26 January 2010 Preview: Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace - Horseheath
by James Crispe
SWEDEN: progressive youngster may appear in one of the Opens
photo: David Dew
Horseheath opens its doors for the first time this season on January 30th to stage the Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace fixture.
A total of 120 entries have been received for this seven-race meeting, which starts at noon with 12 possible runners in a Club Members race and runs through until 3.25pm when ten are engaged in the older horse Maiden.
This is the meeting at which the brilliant subsequent Cheltenham winner, Cappa Bleu, made his British debut 12 months ago when he sauntered home in the Mens Open. This race is unlikely to be of quite the same standard this time around, though Cappa Bleu's owner and trainer are represented among its entries by the promising youngster, Sweden.
He has 21 potential rivals including the three-time Bangor hunter chase winner, Border Fusion, the 2003 Northumberland Plate hero, Unleash, and the horse that won this race in 2008, The Hookie Bookie.
Locally-trained East Anglian runners are set to be heavily outnumbered here, although the admirable Where's My Baby - who is already a three-time scorer over this stamina-searching course and has yet to finish out of the first two in his entire Pointing career - looks likely to represent the powerful David Kemp yard with stablemate Rydal Park travelling up to North Carlton the following day.
The Ladies Open has 13 engaged and the stand-out performer here is Mad Victor, who is lightly raced but has already scored twice in this grade. Petit Lord, who has the benefit of two starts already this season, may give him most to do while Mid Div And Creep should put up a staunch defence for the locals as he is a four-time course winner.
The Dodson & Horrell PPORA Club Race for Novice Riders has a 20-strong entry and may herald the return from long absences of two classy geldings in Court Adjourn and Dante Citizen.
Horseheath is four miles west of Haverhill (post code CB21 4QF) with easy access straight off the A1307. Admission will be charged at £10 per head with under 17s free.
