Totesport Cambridgeshire betting preview

The Cambridgeshire Handicap is run over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket in the autumn and is one of the most anticipated flat racing handicaps of the season. The Cambridgeshire is unique in that it is run over nine furlongs, a real specialist distance. The race usually goes to a horse that has proven stamina though as it is run at a fast pace over a straight nine furlongs and it is worth looking at horses who have won over ten furlongs as the six winners between 2002 and 2007 had all won a race over that distance.

The race has produced plenty of single figure starting price winners and seven favourites triumphed between 1986 and 2007. Big prices should not be discounted though as Spanish Don won the race in 2004 at a massive 100/1.

There is no particular trainer to follow although it is worth noting that Sir Mark Prescott and David Elsworth have both won the race twice since 1997. In the 2008 renewal Luca Cumani seems to have a very strong hand but the early favourite, Prevsis, trained by Cumani, is by no means a guaranteed runner and either Swop or Ask The Butler look his most likely runners.

The John Smiths handicap run at Newbury over ten furlongs in mid September is usually a good guide to the race and most recently produced the 2006 winner Formal Decree (finished third at Newbury). The winner of the 2008 John Smiths Cup was Prevsis, Ask The Butler and a number of other Cambridgeshire contenders also contested the race.

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