Declan Rix

Published 09.06 - all selections online

Only six juveniles rock up for the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes (2.27 Newmarket), but it’s as good a two-year-old fillies’ race I can remember and LIBERTANGO looks the value play against the two market leaders of Senorita Bonita and Sun Goddess.

The selection has form with both fillies this season, having beaten Sun Goddess convincingly at Royal Ascot in the Albany Stakes despite a torrid run through before Senorita Bonita had her measure in the Duchess Of Cambridge, although that was a messy race that panned out nicer for the winner.

With both Moonrise and Snowing declared today, we are likely to have a strong-run contest where an ability to jump clean and travel will be needed. It may seem inconsequential in such a small field but the fact Libertango in drawn in stall two, while her chief rivals are on either wing, could play its part, as horses drawn widest-of-all can sometimes be slowly away. 

This is especially true of favourite Sun Goddess who has shown a tardiness away from the gates in parts this season. With her dropping from a Good to Soft ground Curragh 7f to a Good to Firm sharper 6f at Newmarket, she might be on the backfoot early and playing catch up in what has been a busy seven-run campaign. I am happy to take her on at the prices with the Ballydoyle team not firing on all cylinders, with a filly who has also had a good year.

After being beaten by Senorita Bonita at Newmarket, it was good to see Libertango bounce back in the Lowther at York 37 days ago. That performance is worth upgrading given her poor draw, average track position, extra ground covered switching to the farside of the course along with possibly being on the slowest part of the track late on near that far rail.

The George Boughey-trained filly needs to improve to get to Sun Goddess’s and Senorita Bonita’s level, but whether she should be such a big price against the two with their interlocking form is debatable. At the prices, I am happy to find out and hope the draw on either wing for her main rivals sees them slow away, allowing Billy Loughnane to steal an early march.

In the big race of the day, I’m hoping the draw doesn’t hinder the chance of HAND OF GOD in the bet365 Cambridgeshire (3.40 Newmarket).

The draw has played havoc for the stats and trends gurus in this race for the last two seasons. Having historically been hard for those drawn low to win, the last two runnings of the Cambridgeshire have gone to Karl Burke trainees from gates 6 and 4. Before this, the previous eight winners came from 35 – 26 – 21 – 25 – 29 – 21 – 29 and 28 so with the selection drawn in 24 today, I am hoping he is on the right side of the track.

The Harry Charlton-trained gelding is unlikely to be too far away from the early speed, but can hopefully get a lead from the likes of Urban Lion (22), Harmonics (18) and Thunder Run (16). Hand Of God will need things to drop right and/or get a good ride from Lewis Edmunds, but they at least appear to be drawn around quite a few fancied runners.

In terms of other stats and trends, the race has been dominated by three and four-year-olds over the last decade, winning seven runnings between them, but despite now being a five-year-old, I still maintain Hand Of God is fairly treated on the back of his four-run 2026 campaign.

The son of Churchill went missing last year, but the Charlton yard have got him back thriving this season and his rating of 106 looks workable, having had him running to 108 behind the progressive Raammee at York in the John Smith’s Cup back in July. That Roger Varian horse has won again subsequently so, despite being near top of the weights and ratings, Hand Of God looks capable of winning off this mark.

Don’t let the big weight/rating put you off either as this has been a race where class comes to the fore, with scorers this decade winning off marks of 109 – 105 – 107 – 103 – 107 and 104.

It also can’t hinder that Hand Of God broke his maiden here on the Rowley Mile as a younger horse, while after just 12 starts, there could be more to come.