Events / Geoffrey Riddle / 02 October 2009 / Leave a comment

It's family day at Newmarket this afternoon as Lady Of The Desert and Showcasing bid to emulate their parents by winning the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Middle Park Stakes on an action-packed day two of the Cambridgeshire meeting. The Riddler is still in the hot seat at HQ bringing you all the latest news, interviews, tips and rumour. Email him your queries and thoughts on: theriddleratbetfair@gmail.com

5.25pm
1: Dreamwalk
2: Beauchamp Wizard.
The racecourse commentator, Mike Cattermole, estimates that it is six lengths between Dreamwalk and Beauchamp Wizard, but the pot is blown wide open when he announced on the tannoy the official distance of eight lengths. I didn't win. Typical.
That race was exactly how things were in the old days. Two jockeys taking each other on across Newmarket Heath, with just a few onlookers, wagering amongst themselves. there wasn't even any prize-money on offer, with the winning trainer receiving a bottle fo champagne. I felt a certain timelessness about the whole experience.

Well folks, it's been a long day. We have had our successes, too. Leave your desk, and go out and spend those winnings. Or, on the other hand, keep hold of them because there is still a log way to go this weekend, what with the Cambridgeshire and the Arc meeting all to come in a punty-frenzy of a weekend.

Join me here tomorrow at 11am for all the latest news, updates and market movers. I'm sure this blog works on I-Phone, too. See you then.

5.20pm
There is a sweep stake in the press room about the winning distance in the lucky last. I've got half a length, which, given that it's about 1-3 v 2-1, doesn't look terribly good value.

I'm just hoping that Keiren Fallon can keep competitive and stay in it.

5.10pm
All the jockeys agreed that the going was 'fast, but with no jar' today, but that isn't good enough for clerk of the course, Michael Prosser.
" We had a drying wind today," said Prosser. "The course rode well and the four millimetres of water we applied to the last six furlongs last night certainly helped.
"The forecast is for a strong breeze to continue this evening through to tomorrow, when we could experience gusts of up to 40mph.
"We are going to add 4mm to the final six furlongs once again after racing."

5pm
The lucky last. It hardly inspires one does it? A straight shoot-out between jockeys Kieren Fallon and Jim Crowley. Crowley is [1.49], while the former champ is [2.94].
The Racing Post spotlight says it all, too. Paul Johnson writes in his summary. "Dreamwalk was easily the least below par of these last time out..."
I mean that's hardly a ringing endorsement for the favourite is it?

4.50pm
1: Alainmaar
2: Rumble Of Thunder
Alainmaar manages to delight favourite backers, beating Rumble Of Thunder, and giving Richard hilld yet another winner. The man is on fire. But it took Alainmaar some time to get going though, and the gelding hit [5.0] in-running.

4.45pm
Angus Gold, the racing manager for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said an interesting throwaway comment earlier. Gold was discussing how Awzaan is unlikely to be seen again this season, and how it was good to have so many juveniles in contention for next year's Classics.

But then, when he moved on to Ghanaati, he said this: "If she runs well tomorrow, there's always been talk of her having a go at the Champion Stakes."

Let that filter in. He's put it out there early that they are thinking about the Champion Stakes already. He didn't have to say that. Now today when we heard from Richard Hills, he said that although she looked great at home, he feared she had been on the go since the Guineas meeting and may be tired. It wasn't that he didn't fancy her chances in the Sun Chariot tomorrow, but he was slightly wary.

Gold on the other hand sounds extremely bullish. In my opinion, if she's primed and ready, she'll win. It's as easy as that.

4.40pm
There is the old saying of 'always back the outsider of three.' And if you look at Rumble Of Thunder's Racing Post Rating, it is the best out of these three in the 4.50pm.

Given there are two non-runners, it is interesting that Martin Dwyer's mount is a drifter. Alainmaar and Bab Al Salam The Unbeaten have both come in, although as I write there is a late charge on the Godolphin runner.

Like yesterday, when Manifest got turned over, I would be wary of these wide-margin winners, and Alainmaar looks a bit short for what is effectively, according to the betting at least, a two horse race.

4.15pm result:
1: Chock A Block
2: Drill Sergeant
Godolphin win their own race but it was a close-run thing. Frankie Dettori thought he would simply swing past Drill Sergeant and everything would be fine. Not so. Joe Fanning kept on shoving aboard his willing partner and the two made life very difficult indeed. So much so that Drill Sergeant was matched at [1.6] in-running.

Special Duty is not going to run again this season, so if you fancy her for next year's 1,000 Guineas, she's only going to get shorter, barring the odd hiccup.

Criquette Head-Mareek was wrapped up in a nice Mac as it is starting to get a bit chilly here. I didn't have to have my French phrase book on me either because she speaks beautiful English, and about five or six other languages, too.

"Special Duty is finished for the year," said France's pre-eminent woman trainer. "She was going away at the end of that race and I hope I can come back next year here for the Guineas."

Head revealed that Special Duty holds a special place in her Chantilly yard. "Nothing can come close to her at home," Head-Mareek revealed. "She has lots of speed, but stamina as well."

She also went on to compare Special Duty with her three other winners of the Cheveley Park. She continued: "If I had to compare her to my other winner of this race, I would say that she has the heart of Ravinella, the class of Ma Biche and the physique of Pas De Reponse.

The time of Special Duty's race also compares favourably with that of Awzaan's victory in the Middle Park 35 minutes later. The filly clocked 1m 10.38sec, while Awzaan dipped in at 1m 10.11sec.

Jim McGrath of Channel 4 points out: "If the two had been running beside each other, the fillies would have got 5lbs, so there probably would have been nothing between them."

4pm
This is not a fun betting heat at all. Godolphin's Chock A Block looks to have a decent line of form. The Dalakhani colt finished third to the very smart Twice Over last time out. It was a five runner race though, and he looked to have every chance, but didn't seem good enough. This also, after all, is the Haafhd Godolphin Stakes, which the boys in blue are sure to want to win rather desperately.

Drill Sergeant has run 12 times over 1m4f but only won once. He often front runs, but is sure to be taken on for the lead by Chock A Block, and probably Classic Punch, too. That doesn't leave a lot of room for manoeuvre in-running, but if Classic Punch does stay prominent perhaps he would make a small back-to-lay investment worthwhile. As i said, it's not much fun.

3.40pm result:
1: Swiss Cross
2: Esaar
3: Invincible Soul
A power-packed finish from Keiren Fallon mugs man-of-the-moment Richard Hills on the line. Punters must remember that Fallon likes to stoke up his mounts. He harries them, rather than drives them, he cajoles them rather than pushes them He is a classic stoker jockey, and Swiss Cross just had the look of a horse that was going to succeed in reeling in the favourite.

Esaar was matched at [1.01] for a few grand, but congratulations to the chancers out there who were responsible for the £12 at [80.0] on the winner.

What was particularly interesting, was that Fallon found himself on the far side inthe early stages of the race. He took a good look behind him, took a pull, and steered his horse right across the field on to the stands's side. From there, he took his time before he started to roust his mount along until it had no other choice but to stay in and grab the line first. Impressive.
3.40pm
There is a huge, wonderfully inviting food festival on the Hyperion Lawn. It aims to showcase Suffolk's best produce. There are beers from the Adnams brewery in Southwold and the likes of Stoberry Potted Shrimps and Suffolk Pate are all here on display.

One problem with the whole thing though, is that because the outlets are all concessions, they can't provide you with any crockery or cutlery.

I went down after Special Duty's win and the lay of Sand Vixen for a place swelled my coffers, and wanting to pair the obvious allure of a dressed lobster for £9 with the hearty and prosaic pork pie from Essex Larders, I was told that I would have to take it away with me. That was fine, as I didn't intend to eat in the tent, but when the fish man simply handed me a dressed lobster in a plastic bag, I looked at him, non-plussed. "How am I going to eat that?", I asked him. He looked at me sheepishly and said they weren't allowed to provide anything else due to concessionary reasons. Absolutely ridiculous. What's the point in having all of that lovely food on display, and with no way of eating it?

3.30pm
Alright team. Awzaan The Unbeaten is still on course for the 2,000 Guineas. Mark Johnston reckons that his Alhaarth colt is the "classic speed horse who doesn't waste any energy in his races."

That would suggest that he is not uber-confident about Awzaan staying the extra two furlongs required for next year's Classic.

Totesport went pretty short at 8-1, while Skybet, and Boyles went 12-1 for the colt's Classic. You can get [18.0] on Betfair, which is longer than Arcano [13.0], Canford Cliffs [13.0], and Steinbeck [16.0].

Jockey Richard Hills was adamant that Awzaan would stay when he jumped off the winner, but for a more considered insight, and if you have more than a minute, you should read Tony Morris's excellent breeding breakdown of Awzaan in the Racing Post on the 23rd of September. Just type in "Tony Morris" with the date and you'll get it.

For those of you who can't be bothered, the synopsis is that Morris reckons that Awzaan is unlikely to stay.

3.05pm
1: Awzaan
2: Radiohead
Richard Hills told you all here exclusively this morning that he had a 'fantastic chance' on the Mark Johnston runner, and so it proved. He absolutely demolished that field, and although the distances won't read long in the paper tomorrow, Hills was very easy on him and he won with any amount in hand.

2.55pm
Pricewise tipped Poet's Voice. Graham from Timeform reckons he'll win, too. But Special Duty went within a hair's breath of beating Arcano, the horse that also finished a head in front of Showcasing on his debut.

Betting on racing is like a jigsaw puzzle where you only get a certain amount of pieces. We have been chucked another piece of the puzzle by Special Duty's win. Showcasing looks a better bet now that he did this morning.

2.50pm
Only ten fillies who won the Cheveley Park Stakes have gone on to win the 1,000 Guineas since 1950. It's another elite club that Criquette Head-Mareek is a member of. Ma Biche (1983) and Ravinella (1988) both went on to score in the 1,000 Guineas back here a year later, having scooped the Cheveley Park.

Head, who is charm personified, said that she fully intends to train Special Duty to follow in their footsteps, and both Skybet and Totesport went 5-1. You can get a massive-looking [7.8] on Betfair at the moment.

Tabassum's facile win in the opener has naturally seen her price plummet for next year's 1,000 Guineas, too. The daughter of Nayef recorded an easy four-length success, despite wandering under pressure. Like Special Duty, she looks to have a lot to learn about the game, and there was some difference of opinion amongst the high street layers here. There were quotes of 16-1, but Paddy Power went shortest at 10-1. On Betfair, you can still get [16.0], though.

2.30pm result - Cheveley Park Stakes
1: Special Duty
2: Misheer
3: Lady Of The Desert
Special Duty elevates Criquette Head-Mareek into an exclusive club of one of trainers who have tasted victory in the Chevelely Park Stakes four times. Special Duty just had too many gears for Lady Of The Desert, and as mentioned just before the off, she looked the fresher filly.

Lady Of The Desert traded at as low as [1.4] in-running, when she looked like she was going to take it up as the field passed the bushes. She was run out of second on the line by Misheer, who bounced back to form. Well done James for flagging that one up, I hope you backed her for a place.

2.20pm
"What's wrong with Misheer's chances?," questions James from Sunbury. "She beat Lady Of The Desert when they clashed at Royal Ascot, and she was class in the Cherry Hinton. Just because she blew out over a furlong shorter doesn't mean she should be [12.5]."

I totally agree James. Misheer is probably the most over-priced filly in the Cheveley Park. She's got all the class, all the gears, and if it wasn't for the Flying Childers at Doncaster, she'd be half that price. The problem is that she has been going for a long time, something that is equally applicable to Lady Of the Desert.

Don't get me wrong, I have utmost respect for the favourite, and I have made a tidy sum backing her on her last two runs. And don't forget that her racing manager, Bruce Raymond, told us yesterday that she was a 'certainty', which is rare statement for people in his position to make. But this is another step up, it's been a long season, and the French filly looked sensational in the paddock.

Special Duty has a towering frame, and she'll only get better as she has been on the go only for a few months. Her run against 2,000 Guineas favourite Arcano in the Prix Morny is just as good as Lady Of The Desert's form and that run pushed Arcano to break the all-aged course record at Deauville.

One filly who won't be winning though is Godolphin's Sand Vixen. She looked ready to go into hibernation, and over a furlong further than her Flying Childers victory, I'd surmise that she has no chance.

1.55pm result:
1: Confront
2: Rio De La Plata
3: Forgotten Voice
Imagine what Rio De La Plata will be able to do when he is fully fit and ready? Frankie Dettori angled out for a run as they came to The Dip, and so convinced were some of you that he was going to leave these guys for dead that the Godolphin colt was matched at the legendary [1.01]. But Ryan Moore galvanised Confront and they held off Dettori, with the Royal Hunt Cup winner Forgotten Voice finishing third.

1.50pm
Rio De La Plata would eat this lot for breakfast in his pomp. The Godolphin colt looked like a huge, but cute, bundle of loveliness, rather than the muscular, strapping, fearsome athlete that has won a Group 1 and a Group 2 in his time.

His lad even admitted that he was a bit 'fresh', and that he was 'hopeful'.

He is not the strongest in the betting either, and funnily enough, it is Donativum that is the springer out of the Godolphin trio. The Breeders' Cup winner is down to [12.0] from a high of [19.0]. Are we going to get a Mastery-Kite Wood situation once again?

1.25pm result:
1:Tabassum
2: Electric Feel
3: Hasty
Tabassum absolutely hacked up under Richard Hills there. So emphatic was the win that the pair never traded at anything over [3.9] at any point during the race. As she came under pressure in the final two furlongs, she wandered left towards the comfort of the stand's rail, but she stayed on well to beat Electric Feel and the dour Hasty.

All the late money came from Blue Maiden, who was backed into favouritism just before the off, having traded at as big as [4.9], but she never really got into it. Well done Neil from Peterborough, you said that Blue Maiden couldn't win, and that Hasty was a big price.

1.20pm
Frankie Dettori, for all his horsemanship, was just thrown off Sweet Sonnet, who has galloped off down the Rowley Mile in the wrong direction. Scratch it.

There wasn't anything that really stood out in the paddock to honest. To be fair, Blue Maiden looked in top shape, and although she got a bit warn, she looked a lot more forward than a lot of the others.

1pm
Staying with the opener, Blue Maiden cost just 6,000gns. I say 'just' but these things are always comparative. And when you compare that price to the 95,000gns Hasty was bought for in the sales, you get the idea that Blue Maiden's performance against Long lashes last time out was a bit of a fluke. Either that, or the connections went about getting on the 66-1 that was available in a very stealthy manner indeed.

Interestingly, Tabassum's time on her debut was the slowest out of the four races over seven furlongs on the July course that day, and almost a full second slower than the first division of that maiden.

It suggests that the daughter of Nayef might have been given a soft lead, which raises the possibility of whether she is really as good as she looks. I'm off to the pre-parade ring to have a look at her.

12.50pm
I've been told by Neil to concentrate more on the racing. He comes from Peterborough, which is famous, in my book, for being near the American Adventure.

Anyway, the man offers some sage advice. He writes: "I'm not convinced by the chances of the Stoute horse [Tabassum] in the first. I know he has been well backed, but what has he done? That Blue Maiden can't win. I'm on Hasty. She beat Pollenator at Folkestone in a fast time. What more do you want?"

Pollenator won the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster on her latest run, which would suggest Hasty would have a chance on her best form. She is also likely to force the pace, which is a bonus here. Shrewd Neil has got on Hasty at [14.5].

12.30pm
The draw for the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe has been done. And for want of a better word, I've been done. I have smashed into Cavalryman over the past few weeks, fully expecting him to follow the traditional route of Prix Neil-Arc winner. I'm gutted that he's been draw in stall 19. It's almost impossible to win from a high draw. Only Dalakhani, Sakhee, Subotica and Suave Dancer have won the Arc form a double-figure draw since 1991.

Good news for Sea The Stars backers though, because the ultimate champ leaps out of gate six, which is perfect. For anyone who hasn't seen it, click here:

He's been backed into [1.76], and with Fame And Glory in stall ten, there seems very little that can beat STS now.

I got up a bit late today, and forgetting that I had put my suits into the dry-cleaners, I had to throw on the suit that I was given on my 18th birthday. It's rather tight, in fact it is so tight that I feel a bit like a cross between The Jesus from The Big Lebowski and Gordon Gekko.

Wasn't that Gekko a nasty piece of work, eh? I hope I don't get as greedy as him and try to nick back my Cavalryman wagers this afternoon with a bit of in-running trading. I don't think I've got the constitution for it. I'm glum.

12.15pm
There has been more money traded on Poet's Voice in the Middle Park than on either the favourite, Showcasing, or on Awzaan The Unbeaten. At the time of writing, Awzaan The Unbeaten had attracted less than half that of Poet's Voice or Showcasing, who Skybet report to be their best-backed horse of the day.

Poet's Voice was flagged up by the great Seagull in his Pricewise column, which is probably why the volume on the Godolphin runner is higher than on Showcasing. It'll be all those sharks getting on early and hoping to nick a few quid laying it at a shorter price.

11.30am
Yesterday we got the inside line from jockey Richard Hills before racing, and he's been on the line once again.

We'll start with the two Group 1s in which he rides Awzaan and Hibaayib respectively. Of the two, he quite clearly prefers the unbeaten Awzaan. "He's a real bonnie horse that one," said Hills of the impressive Mill Reef winner. "He's got an excellent turn of foot. I set off at a really nice pace last time at Newbury and, to be honest, we destroyed them. I think we've got a fantastic chance."

The jockey was not quite so gushing about Hibaayib in the Cheveley Park. He continued: "You never know with these fillies. She had her first race this season back in April, so it's been a long season for her. We were going to race her in the Lowther, but that wasn't right for her. We've given her a bit of a break, but we'll only know if she's had a hard season after the race."

Hills has similar worries about the wonder filly Ghanaati, who is [2.48] for the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes tomorrow. "We got her 100 per cent for the 1,000 Guineas, and she was primed and ready for Royal Ascot.

"When she was beaten by Rip Van Winkle and Paco Boy in the Sussex Stakes, she came back really stiff.

"We've treated that now though, and everyone at home is really happy with her. She looks great."

Perhaps surprisingly, it was his ride in the Cambridgeshire that got him the most animated. "Almiqdaad is a huge horse, he's just a big boy really," Hills continued. "It's taken us two runs to get him properly fit and mentally switched on."

The son of Haafhd should improve on his fine win over Newbury's ten furlongs last month. He was drawn 17 that day, and Hills had to track over. "It was really impressive that we got into the position in the middle of the field from our draw.

"I went for home from around two furlongs out, and he wore them down and won well. I was quietly impressed, and although the Cambridgeshire is a tough race to win, he has a great chance."

Almiqdaad is trading at [12.5] at the moment for tomorrow's big handicap.

11.15am
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the second day of the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket. It's a special family day today as Lady Of The Desert and Showcasing try to emulate their illustrious parents by winning the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Middle Park Stakes.

Showcasing's father, Oasis Dream, won the colt's Group 1 feature for trainer John Gosden in 2002, beating eight other rivals. If that wasn't enough, his granddam also won the Cheveley Park. Queen's Logic, the dam of Lady Of The Desert, won the Cheveley Park in 2001. The gravitas of it all. Let's lighten it up a bit.

It's a tricky eight-race card today, with every race boasting a paper favourite at less than 2-1. It's going to be a heck of a war on Betfair, because all of the layers will be out in force trying to nail the jollies in the early exchanges. This is seen to no greater effect in the first race, the seven furlong Group 3. Blue Maiden, who was 66-1 when finishing second to the Godolphin hotpot Long Lashes last time out, was the paper favourite in today's Racing Post at a frighteningly short 13-8.

With a slight rick in her back ten days ago, it is no surprise that Tabbassum, ridden by Richard Hills has usurped her on Betfair, and is trading at [2.96].

Tags: Cheveley Park Stakes, Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket