Connections of Gavriel remain grounded for Cambridgeshire

If the market is to be believed Gavriel just has to go down to the start, turn around and coast back to land the bet365 Cambridgeshire such was the weight of money which gathered force behind the lightly-raced favourite this week.

But connections behind the four-year-old Frankel colt have been around the block enough times to caution anyone inclined not to get carried away, insisting as the eve of the race approached that £200,000 races like this are rarely so straightforward.

John Gosden, who now trains in partnership with his son Thady, has won the race five times including teaming up with Gavriel’s owner George Strawbridge in 2018 through Wissahickon. Like the favourite, the last winner for the yard, Lord North, had just four runs under his belt.

While Gavriel is quite possibly the proverbial Group horse in a handicap, Tom Goff, who looks after the European bloodstock interests of Strawbridge, knows they are not the only ones harbouring similar hopes.

“He is relatively lightly-raced but won very well at Ascot and (jockey) Robert Havlin was delighted with him. He showed a real gear there that day, but this is an incredibly tough contest. You couldn’t go into a race like this being described as confident,” said Goff.

“We obviously hope he is going to run a big race, but these races are incredibly hard to win. He is in good form, is a beautiful horse by Frankel with a fantastic pedigree who has done very little wrong, but this is a stern test of a relatively young horse.”

Allocated stall 28, Gavriel has a nice profile, winning his second race as a two-year-old, reappearing late with a second on the all-weather in August before winning an Ascot handicap with plenty in hand.

Yet inexperience could be his Achilles’ heel in a race which has gone to a three-year-old only four times in the last 18 years and is chock-full of hardened handicappers who will relish a choke-out nine furlongs and stiff finish up the straight Rowley Mile.

Jack Channon’s Crest Of Fire has been at plenty of big dances this season, winning at Goodwood when producing a telling turn of foot close home after a desperate passage and has an excuse for a poor showing at Windsor.

“He had a nasty corn in his foot and Tom (Marquand) said as soon as he jumped out of the stalls he knew he wasn’t quite right,” said Channon, whose father Mick won this race with Majestic in 2022. “His breathing wasn’t right and he didn’t get in a rhythm at all.

“We got him home and he was lame in front and we got the shoe off and found the corn. We got that sorted out and he is back moving a dream and his work has been brilliant. He is a well-handicapped horse and it is all systems go.”

Brian Meehan’s Bourbon Blues landed a valuable handicap over 10 furlongs at the St Leger meeting and renews his partnership with Ryan Moore under a 4lb penalty, one of five horses running under a penalty, including Gavriel.

“I think he would be the perfect sort for this race,” said the trainer. “We pinpointed the race for him a while back. Doncaster was an attractive prize and it was good timing. He won really well and I think the stiff mile-one at Newmarket will be perfect for him.”

Harmonics provides the Gosdens with a viable second-string under Shane Foley following two wins earlier in the season and a decent third to Maho Bay in the Group Three Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor.

“We wanted to roll the dice and he’s got a good chance there in quite an open race,” said Paul Curran, racing manager to owners Ace Stud. “He was third at Windsor two weeks ago and we wanted to use that as nice stepping stone to the Cambridgeshire and he’ll go there with a good chance. We hold him in high regard.”

Harry Charlton’s Hand Of God, second to Raamee in the John Smith’s Cup in July and less than six lengths behind Wimbledon Hawkeye in a Group Three at Deauville as a warm-up for this, will have his supporters near the front of the market.

Eight-year-old Erzindjan showed his liking for the trip and track with a win off a 1lb lower mark in May backing up his fourth in the race last year when he looked to be on the wrong side of the draw.

Trainer TJ Kent said: “He seems in great form. The race didn’t quite go according to plan last year in that the only thing that beat him was he was drawn on the wrong side. But we are going in there very confident of a good run,” said Kent.

Karl Burke, meanwhile, will aim for a remarkable treble with top-weight Thunder Run, having saddled Liberty Lane and Boiling Point to win in 2024 and 2025 respectively.