Blurred Wet Grass
by: Racing EditorPosted on:

Which Runners Will Benefit from Soft Ground in the Cambridgeshire Handicap?

Newmarket takes centre stage this coming Saturday with the stellar card from HQ including two Group 1 contests and one of the biggest handicaps of the season. Initially attracting a maximum field of 35, that number is now down to 32 – largely due to the weather and the ground it has created.

The heavens have opened on Newmarket this week, with a prolonged deluge rapidly changing the going description from good to heavy. The forecast suggests the track is over the worst of the rainfall, but it seems safe to assume the ground will remain soft on race day – providing punters with another factor to consider when weighing up their selections.

Soft or heavy going regularly produces surprising results; the most recent edition of this contest on ground containing the word soft in the description fell to 50/1 shot Dolphin Vista. Here, we highlight six contenders who should at least handle the demanding conditions on the day and may well merit a second look.

Norwalk Havok (11/1)

  • Trainer– Jessica Harrington
  • Jockey – Jim Crowley
  • Form Figures on Soft/Heavy Ground – 1-1-2

This son of Showcasing is one of the youngsters in the field and will make only his second start in handicap company here. Breaking his maiden in a heavy ground event at Leopardstown, he followed up on soft ground at Gowran Park before finishing a gallant second in a soft-ground edition of the Listed Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh. Last sighted when closing all the way to the line to finish second in a handicap at the Galway festival, he looks dangerous with conditions in his favour.

Poniros (11/1)

  • Trainer – Ralph Beckett
  • Jockey – David Egan
  • Form Figures on Soft/Heavy Ground – 1-3

This three-year-old from the Ralph Beckett operation sneaks in at the foot of the weights. Poniros showed an immediate liking for heavy going when winning a Maiden event at Nottingham on debut. Since then, his only other start on soft saw him finish third over a trip too far in an Ascot handicap last time. Back down in trip, he may go well on his second start following a gelding operation.

Balmacara (14/1)

  • Trainer – Eve Johnston Houghton
  • Jockey – Charles Bishop
  • Form Figures on Soft/Heavy Ground – 3-1-1-2

Eve Johnston Houghton has her string in solid form, with 18 of her past 33 runners finishing in the first three. With the rain arriving, she will hope to continue that trend with this son of New Bay, who scored twice at Group 2 level on bottomless ground during his career. Catching the eye when staying on for third in a 7f heavy ground event at this track last season, Balmacara returned to land back-to-back soft ground events at Doncaster. He’s yet to win beyond 7f but was staying on well over 1m2f at Sandown last time and has plenty in his favour.

Paddy The Squire (22/1)

  • Trainer – Iain Jardine
  • Jockey – Andrew Mullen
  • Form Figures on Soft/Heavy Ground – 0-2-1-2-3

This Golden Horn colt scores top marks for consistency, having finished in the first three in his past six starts. Four of those placed efforts came on soft ground, including a win in a 1m2f event at Ayr. Staying on well into third at Chester last time, he should be suited by this more conventional track, and he gets in on an unchanged mark of 87.

James McHenry (28/1)

  • Trainer – Edward Bethell
  • Jockey – Callum Rodriguez
  • Form Figures on Soft/Heavy Ground – 3-1

Sired by Starspangledbanner and named in honour of one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, this four-year-old carries the hopes of North Yorkshire’s Ed Bethell. More experienced than others on this list, he will need to overcome a career-high mark to prevail, but his most recent effort on soft saw him land a 1m Ripon handicap in effortless style.

Theoryofeverything (16/1)

  • Trainer – David O’Meara
  • Jockey – Jason Watson
  • Form Figures on Soft/Heavy Ground – 1-3-7-8-1-1

Last but not least, this ex-John & Thady Gosden runner now based in Yorkshire with David O’Meara. Sired by Frankel and boasting Group 1 winner Persuasive as his dam, this four-year-old leaps out on breeding and arrives having won two of his past three starts – including an eye-catching success in a 1m soft ground event at Ascot. O’Meara has yet to land this prize but is no stranger to major handicap success, having previously claimed top spot in the Stewards’ Cup, Balmoral Handicap, Ayr Gold Cup, Wokingham, Lincoln, and more.