3 minute read
Leading ante-post fancy could bypass Newmarket race
John Gosden could re-route ante-post bet365 Cambridgeshire favourite Forest Of Dean to Newbury on Saturday for the Dubai Duty Free Handicap.
The Newmarket handler is considering a change of plan for the son of Iffraaj, who is the general 6-1 favourite for the Cambridgeshire, after he was hiked 10lb for his win at York last time.
With a final decision still to be made, Gosden has not ruled out the prospect of running the progressive three-year-old in both races.
He said: "They have lumped him up 10lb and he has now got to try to win a Cambridgeshire off 110.
"He is entered at Newbury and we will have a look at it rather than necessarily coming here (Newmarket).
"The handicapper, I think, has over reacted. I think we beat a lot of perfectly nice but exposed horses at York.
"I have the option of looking to run him off an older mark rather than the mark he is on. I am only doing my due diligence to consider that.
"I don't think he is a Pipedreamer (2007 winner) or anything like that, but he is a progressive horse and the handicapper thinks so.
"Maybe we might run him in both – you never know, it's the end of the year so we might roll the dice."
Should Gosden, who will be seeking a fifth victory in the Cambridgeshire, decide against running Forest Of Dean at Newmarket, he has identified two potential substitutes.
He added: "We might have to go to plan B and find another.
"We might have to rely on a darker character to come out of the woodwork. Lord North and Star Of Bengal might suddenly come into the limelight."
Gosden also has Newmarket in mind for two other inmates, headed by Twist 'N' Shake, who was beaten in France last time but is in the mix for the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes on October 5.
He said: "It didn't quite go right at Deauville and the track got very rough and she was not very happy on it. She won in great style before that.
"We will have a look at that (Sun Chariot) as it is a lovely race."
Wasaayef has the bet365 Fillies' Mile on October 11 as a possible target, but she is set for a course-and-distance prep run on Saturday first.
Gosden added: "She runs here on Saturday. She won her second start and if she does go to the Fillies' Mile, she would have had three races.
"It is important they have experience for a race like that. Since it is run over the Guineas distance and track, it has become an accurate line for the Guineas just as the Dewhurst has."
Gosden was speaking at the launch of The Newmarket Gold Season, an initiative aimed at boosting the profile of the town's racing, breeding and sales activities during the busy autumn season.
Newmarket stages racing across four consecutive weekends – kicking off with the Henry Cecil Open Weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday before heading into the Cambridgeshire Meeting, Sun Chariot Day and the Dubai Future Champions Festival.
The Newmarket Gold Season embraces not only the racing on the Rowley Mile, but the entire racing and breeding industry, culminating with the conclusion of the October Yearling Sale.
Gosden added: "There is all this amazing racing every weekend – I'm really looking forward to the Middle Park and the Dewhurst – then of course it rolls from Book 1 to Book 2.
"There's an awful lot of energy here and this is a very healthy initiative because people can see the sheer gravitas that Newmarket can have, at this time of year."
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