Saturday at Newmarket sees the running of the bet365 Cambridgeshire Heritage Handicap.
Run on the Rowley mile course, the race always attracts a huge field for the £61 848 first prize.
This year is no exception with 70 still in contention at the five-day acceptance stage. A maximum field of 35 can compete in this famous nine-furlong event down the long straight.
When trying to find the winner of Newmarket’s Autumn handicap it is always a good idea to consider an improving three-year-old from the Gosden stable and in Uncle Bryn all the signs are there of a horse laid out for Saturday’s contest. The champion trainer has claimed this contest twice in the last three years with representatives from the Classic generation, Wissahickon (2018) and Lord North (2019).
All the action on Saturday (Pic- Newmarket Racecourse)
The current ante-post favourite is a lightly raced son of Sea The Stars. He was fancied in some quarters for the Derby when sent off a single figure price for the Gr2 Dante at York but wasn’t seen on a racecourse again until early this month when winning with a bit in hand at Ascot over a mile.
That was his first run after a gelding operation and Frankie Dettori was in the saddle. The Gosden’s have nominated a further three potential stablemates, all with realistic chances – the four-year-olds Al Rufaa and Magical Morning as well as another unexposed three-year-old, Poet Of Life.
Poet Of Life, by Frankel, was a very easy winner of two of his first three starts on soft ground over 2000m at Newbury and Doncaster respectively, before disappointing slightly last time out on firm ground.
If he runs off the allotted eight and a half stone and gets soft ground, he could be the “dark horse” – currently at odds of 16/1.
Anmaat is currently the second favourite after winning his last two starts for Owen Burrows – while Astro King for Sir Michael Stoute with Ryan Moore aboard and Irish Admiral for top Newmarket yard William Haggas will have their supporters.
Anmaat, by Awtaad for the Shadwell operation, is another unexposed three-year-old. He raced once as a juvenile late last year for a placing, but after opening his account at the second attempt at Lingfield in May the gelding has been on an upward curve. He’s won his last two, at Bath and Doncaster, off marks of 86 and 94. The way he quickened readily to get the better of the previously unbeaten Faisal at Doncaster was impressive, and that change of gear will stand him in good stead on Saturday. A four-pound penalty is acceptable, he handles any ground and crucially has more to offer. A realistic chance in this large field.
The Keith Dalgleish-trained handicapper Chichester has been all the rage since trotting up by six and a half lengths at Ayr last Thursday. That victory earned the four-year-old a 12lb rise in the ratings, yet he will carry just a 4lb penalty on Saturday. He opened 66/1 in places, but after his easy win, has been shortened to 10/1! The 4-year-old by Dansili raids Newmarket from up north in Lanarkshire near Glasgow.
Paddy Power reported a significant move for Chichester and the firm’s spokesman Paul Binfield said: “We’ve seen support for Chichester at a massive 66-1 and then at 33-1 after he got the penalty for hacking up at Ayr, which definitely gets him into the field now.
“It’s easy to see why punters are getting stuck into him as he’s a ‘handicap good thing’ being 9lb well in and he’s likely to be challenging for second favouritism very soon.”
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