Cambridgeshire Meeting eye-catchers: Five to follow

The William Haggas-trained colt was sent off 3-1 favourite for an open renewal of this seven-furlong contest after making all at York two and a half weeks previously.

Though he could only manage third, this was still an improved effort in form terms, and he was unlucky not to win. Ridden more patiently on this occasion, Ryan Moore had to wait for room two furlongs out and the two horses to finish ahead of him ultimately got first run.

His time of 14.88 seconds for the first furlong was the slowest of the eight runners, but he then recorded the fastest second furlong and second-fastest third furlong. He is bred to stay further than this and I am confident he will prove the best of these in due course. A strong physical, he will be of interest over a mile next year.

Emma Lavelle’s four-year-old outran his odds of 12-1 to finish a fairly close up fifth in the Class 4 mile and a half handicap on Thursday, but was unlucky not to finish closer.

The grey was a model of consistency through the late spring and summer, winning once and racking up three successive runner-up efforts. This saw his mark rise steadily by 8lb, and though he was well beaten at Doncaster two weeks ago, showed that his current mark is still a workable one on this return to better ground at Headquarters.

Held-up in rear, the son of Mastercraftsman found little daylight running past the bushes whilst other runners got a clear sight to make their challenge. David Probert reported after the race that he was denied a clear run for an extended period.

He has had a busy enough campaign but shaped well enough to suggest he is worth keeping on your radar this autumn as long as the ground does not get too testing.

Another grey who met traffic problems on the opening day of the meeting, Middleham Park’s evergreen six-year-old does not have the most encouraging strike rate, with five wins from 44 starts to his name, but he was back down to his last winning mark for the concluding mile handicap and finished fourth after getting short of room and having to wait to make a serious challenge.

He raced with plenty of enthusiasm and looked to be travelling well before he was briefly hampered, and he looks one to keep an eye on off this current mark of 72. He was only narrowly beaten and was placed on several occasions off 14lb higher last year.

This son of Space Blues produced an eye-catching debut after attracting significant market support in the seven-furlong colts and geldings maiden on Friday.

As big as 20-1 in the morning and 7-1 in the ring, he was sent off at odds of 7-2, and only found the Ed Walker-trained Sole Ambition half a length too strong.

That colt already had the benefit of racecourse experience and was making his third start, so was understandably more streetwise over the undulations on the Rowley Mile.

The Hugo Palmer-trained runner-up looked a touch unbalanced, but overall was thoroughly professional, and this breeze-up purchase looks well up to landing a similar contest next time before going on to bigger and better things.

Much of the pre-race attention for this ultra-competitive heritage handicap understandably surrounded John and Thady Gosden’s Gavriel. The three-year-old son of Frankel was making just his fifth start and looked a potential group horse in a handicap off a mark of 99, and though that could well be the case after an excellent fourth, his stablemate half a length behind may be overlooked going forward.

The horse in question is fellow three-year-old Harmonics, who fared best of those to race prominently and was only beaten one-length by winner Pierre Royal.

The Ace Stud-owned Lucky Vega colt was making just his seventh start and has been steadily progressive all season. Third in a Group Three last time in a first-time hood, that headgear was retained here and he kept on really well for pressure in the closing stages. He remains unexposed and has shown a liking for big fields and fast ground. There is a big pot to be won with him soon.