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The Cheveley Park Stakes, the fillies’ equivalent so often claimed by trainer Aidan O’Brien, this time went to Porta Fortuna, trained by his son Donnacha. Donnacha has no doubts about Porta Fortuna’s staying potential and will run her next in the Breeders’ Cup juvenile fillies mile at Santa Anita but she is a filly who needs good ground to show her best. Said winning jockey Oisin Murphy: ‘Years ago, Donnacha and myself were training to be jockeys at Ballydoyle together so it’s good to come full circle.’ I was more impressed, though, by the run of Jeff Smith’s Ghostwriter in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes over seven furlongs. Already a winner at Newmarket’s July course and at Ascot, the handsome Invincible Spirit colt ran on well in the hands of Richard Kingscote. Trainer Clive Cox, as he is the first to admit, has been known largely for his success with sprinters and has never yet had a runner in the Derby. Now that could change. Said Clive: ‘This fellow is improving with every run. His dam won over a mile and a half and it’s possible he will get that trip too. This cements what we thought and the dream is alive for next year.’
The most rewarding victory for me, though, came with the result in the 34-horse cavalry charge that is the Cambridgeshire itself. Early in June, after a visit to the Lambourn yard of Daniel and Claire Kubler, I urged Spectator readers to watch out for their classy handicapper Astro King who had been unluckily denied victory in a York handicap in May when their favourite jockey Richard Kingscote ran into all sorts of traffic problems. Since then, Astro King had run second in the John Smith’s Cup at 50-1 and won the Sky Bet Finale Handicap, both at York. He had a tall order in the Cambridgeshire as the top weight carrying 9st 12lb but I was sure he had the class to make the frame and had backed him ante post at 16-1. Finding him at 20-1 on the day, as the hot favourite Greek Order shortened to 9-2, I kept the faith and doubled my bet. Given a beautiful ride by Kingscote, Astro King led inside the final furlong and held off a spirited challenge from Greek Order to become the first top-weight victor this century, giving his advancing yard their highest-profile success yet. Said a delighted Daniel: ‘There’s only one Cambridgeshire. We could have run him in a Listed race but they are worth £50,000 while this is £100,000 to the winner.’
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