainer won last year with Tenebrism.

This looks a competitive renewal of the Middle Park Stakes where a case can be made for lots of the runners. Preference is for the Richard Hannon trained PERSIAN FORCE (best priced at 11/2) who is yet to finish out of the top two in his six race career and is closely matched on form with Blackbeard. 

The son of Mehmas won his first two starts before finishing a close 2nd in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He won the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket before finishing 2nd behind Little Big Bear at the Curragh in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes. Persian Force was only ½ length behind Blackbeard in the Prix Morny last time which turned out to be an interesting race tactics wise. Frankie Dettori came across late on to join Blackbeard but was outbattled at the finish. 

Mischief Magic has to prove his form back on turf having won at Kempton last time, Zoology is set a tough task on only his second start and it may be that Marshman proves the biggest danger. With Rossa Ryan back on board Persian Force and with the return to Newmarket likely to suit, I feel he is overpriced at current odds. 

The Cambridgeshire Handicap has been won the previous two years by horses at 40/1 so it is a race that can spring a surprise. Saeed Bin Suroor won this last year with Bedouin’s Story and FIRST VIEW (best priced at 16/1) is one of three runners for the trainer. 

The five-year-old has form figures of 112171 away from Meydan with that 7th placed finish coming in the John Smith’s Cup which is a race that is working out really well. The winner, 2nd, 4th, 10th, 12th and 21st have all won since so there was no disgrace in that and he looked to benefit for the application of cheekpieces last time at Kempton.

First View runs here under a 4lb penalty making him 2lbs “well in” at the weights and he should run well from Stall 11 with Stefano Cherchi taking off 3lbs.