ITV Racing Tips: Dual Identity the one to pick out in the Cambridgeshire
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It’s a huge weekend on the Flat in Europe which climaxes with Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the richest race on the continent, at Paris-Longchamp.
That will be the last of five races shown on ITV4 on Sunday but 24 hours earlier there is a major domestic raceday at Newmarket.
It’s Cambridgeshire day when the iconic 9f handicap sets punters one of their toughest tests – finding a winner from a 35-runner field.
It will be the climax to a six race card which also features the Group 1 Cheveley Park and Middle Park Stakes and the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes, all for two-year-olds.
A race each from Chester and Haydock make up the rest of the schedule. It kicks off on ITV3 at 1:30pm and we have previewed three of the day’s significant races in our ITV Racing Tips.
A 13-runner field has attracted a rare visitor from France and Christophe Soumillon to ride her, perhaps a tip in itself since he is missing day one of Arc weekend. He rides Jasna’s Secret, who has won both her starts, the latest at Deauville and takes a big step up in class having yet to run at either Listed or Group level.
That could count against her in a field headed by the battle-hardened Relief Rally. She has won four out of her five, her only defeat coming by a nose at Royal Ascot. She won the Lowther Stakes despite not enjoying the best of runs. She is the one to beat.
River Tiber lost his unbeaten record on very soft ground at Deauville last time out. It was his first appearance since winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and he hadn’t enjoyed the smoothest lead-up. He gets another chance against his Prix Morny conqueror Vandeek on much better going.
Vandeek is unbeaten in three runs, all on days when the ground was on the soft side. He encounters good to firm going for the first time and there is no reason to believe he won’t handle that just as well.
A 35-runner field will thunder up the wide expanse of the Rowley Mile for one of Flat racing’s iconic handicaps.
The three-year-old Greek Order, trained by two-time race winner Roger Charlton, now with son Harry, is a clear favourite on the evidence of a four and a half length win at Newbury in August for which he has been raised 10lb. There is bound to be more to come. But he is not great value at around 4-1 and preference is for Dual Identity who stormed back to form to win at Sandown last time out.
He is now 4lb higher than 12 months ago when he finished third in this, but was first of his group on the far side of the course.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday, 30th September
13:50 Newmarket – Royal Lodge Stakes
14:05 Chester – 2m2½ f handicap
14:25 Newmarket – Cheveley Park Stakes
14:40 Haydock – 5f handicap
15:00 Newmarket – Middle Park Stakes
15:40 Newmarket – Cambridgeshire
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
