With heavy rain coming down in the Newmarket area ahead of Saturday’s big meeting – we take a look at which Cambridgeshire Handicap horses will like soft or heavy ground – ahead of the first leg of the Autumn Double.
2024 Cambridgeshire Handicap Runners and Soft/Heavy Ground Records
See below the form for all 2024 Cambridgeshire Handicap runners when running on soft or heavy ground.
Of the maximum 35 entries only 15 horses have proven winning form on soft ground – while there are only four horses in the race that have won on heavy ground in the past – Norwalk Havoc, Toimy Son, Look Back Smiling and one of the reserves Poniros.
We’ve also added a small comment next to each horse as even though some runners are yet to win on soft or heavy. They might have run well in these conditions to suggest all hope is not lost regarding the ground.
RELATED: Key Cambridgeshire Handicap Trends To Help Find The Big Newmarket Winner
Horse
|
Soft (Won)
|
Heavy (Won)
|
Comments
|
Liberty Lane | ✅ | ❌ | 2 wins on soft ground, is yet to race on heavy |
Teumessias Fox | ❌ | ❌ | Just 1 run on soft (5th of 6th at Chester) |
Coeur d’Or | ✅ | ❌ | Won on yielding/soft at Galway – unplaced 3 times on soft/heavy |
Dual Identity | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft ground at Sandown this season – yet to race on heavy |
La Trinidad | ❌ | ❌ | All 7 career wins on good (or quicker) – 0-7 on soft or heavy ground |
This Songisforyou | ❌ | ❌ | All 3 career wins on good (or good/yielding) – 1 soft run (5th of 18) |
Norwalk Havoc | ✅ | ✅ | Won on soft ground at Gowran Park & heavy ground at Leopardstown |
Balmacara | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft ground at Doncaster this season – 3rd on heavy at Nmkt |
Penzance (NR) | ❌ |
❌ | Yet to even win on the turf – all 4 wins on the AW |
Silent Film | ❌ | ❌ | All 5 career wins on good or AW – 5th (of 10) on soft at Sandown |
Lion Of War | ❌ | ❌ | All 3 career wins on good-to-firm or AW – 4th on soft & 3rd on heavy |
Silver Sword | ❌ | ❌ | All 3 career win on good-to-firm – 0-from-4 on soft |
Toimy Son | ✅ | ✅ | Won on soft and heavy ground in France in 2021 |
Godwinson | ❌ | ❌ | Both wins been on good-to-soft – yet to race on soft or worse |
Ron O | ❌ | ❌ | Won on good-to-soft & 2nd on soft back in 2020 |
Theoryofeverything | ✅ | ❌ | All 3 career wins have been on soft ground – yet to race on heavy |
Bopedro | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft ground at the Curragh in 2019 – 2nd on heavy before |
Andaleep | ❌ | ❌ | 2 wins on good-to-soft – 0-3 on soft & nevery raced on heavy |
Watcha Matey | ❌ | ❌ | All 4 career wins on good or quicker – 3rd on heavy ground in 2023 |
James McHenry | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft ground at Ripon in 2023 – yet to race on heavy |
Mr King | ❌ | ❌ | Both career wins on good or quicker – 0-4 on soft/heavy |
Tolstoy | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft at Leicester in 2021 – last on heavy at Doncaster |
Bennetot | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft in France in 2022 – 11th (of 12) on heavy at Haydock |
Navagio | ✅ | ❌ | 2 wins on soft ground in 2023 – 0-2 on soft/heavy |
Empirestateofmind | ✅ | ❌ | Won on soft ground at Ripon in 2022 – 0-from-2 on heavy |
Roi De France | ❌ | ❌ | Only career win on good-to-firm – yet to race on soft or worse |
Majestic | ❌ | ❌ | Both career wins on good or quicker – has run well on soft/heavy |
Under Siege | ❌ | ❌ | Only career win on AW – 0-4 on turf – yet to race on soft or worse |
Dutch Decoy | ❌ | ❌ | Won on good-to-soft – 0-6 on soft or heavy |
Look Back Smiling | ✅ | ✅ | Won on soft and heavy at Leicester and Doncaster in 2023 |
Crack Shot | ❌ | ❌ | 3 career wins been on good or quicker – 0-2 on soft |
Great Acclaim | ❌ | ❌ | 4 career win on good or quicker – 4th (or 11) on heavy at Newbury in 2023 |
Paddy The Squire | ✅ | ❌ | Only career win came on soft at Ayr in 2023 – last of 12 on heavy in at Doncaster |
Mythical Guest | ❌ | ❌ | Both career wins on good-to-firm – 6th (of 8) on soft at Yarmouth in 2023 |
Waiting All Night | ❌ | ❌ | 3 career wins on AW & good ground – only ever raced on good-to-soft (0-5) |
Edt’s Guard | ❌ | ❌ | Only career win on good-to-firm – been 2nd twice on soft |
Poniros | ❌ | ✅ | Only career win came on heavy ground at Nottingham in 2023 |
When Is The Cambridgeshire Handicap 2024?
📅Date: Saturday 28th September 2024
⌚Time: 3:40pm
🏇Racecourse: Newmarket (1m 1f)
💰Winning Purse: £90,195.00
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV
What Is The Current Newmarket Racecourse Going and Ground?
Ahead of the horse racing action on Friday 27th September, the Newmarket going description is ‘HEAVY’ with the ‘Going Stick’ at 5.2.
There is more rain forecast on Friday through the afternoon, but the better news is that from around 5pm on Friday and for most of Saturday the weather looks dry in the Newmarket area.
However, there is every chance the damage to the ground would have already been done with the Thursday and Friday rain and the Newmarket going for Saturday is still expected to be ‘Heavy’ or ‘Soft’ at best.