The Cambridgeshire Handicap runners 2024, ahead of Saturday’s big race at Newmarket, are starting to take shape, with the final runners declared on Thursday.

All the interest in the build-up to the race has surrounded the Irish raider This Songisforyou, from the Grand National-winning yard of Emmet Mullins – he’ll be looking to become just the third winning favourite since 2008.

Cambridgeshire Handicap Runners 2024: A Maximum 35 Horses Will Run In Newmarket’s Big Race

This Saturday’s Cambridgeshire Handicap is the first leg of the Autumn double, with the Cesarewitch on October the 12th the second part of the series.

The Cambridgeshire Handicap, which was first run in 1839, is capped at 35 runners but still makes it one of the most contested handicaps on the UK horse racing calendar.

In 2024 there will be a pot of £90k on offer for the winner, while trainer John Gosden is the most successful trainer in the history of the race with five wins – he’ll have Roi De France running in 2024 in a big for his sixth Cambridgeshire success.

Being a well-contested handicap there are also many Cambridgeshire Handicap trends and stats to take into the race. These will help whittle down the big field and highlight horses that fit profiles of past winners of the race.

Just like the last horse aged 7+ to win the Cambridgeshire being Rambo’s Hall in 1992, while the Irish last took the prize in 1999.

Who Are The Main Cambridgeshire Handicap Runners To Look For?

You can see the full Cambridgeshire Handicap runners below, but we take a look at five of the main players in the market ahead of Saturday’s big handicap race.

This Songisforyou

This midweek the best horse racing betting sites in the UK have been running for cover over this horse, with punters latching onto the 6 year-old in the market and is likely to be sent off the Cambridgeshire Handicap favourite come Saturday.

Was last seen winning at the Curragh on 15th September in a race connection thought he might need. He’s up just 4lbs for that win and is housed at the shrewd Emmet Mullins yard, who are no strangers to raiding the UK for top prizes – they won the 2023 Cesarewitch with The Shunter and the 2022 Grand National with Noble Yeats.

Top Irish champion jockey Colin Keane, who is also over in the UK to ride Babouche in Saturday’s Cheveley Park, continues his partnership with this horse.

The Irish last won the Cambridgeshire Handicap in 1999, with the Tony Martin-trained She’s Our Mare, who was ridden by the recently retired Franny Norton.

Roi De France

No trainer has won the Cambridgeshire Handicap more times that John Gosden – with the top Newmarket handler winning the prize five times.

He’s back for more in 2024 with his main runner being Roi De France, who is an unexposed 3 year-old that has only seen the racetrack four times.

This Sea The Stars colt has won one of those outings, which came at Windsor in July and was last seen running a fair second on handicap debut at Yarmouth just a few weeks go.

He looks the sort to have more to come and you feel with the yard knowing the time of day in this race, this would have been a target for some time – backed up with leading jockey Oisin Murphy, who won on him at Windsor back in the plate.

Balmacara

Consisent front-runner that is sure to make a bold bid at the head of the pace.

Has run just six times but has won two of those and is also yet to finish out of the first three in his races.

Up another 2lbs though from his last run, which was a neck second at Sandown at the end of August, so will need to improve a tad more here.

Represents the Eve Johnson Houghton camp, who are looking for their first Cambridgeshire Handicap win.

Godwinson

Slightly surprisingly trainer William Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand are yet to score in the Cambridgeshire Handicap, but many feel they have a top chance of putting that right with this son of 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior.

Has raced seven times – winning two of those – and the second of those successes came last time out at Goodwood when scrambling home by a shorthead.

Is up 4lbs for that win, which looks fair, and with that last run also coming off a 72-day lay-off you can make a case for their being more improvement to come.

Liberty Lane

The Karl Burke yard had a remarkable 1-2-3 in the Ayr Gold Cup last week, which is unlikely to be matched in many a year.

The stable will be trying for more big race Saturday success here with Liberty Lane, who has won three of his 12 career starts.

Down the field in the John Smith’s Cup at York in July but bounced back from that with a close silver at Doncaster a few weeks ago and a repeat of that run would make him a big player.

The negatives are that he’s got a lot of weight to carry, being the top-rated in the field (9-12) and even though last year’s winner won with this burden 9 of the last 10 winners had 9st 5lbs or less.

When Are The Final Cambridgeshire Handicap Runners Announced

The confirmed 2024 Cambridgeshire Handicap runners will be declared on Thursday 26th September at around 11am.

UK horse racing rules state that all races will have their final runners 48 hours before the day of the race – meaning punters will know the final Cambridgeshire Handicap runners two days in advance.

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

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