Six horses to follow at the Cambridgeshire Meeting

Race: Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Nursery Handicap. Odds: 9-4. 

Charlie Appleby has been represented six times in this race since 2013 and has won every time. For good measure, he ran two in the 2022 edition, and they duly finished one-two. It’s clearly a race he has a soft spot for, so you oppose MONICEROS at your peril. 

He fits the profile of most of Appleby’s previous winners, being a handicap debutant moving up in trip. It’s a 0-85 contest these days but the trainer is taking advantage of the rule where you can run a horse rated 1lb or 2lb higher that the band rating. So it’s a 0-87. Confused? Aren’t we all. 

Anyway, Moniceros can take part, having justified short odds on his debut over 7f at Newmarket in August (on the July Course) before finishing a keeping-on third under his penalty over the same trip at Leicester. 

He was making hard work of it from some way out in the latter race but might have resented ground that Timeform assessed as “firm”. Eddie Fremantle had said on Racing TV beforehand that Moniceros was the owner of a scratchy action. In any case, the Clive Cox-trained winner looked a decent prospect. 

Underfoot conditions should be a little easier this time and moving up to a mile seems certain to start. It’s difficult to be certain whether a mark of 87 underplays him but his pedigree hints that it may well do, given his six siblings include smart acts such as Al Suhail and Telecaster. 

Race: Tattersalls Stakes. Odds: 5-4. 

Distant Storm was purchased by Godolphin for €1.9 million and put into training with Charlie Appleby after impressing at the Arqana May Breeze-up. Sheikh Mohammed’s operation could have had him a few months earlier for 90,000gns at the Book 1 Sale at Tattersalls had they been paying attention, although France clearly offered bigger clues as to his pace and power. 

The Night Of Thunder colt recouped about £13,000 when winning in tenacious style on his debut at the July Meeting. We didn’t know the calibre of horse involved beforehand, but we do now, as it has been franked time and time again. 

Constitution River, the runner-up, has since won a Group Two winner, while the third, fifth (also runner-up in the Champagne Stakes), sixth and seventh have also all won, while Brian Meehan’s Ocean’s Four, who finished ninth, landed a Group Three in France at the weekend. Even the tenth home, Sword Maker, is now rated 90. 

Unfortunately, Distant Storm must have thought he was back at the Breeze-Ups when favourite for the Acomb last time as he was headstrong and had run himself into the ground long before the finish. In the circumstances, he did well to be third. 

He's going to have race much more efficiently to fulfil his potential, but the youngster deserves another chance. Expect William Buick to try and miss a beat at the start and get him covered up, which did not happen at York. 

Race: 1.50 Princess Royal Stakes. Odds: 20-1. 

Two more Godolphin horses head the market but, at much bigger odds, it may pay to take a chance on LITTLE DORRIT. She heads into this Group Three contest still yet to have won on turf and having finished no better than fourth in a handicap at York last time. Perhaps it is no surprise she is dismissed as a 20-1 chance. 

However, dig a little deeper and it’s not hard to make a case for the Roger Varian-trained filly, who was unraced at two and only made her debut on May 9. 

In among her defeats, she impressed when losing her maiden tag at Kempton in July and her past two efforts, including in that handicap at Doncaster last time, indicate she’s got a bigger performance in her. 

It was a seriously competitive affair, hardly surprising given there was good money on offer, and she finished best of all to be beaten inches. The winner won by a short-head from two dead-heaters, with Little Dorrit another short head back. 

She came home strongest of all and would have won another day. What is not in question is that she was the best horse in the race, given that she was conceding between 5lb and 9lb to the trio marginally ahead of her. 

The well-bred winner had previously won at York’s Ebor Meeting, while one of the runners-up was seeking a fourth successive win and the other had also won on her previous start. 

Little Dorrit is up to a mark of 96 and needs a bit more in this higher grade, but the daughter of Camelot stays well and is capable of better yet, whereas several of her rivals seemed to have hit their ceilings. Her profile is not dissimilar to Apphia, who took this prize at chunky odds in 2017 when rated 98 and having been fourth in a handicap on her previous start.  

Race: 3.00 BoyleSports Daily Racing Rewards Joel Stakes. Odds: 8-11. 

Charlie Appleby has gone softly, softly with OPERA BALLO this year, having one eye on 2026 for him throughout the summer. Maybe he would have been more attacking but for his antics in the Craven, when he pulled much too hard and trailed home sixth behind Field Of Gold. 

That has been Opera Ballo’s only blip in five starts, even though he has still not looked the finished article. 

He was again keen when making the most of the 5lb that Bay City Roller had to concede in the Heron Stakes at Sandown next time, and it was the same story when he brushed aside the opposition in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes on the July Course last time. He came home well with his RaceiQ Time Index being 8.4 out of 10, when the meeting average was 6.2. 

Given Opera Ballo still does plenty wrong, it’s very much to his credit that he’s achieved what he has, hitting a lofty mark of 116, with is form having been bolstered. 

Appleby never hesitates to geld horses if they do not have stallion potential, but he clearly hopes/believes this colt can go to the top over a mile, or somewhere near it. 

This Group Two prize looks his to lose, for all that Zeus Olympios is unbeaten in three starts and officially rated only 3lb inferior. I’d imagine Victory Dance, his stablemate, who has been gelded since we last saw him in action, will tee things up for him. 

Incidentally, Opera Ballo is a best-priced 16-1 for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which would be tempting if you could guarantee fast ground. However, that must be odds against and keep in mind Opera Ballo missed the Celebration Mile last month owing to soft going.

Race: Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes. Odds: 7-4. 

Aidan O’Brien has seven entries to juggle but whether any of them will be able to cope with BOW ECHO is open to question. 

The George Boughey-trained youngster has created a deep impression in winning both his starts under Billy Loughnane, with the best yet to come. 

His closing sectionals when winning a steadily-run race on his debut at Newbury marked him out as potentially something out of the ordinary. He quickened smartly after a slowish start to come home by 4½ lengths clear. 

Bow Echo also missed a beat at the start in Listed company at Haydock last time, but he again travelled well and he found two burst of speed in the closing stages – initially to hit the front and then repel Publish after that rival had looked certain to overhaul him. 

It's likely the Night Of Thunder did not learn much on his debut, but he certainy did last time. His overall winning times have been nothing special but he clearly has plenty of gears, with fast ground being no problem. 

Race: Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes. Odds: 5-2. 

This year’s Middle Park looks to revolve around GSTAAD and Wise Approach, who will be meeting for the second time. The former finished in front in their first encounter yet is the bigger price, which is had to fathom. 

That first meeting came in a pulsating Prix Morny at Deauville last month, where they finished second and third in a tight finish behind Venetian Sun. 

Gstaad came off the bridle before Wise Approach but kept on the better to finish half a length in front. He was having his first race for 68 days, having won the Coventry in decisive style, and perhaps was not at his peak, having missed an intended race 15 days earlier when off his feed. 

Moreover, he was exposed to a strong pace in a fiercely run renewal, whereas Wise Approach was ridden with more patience, for all he challenged a little wide. Having flicked through the history books, I can find only one faster edition. 

There seems a sudden assumption that Wise Approach is the faster horse after Gstaad’s subsequent second near-miss over 7f in the National Stakes, when he was touched off by the unbeaten Zavateri. 

But dropping back to 6f seems unlikely to inconvenience Gstaad and that last effort was a personal best, with the handicapper nudging up his rating from 115 to 117. 

It’s not difficult to envisage a scenario where Gstaad is leading a furlong out with Wise Approach looming behind. Will Wise Approach be able to muscle his way past and stay there? It proved beyond him in France, and a repeat may be on the cards.