Antepost Racing Tips: Cambridgeshire duo appeal at 33/1 and 14/1 for Saturday's feature

Saturday, Newmarket, 13:55 Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes Tip: Back Burning Up @ 7/42.75

The Royal Lodge Stakes presented us with Bow Echo 12 months ago and the same yellow and back spotted livery can be found at the top of the market for this year's Group 1 with Burning Up at 7/42.75.

Now, betting on juvenile races is tough at the best of the times considering the improvement that lies in wait and sudden jolts of form can be found, but Burning Up is two from two after a pair of successful raids to Haydock. The latter on good to soft, the former on good.

The freshman colt overcame steady paces with finishing speeds of 107% on both occasions, with a debut final furlong of 12.10 seconds. Visually it all looks very smooth and Zarak Crown, who finished fourth to him on debut scored at Ayr last week to give the form a little jolt.

There is not much to dislike.

Charlie Appleby's First Law has an identical profile, and Appleby finally has come into red-hot form. At the time of writing he has delivered 13 winners from his last 22 runners at 59%.

First Law's Haydock win last time was off an even steadier pace than both of Burning Up's and to me he looks more of three-year-old as in size he is substantial and viewing his Sandown win, he had a touch of the gawkiness about him and while winning, was green over 1m.

Aidan O'Brien's last Royal Lodge winner came way back in 2019, so a positive drought for him, and his host of potential runners include Aix La Chappelle, Haffner, Giant Sequoia, Aachen, Drumbeat and Hmas Perth.

But, despite the riches the stable has, it's an easy call to sidestep his runners as betting O'Brien antepost is beyond the best of the racing brains.

The yard's wellbeing too must be highlighted - on Tuesday theywere 6-60 at just 10%.

A 7/42.75 price antepost is hardly dream-maker stuff but Burning Up's two wins in manner were both impressive and can follow the Bow Echo path.

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Saturday, Newmarket, 15:00, Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes Tip: Back Inner City Blues @ 3/14.00

The Cheveley Park Stakes does not entirely strike me as a betting race, but the Middle Park is a bit more interesting.

Great Barrier Reef lost his unbeaten record during Irish Champions Weekend in the Round Tower Stakes. It looked for all money he was going to make it four-from-four as he whizzing along, yet didn't see out his race and was matched at 1.444/9 in-running on the Betfair Exchange.

He cut a mighty dash in the Coventry earlier in the season, and his optimum ground conditions could be anything as he has won on soft, good and good to firm.

Push The Boat, who beat Great Barrier Reef last time is a 5/16.00 shot here.

In between is Inner City Blues, a potential Godolphin special.

He too beat Adaay Of Scarlett last time. That was in the Kingdom Of Bahrain Stakes , but Hickory Lad was third and he ran a stinker at Ayr recently.

Inner City Blues had a touch of greeness again, Charlie Appleby said afterwards he is the sort to keep finding when off the bridle and tripwise sat on the fence. Physically he looks the package, but mentally he is still to improve.

As a piece of form, that July Festival win looks weak on the book, but that was a nice little race for a green horse against just two rivals and as a nice big horse will get stronger.

He does hold Dewhurst and Lagadere entries, both over 7f, so it's interesting that Appleby will keep him at 6f and with the way Great Barrier Reef finished at the Curragh, Inner City Blues potentially could be a lot stronger at the end in a truly run race.

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Saturday, Newmarket, 15:40, Cambridgeshire Handicap Tip 1: Back Tycoon EW @ 33/134.00

Tycoon's season has seen him take in a variety of trips in big handicaps - ranging from 1m up to 1m4f and he hasn't let his connections down. He just can't find the win.

His season started at Newmarket with a fifth over course and distance at the Craven meeting on the near side, but he did run well over the far side when third at 22/123.00.

Far side versus near side is out of our hands unfortunately but he can still win a race from his current mark of 93 and decent going suits him best as his two poor efforts have both been on easier ground.

The quicker the better for him and he just looks too big at 33/134.00.

Saturday, Newmarket, 15:40, Cambridgeshire Handicap Tip 2: Back Pathein EW @ 14/115.00

The last time Ed Dunlop had a big Saturday winner, Zeppelins were heard flying overhead in London, but Pathein has been on my radar for a while and at 16/117.00 has the look of a well handicapped, unexposed horse.

He started the season from a stiff mark of 103 at Goodwood, and subsequently found the Britannia Stakes all too much finishing down the field. However, a break came after the Royal meeting and a comeback run at Doncaster last time appeared no more than a prep.

Well, a prep to the eye anyway, as he travelled all over the field from rear before Rab Havlin managed to run into a wall of horses with nowhere to go.

He goes off 102 for the Cambridgeshire, and it obviously requires more, but he travelled like a horse who can win a big pot and Pathein still remains unexposed.

He was deemed worthy of a Group 3 race on his second start as a juvenile and I want to give him another chance in a decent race after that Doncaster disaster last time.

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Alan Dudman's notable antepost winners in 2026

January: The Doyen Chief Kempton WON 7/2
Vincenzo, Ascot, WON 3/1
Scorsese, Cheltenham PLACED 12/1

February: Kalium, Ascot, PLACED 12/1
Montregard, Ascot, WON [6/]
Grand Geste, Haydock, EW WON 12/1
Lookaway, Kempton, EW WON 16/1

March: Pina Sonata, Kempton, WON 8/1

April: Favour And Fortune, Aintree, PLACED 14/1
Konfusion, Aintree, PLACED 12/1
Whip Cracker, Newbury, PLACED 10/1
Sarab Star, Haydock, PLACED 10/1
President Scottie, Perth, PLACED 12/1

May/June: Washington Heights, WON 5/1
Thundering On, Epsom, WON 11/2

July: Team Player PLACED 16/1

August: Calendar Girl EW WON 14/1

September: Fondo Blanco EW PLACED 16/1
Pellitory EW WON 40/1

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