Chief out to go the distance
Tuesday 25 September 2012
Alan Jarvis is hoping his nine-furlong specialist Navajo Chief can make his love of the distance count in the Betfred Cambridgeshire at Newmarket on Saturday.
The first leg of the 'autumn double' is one of the few races over that trip, but Navajo Chief has proved his effectiveness with victory over a mile and a furlong at York in June.
Kieren Fallon, who was in the saddle that day, is set to partner Burano for Brian Meehan, while Jarvis' 5lb-claiming apprentice Michael Murphy has been pencilled in for King's Warrior. The Twyford trainer has snapped up Darryll Holland, who has yet to ride the five-year-old in public.
Jarvis said: "He's on course for the race and is in good form. Darryl Holland rides him as Kieren is on something else. Nine furlongs is his best trip. The ground doesn't bother him. He's won on firm, on heavy - the only thing he doesn't like is sticky, dead ground."
Murphy's mount King's Warrior has not run since winning the John Smith's Cup at York in July. His rider that day was Rab Havlin, who believes Peter Chapple-Hyam's charge has strong claims.
Havlin told At The Races: "You only have to look at the way he won the Magnet Cup. He went up 10lb for that race, so it's quite right that Peter is claiming 5lb off him. He's got a big chance. He's coming back a furlong but he needs a fast pace, which you always get in the Cambridgeshire. If he gets a good draw he should run well. He's a different horse on soft ground."
Marcus Tregoning is keeping an eye on the weather as he considers the cavalry charge for his duo of Boom And Bust and Bronze Angel. The Lambourn trainer said: "Boom And Bust has only just run and ran a fantastic race in a conditions race at Newbury on Friday when finishing second to an improving three-year-old (Grandeur).
"He's in very good form and takes his racing really well, but he's a top-of-the-ground specialist. He's in good form and has taken his race well, so he'll be considered for it anyway. If it was soft, I don't think he would run and I can be fairly certain if he did he wouldn't be seen at his best."
Bronze Angel has not raced since finishing third to Fast Or Free in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot in June. Tregoning gave the three-year-old a break as he had been on the go since January.
He added: "His big advantage is that he's coming into this race deliberately fresh. He's had a nice holiday in between time. He is certainly working very well and at the moment William Buick will ride him. The weights need to go up a little bit just to help us. He's in very good order and if the ground was on the easy side it wouldn't worry me for him."
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