Events / Geoffrey Riddle / 01 October 2009 / 1

It's the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket, and 'The Riddler' is in the hot seat at HQ to keep you on the inside track. Email him your questions, tips and stats at: theriddleratbetfair@gmail.com

5.30pm result:
1: Proponent
2: Legislate
3: Namibian Orator
Frankie Dettori does it once again! The little Italian has bailed out punters on countless occasions this summer, and he won the lucky last with aplomb.

That's it for the first day of the Cambridgeshire meeting. I'll be back here tomorrow for the two big juvenile races as we crank up the quality heading towards Arc day in Paris. I hope you enjoyed your selves and made a bit of money. See you tomorrow at 11am for day two.

5.30pm
Jonathan from Macclesfield writes: "What about Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, born in Swakopmund to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt?"

Lawrie, I applaud the effort, I really do. And considering you are the first and only e-mailer on this subject, you win the prize by default. But couldn't you have, well, found something a bit better? I mean Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt? Stop reading Grazia, for heaven's sake...

5.20pm
This race is not one to place an enormous amount of faith in. Final Verse has been heavily backed, while Frankie Dettori is once again the favourite for the lucky last on Proponent. The eye-catcher though is Namibian Orator, who is extremely unexposed having had just two runs.

On my own, I've come up with two famous Namibians. Firstly, there's Frankie Fredericks, the 200m sprinter who always found one too good. And then there's Percy Montgomery, the Springbok full-back who kicked the most points at the last Rugby World Cup.

That's about it in my book. E-mail me any other famous Namibians on: theriddleratbetfair@gmail.com

The only time I can remember Fredericks ever actually winning anything, he beat England's very own John Regis. Watch it here:

4.55pm result:
1: Sea Of Leaves
2: Bounty Box
3: Vitoria
Sea Of Leaves is galvanised by Kieren Fallon, who gets up to Bounty Box and reverses their form here on the July Course in August.

Neil has pointed out I wrote earlier that Keiren Fallon was on Vitoria, and not Sea Of Leaves. I hope you all backed Fallon then. Soz.
4.20pm result
1: Spin Cycle
2: Noble Storm
3: Run For The Hills
Spin Cycle's victory in the colours of HE Shiekh Rashid Bin Mohammed tees things up nicely for the next race. You see I've backed Vitoria, in the same ownership.

Look at her form. She's only once raced over 6f, having seen racecourse action at distances up to 10 furlongs. She is completely unexposed at this distance, and judged on her second to Akhenaten at Doncaster over seven furlongs, she is very smart indeed.

What nails it for me though is that she is a front-runner. Horses who have raced prominently have held sway all day. Kieren Fallon is aboard, and the pair only have Angus Newz to compete for the lead as the rest like to press or be held up.

Remember, the Racing Post, led by Tony Elves, are on Bounty Box, B.B is on Vitoria. It's crunch time.

4.10pm
This is a trappy old contest is it not?

The pick of the pre-parade ring was undoubtedly Noble Storm. A huge, black and shiny collection on muscle, the mount of Ryan Moore stood out by a mile. Graham Cunningham has tipped him as a back-to-lay option elsewhere on this website, too.

Himalya was fourth in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at the Royal Meeting last year behind Art Connoisseur, Intense Focus and Lord Shanakill, all who were subsequent Group 1 winners. Himalya was far to free for his own good on his seasonal bow when 45 lengths last behind Duff at Doncaster after a break of over a year. Has it put him spot on for this? Who knows, I'm afraid. I couldn't find his trainer, Jeremy Noseda. There has been a bit of money for him though.

3.45pm result:
1: Sir Parky
2: Sebastian Flyte
3: Mata Keranjang
Well that result put a cat amongst the pigeons! The complete rag of the field won through an enterprising ride from jockey Richard Hills. The lanky one drove his mount to the front early on, and there was nothing in the field that could catch him.

He had them all stoking the fires inside the final two furlongs, and although the pair drifted markedly towards the far rail, it helped them settle inside the final furlong and they won by half a length.

There was £279 matched at [55.0], and there was nearly £10k matched at over [40.0]. Well done to those who backed the Hannon-runner, commiserations to those outsider layers.

3.40pm
Graham from Timeform reckons this is going to go to an improving type. Although he was impressed by Khataab last time out, he is keen on others. "I think both Audacity Of Hope and Hunting Tartan could really improve here," said the Timeform boffin. "Hunting Tartan looks the part and Audacity Of Hope is really getting better."

Graham also reckons there should be no problems with Nideeb handling the going. "His best ratings have been achieved on the quicker ground, so I wouldn't be worried by that," he added. Further nails in Khattaab's coffin maybe?

3.35pm
This race looks hot, with both Nideeb and Mata Keranjang both exceeding the RPR of Ashram, who posted the highest rating of the last ten years.

Terry Mills's Where Or When (2001) is probably the best graduate from this contest in the last ten years. He subsequently won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, eclipsing the not-so-mighty Hawk Wing. Aussie Rules would be up there, too, having won the French 2,000 Guineas and the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Aussie Rules was joint-favourite when he won in 2005, but the other nine market leaders were all beaten. Not the best sign for followers of Khattaab.

Graham Cunningham's advice on this website to back Mata Keranjang for a place looks sage advice.

3.25pm
Bruce Raymond, racing director of Rabbah Bloodstock, who operate the racing interests of numerous UAE owners, is uneasy about Nideeb's chances in the Tattersalls Stakes, up next.

Nideeb's sire, Exceed and Excel, never ran on anything firmer than good, something that Nideeb has so far replicated. "I can't say for sure whether he'll go on this ground," said Raymond. "We're trying the going for the first time, and we're dropping back in distance, too," he added.

"Clive Brittain hasn't even trained him on good to firm at home to my knowledge," Raymond revealed. "He has been training him on the Al Bahathri polytrack, so we really don't know."

I pressed him for an update on Lady Of the Desert, who currently trades at [3.3] for tomorrow's Cheveley Park Stakes. There was absolutely no hesitation in his voice. "It's a certainty," he shot back.

3.10pm result:
1: Akmal
2: Nehaam
What a peach of a ride by Richard Hills, who told us all this morning that he'd try and pinch the race from the front. Those who backed the winner pre-race with a view to laying off had a few nervous moments.

When Tom Queally ranged up alongside on the favourite Manifest, several of you must have thought that he had pressed the 'go' button. Manifest traded at as short as [1.66], probably as the field entered the final quarter. Akmal just kept on finding more though.

Nehaam showed a willing attitude as well, and having been gelded, he can improve on today's effort. He traded at [2.02] in-running, which was a considerable drop from the [7.8] I backed him at.

3.02pm
Trainer John Gosden hardly gave Nehaam a ringing endorsement. "He ran appalling on his last two starts, so we gelded him in an effort to get him back to the sort of form that saw him run so well here," related the legendary handler. "I would be no more than hopeful that it has had the required effect."

2.35pm result:
1: Rum King
2: Chat de La Burg
3: Brannagh
The first leg of the Tony Elves' double scoots home with ease! Richard Hughes made sure he grabbed the rail and there was no dispute from around halfway.

Manifest continues to harden for the next race as trading at [1.84]. I'm pretty wary of the form of Manifest's sensational 19-length win last time out. I appreciate it was an astonishing performance, but it wasn't a particularly quick time. I know he is highly-thought of, but is the horse really a 5-6 shot?

I'm going to have a chance wager on Nehaam, who beat Monitor Closely earlier in the season and has been gelded since disappointing twice subsequently.

Remember also that Richard Hills intends to ride Akmal positively, which should see that horses's price contract in-running and quite possible see Manifest trade at odds-against.

2.30pm
Rum King begins to drift on course form 9-4 out to 11-4.Or with the layers that I can see, anyway.

Ed Hawkins, Betting.betfair's cricket man writes in: "I'm glad Henry Cecil looked sartorially elegant. On this note, I interviewed Kevin Pietersen the other day and asked him to: 'Describe your sartorial style?' To which Pietersen replied: 'Er ... what does that mean?'." The Hawk could never quite find it within himself to like KP could he?

2.20pm
Tony Elves, the Racing Post's bombastic Newmarket correspondent has been shouting and screaming that Rum King, trained by Richard Hannon, will win the next maiden on the card. Given that Hanon trains in East Everleigh in Wiltshire, the indication is that the juveniles in this race that are trained in Newmarket are a dud bunch.

Elves was rather ebullient (he is naturally, being a Sunderland supporter) about the horse's chances, and he was going to put it into a double with Bounty Box in the 4.55pm. "A Caribbean Double," he carried on, "The Taste of Paradise," he added, trying desperately to rival Big Mac for sheer pantomime.

A glance at the Racing Post tipsters today will tell you that they all fancy Bounty Box, with Richard Austen and Matt Williams both plumping for Chris Wall's three-year-old. Betting.betfair's Graham Cunningham, on the other hand, has gone for Vitoria, a horse that I very much liked the look of, too. It's polarisation time, but with the Seagull conspicuously absent from the Post's line-up today, I fancy the chances of the B.B team.

2.00pm result:
1: Fareej
2: William Van Gogh
3: Theology
Betting in-running on two-year-olds is a fascinating pastime. Fareej took an age to understand what racing is all about, and even as they entered The Dip, the son of Kingmambo was being pushed and shoved by Frankie Dettori. And yet, as they met the rising ground, the message got through and he picked up beautifully to win easily. In-running, the Godolphin horse touched [17.0], which just goes to show that if you keep your wits about you, there's money to be made.

The pre-race market though was spot on, and as the old saying goes; money talks and the rest walk.

1.45pm
Henry Cecil looks sartorially perfect as ever. A beautifully cut blue jacket and some louche brown loafers to mismatch. Anyway, old Henry reckons that Protaras is nothing more than a "big baby", which doesn't exactly bode well for his run in the first race.

He wasn't particularly keen on Midday's chances in the Prix L'Opera at Longchamp on Sunday, either. When it was put to him that the Nassau form looked strong, he shrugged and wasn't going to be drawn into making any plans for the filly until after the race. Cecil intimated that if she did run well, however, she would go to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup, but he wasn't too hopeful. He was also rather insistent that she was a 10 furlong filly.

I've been pulled up by the way. And quite rightly, too. Michael from Chester writes: "You say that Theology is the only one with an entry in a Group 1 race, but Istidaal and Knockdolian are entered in next year's Derby!"

Quite right Michael, apologies. What I meant was a Group 1 race this year. As for Knockdolian, he looked enormous in the pre-parade ring, which is hardly surprising given that he is a half brother to Humungous. He really stood out, size-wise, and the Godolphin second-string, Balierus, looked pretty impressive, too. He seems to have a birthmark on this left-rear.

1.15pm
Staying with that first race, it is the Godolphin pair that have been heavily supported. Frankie Dettori's mount, Fareej, has been smashed into, opening at [9.0], but traded for proper money at [3.4]. It is now [2.6] favourite and three-quarters of the trade on the race has gone on the jolly.

Their other runner, Balierus, ridden by Ahmed Ajtebi, is [13.5], but was matched at as high as [23.0].

The one to drift is Theology, despite his Group 1 entries. His trading graph looks like a mountain stage of the Tour de France. Look:

12.40pm
The opening two maidens look about as hard as it will ever get. The Gordian Knot or Fermat's Last Theorem had nothing on this.

The 2pm maiden has thrown up some decent horses in the past, though, so you've got to look for clues about which colts could conceivably be Group class. For instance, Richard Hannon's Tamburlaine won this in 2000 ahead of a journeyman career in Group races the following year. Lateen Sails, who won in 2002 by a length and a quarter from Powerscourt, was bought by Godolphin and subsequently won a Group 3. The best horse to win this in the last decade though, was Twice Over, who was victorious in 2007.

Theology is the only colt in the field that has a Group 1 entry, which could be a huge pointer. Jeremy Noseda's Galileo colt is the youngest in the line-up, though, so may be more backward than, say, Knockdolian, which is the eldest.

Blissful Moment cost the most of those that went to the sales, at a eye-watering $380,000.
And to access the two-year-old records of each of the trainers, click here:

11.50am
Townsend makes a decent case for running tomorrow's Cheveley Park and Middle Park Stakes today instead. "With it being Arc weekend and the Cambridgeshire, both the Cheveley Park and Middle Park will be completely overshadowed," he points out. "It will hardly be reported at all. I think they've missed a real opportunity."

I couldn't agree more, to be honest. You could run at least one of them today couldn't you? Especially with there being eight races tomorrow. I mean today's feature, the Tattersalls Stakes hardly compares, does it?

Richard Hills may be confident about his chances on Khattaab, but Betfair punters are not overly keen on the once-raced American bred. The Barry Hills-trained colt trades at [6.6], which is a fair old drift from [3.95], the lowest price it has been matched at. Trainer Hills's record in this race stands at one win and two places from seven runners in the last decade, but it is Paul Cole, who saddles Mata Keranjang, who has a record that makes you sit up and take notice. Two entries, two wins. His colt trades at [6.4], but personally, I think they'll both struggle to get past Nideeb, who ran so well behind Emerald Commander last time at Goodwood, giving the winner 3lbs.

11.35am
I've got in there early today and I've managed to get hold of Richard Hills. The retained jockey to Hamdan Al Maktoum has got a massive week ahead of him. The jockey rides Ghanaati in the Sun Chariot on Saturday, along with Almiqdaad in the Cambridgeshire. He is also on the unbeaten Awzaan in the Middle Park tomorrow and Habaayib in the Cheveley Park.

But it is today that is the most pressing, and he's pretty sweet on Khattaab in the Tattersall Stakes at 3.45pm. "We're stepping him up to seven furlongs," said Hills this morning. "I think it will really suit him." Hills also rides Akmal in the 3.10pm, and back-to-lay traders should take note. He continued: "Akmal has been really good this season, he's been a fine servant. He's won five times. I'll aim to go from the front, but he's versatile and can race at any pace, and can race off the pace."

Akmal is currently trading at [3.95] against his five other rivals. Realistically, there isn't another horse in the race that likes to make all, so Hill's mount looks a classic pre-race bet, with a view to laying off in-running when either Manifest or Neeham comes to challenge.

Marcu Townsend, that early bird Daily Mail racing correspondent, fancies Akmal, too.

11.20am
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and Caster Semenya, in the unlikely event that she is logging on, and welcome to the first day of the Cambridgeshire meeting from Newmarket. It's going to be a ripper-snorter of a three-day meeting, and as an extra treat, I'm going to be bringing you all the up-to-date news, market movers and interviews from Longchamp on Sunday.

And what great racing we have over the next four days. Although there's a low-key start this afternoon, Friday sees a mammoth eight-race card from HQ and I'm not sure how I'm going to cope on Saturday, what with the Cambridgeshire itself, along with a stellar line-up over in Paris. Then it's Arc day itself. Jeez Louise. Make sure you ease your way into all of this, because if you're not careful, your betting balance will be zero inside the first few hours.

If there are any Daily Mail readers out there, you'll be delighted to know that your racing correspondent, Marcus Townsend, was the first hack from the nationals in to the press room today. Money well spent, you'll all be nodding now...

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1. ian nicholls | 01 October 2009

   Hi Geoffrey
   Do you remember me?
   Sorry I have no tips for you but I am fascinated that you have ended up in the horse racing world,a world I have been interested in since I was 7yrs old.Really pleased that all those Maths lessons were of some use .May see you one day at Lingfield or BRighton.

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