Collet’s Sahpresa to make history in the Sun Chariot
NO horse has ever won tomorrow’s Group One Sun Chariot Stakes (3.10pm) three times, but that could be about to change with Rod Collet’s French mare SAHPRESA. The six-year-old has claimed the last two renewals of this contest and probably should have taken the Falmouth Stakes at the July Course when given a poor ride by Christophe Lemaire.
Lemaire will be in the plate again tomorrow, but he is a world class jockey and should be able to put things right. Sahpresa clearly loves the Rowley Mile and it looks as though she will get her favoured quick conditions.
Alanza is interesting for John Oxx judged on her Doncaster win earlier this month, and three-year-olds do have a good record in this race. Timepiece is also a danger, but she got a soft lead in the Falmouth and I think she will struggle to confirm the form with Sahpresa.
Richard Hannon is going all out for the trainers’ championship and he will be hoping BEST TERMS can extend his lead by taking the Cheveley Park Stakes (2.35pm). The daughter of Exceed And Excel has surprised everyone at the yard with her progression, but she was incredibly impressive in the Lowther last time under a penalty.
The six furlong trip should be absolutely perfect for her at this stage of her career and Richard Hughes will be very disappointed if she gets beaten. The chief threat seems to be Ger Lyons’ Lightening Pearl, who bolted up at the Curragh last time, but she still looks to have plenty to do to cope with the Hannon runner.
The Cambridgeshire Handicap (3.50pm) is one of the biggest betting heats of the season and at the start of the week I was very keen on Questioning. John Gosden has won two of the last four runnings of this race and often likes to target it with a progressive three-year-old. However, he was 14/1 on Monday and he’s now an 8/1 shot which is too short.
Jeremy Noseda’s Dare To Dance has just sneaked into the race and he could be very well handicapped. He is almost certain to go off favourite and obviously holds a strong chance of winning, but it’s not easy for three-year-olds to land this and the last two winners were experienced handicappers.
RED GULCH is only a four-year-old, but he has plenty of races under his belt and has been in flying form this season, winning two well-contested handicaps in his past three runs. He’s drawn in stall four on the far side, which we don’t know whether will be an advantage, but I’ll be backing him each-way at 16/1 with Ladbrokes, as well as Roger Charlton’s PROPONENT at 20/1 with Paddy Power from stall 24.
Many punters will be looking at Charlton’s Cry Fury as his best chance of winning a third Cambridgeshire, but the seven-year-old Proponent absolutely loves it here. Second to Green Destiny in a course and distance handicap on Guineas day, he was also runner-up to Boom And Bust at Glorious Goodwood, and is such a consistent horse that I can’t let him go unbacked.
The highlight of this afternoon’s action is the Group One Fillies’ Mile (3.00pm) and it’s a truly mouthwatering contest. There is little between Lyric Of Light and Fallen For You on their run in the May Hill, so I’m going to stick with an each-way bet on Roger Varian’s FIRDAWS. It’s been a tremendously upsetting week for the yard, with the death of trainer Michael Jarvis, and there won’t be a dry eye in the house if this filly can land the spoils.
Finally, don’t miss John Oxx’s AKEED MOFEED in the Beresford at the Curragh on Sunday (4.25pm). He’s is the apple of his trainer’s eye and it could be worth taking some of the 20/1 and 25/1 available for next year’s Guineas and Derby.
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