Portage found one too good in Hint Of A Tint in last month’s Irish version but is rated a major player by bookmakers to go one better in Saturday’s Betfred English Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.
Just five horses trained in Ireland have landed the famous handicap in its 175-year history, the last of them being Tony Martin’s She’s Our Mare in 1999, when the race was run on the July course.
Prior to that it is 50 years since Tarqogan scored for Seamus McGrath up the renowned Rowley course.
But a trio of Irish hopes remain in contention for the nine furlong highlight, including the outsiders Dragon Fei and Brendan Brackan.
Michael Halford’s Portage however is as low as 12-1 second favourite in some ante-post lists and the Godolphin-owned three-year-old has already won in Britain this year, at Ascot in July, prior to finishing runner-up to Hint Of A Tint at the Curragh a month ago.
The last three-year-old to win the Cambridgeshire – Bronze Angel in 2012 – is on course to try and complete an unprecedented hat-trick in the race after also winning in 2014.
Bronze Angel is now rated on a mark of 108. Trainer Marcus Tregonning said: “He keeps on doing it. He’s come out of his last race very well and he will have more weight than last year, but if he goes there in his current form he’ll still run very well.”
Brendan Brackan shares a 108 mark with Bronze Angel and could be part of a busy Saturday at British racing’s HQ for Ger Lyons, who has targeted the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes for his Curragh Stakes winner Bear Cheek. Qatar Racing’s filly has been supplemented into the race.
The Cheveley Park is a rare Group 1 blank on Aidan O’Brien’s CV, but Ireland’s champion trainer has left in Alice Springs, third to stable companion Minding in the Moyglare Stud Stakes earlier this month.
O’Brien has left the Tyros winner Deauville in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes, but unlike the Cheveley Park, should he manage to overcome the hugely impressive Shalaa, Waterloo Bridge will provide O’Brien with a record-breaking fifth success in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.
Waterloo Bridge figures among 15 entries left in the six furlong Group 1 highlight. The field is dominated by John Gosden's Shalaa, winner of Deauville's Prix Morny, after which Frankie Dettori described him as the best two-year-old he has ridden in his illustrious career.
