Iceman´s return?

In the Cambridgeshire Meeting´s other big two-year-old highlight, the £180,000 Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes on Friday 1st October, 46 colts have stood their ground after the forfeit including Mark Johnston´s unbeaten Shamardal, who is probably more likely to wait for the Darley Dewhurst Stakes on Champions´ Day 15 days later, and John Gosden´s Coventry Stakes (G.2) winner, Iceman.

Iceman has not raced since that Coventry victory at Royal Ascot in June, but looked very good that day and could seek to follow in the footsteps of the brilliant Oasis Dream, whom Gosden saddled to break the two-year-old course record in the Shadwell Stud Middle Park two years ago.

Peter Chapple-Hyam has left in both his unbeaten Richmond Stakes (G.2) winner, Montgomery´s Arch, and his TNT July Stakes (G.2) winner, Captain Hurricane, while Clive Brittain´s Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes (G.2) winner, Tony James, has also stood his ground. Sylvester Kirk´s Don Pele, who won a Listed Race at Newbury last time, is another that is clearly on the upgrade.

Aidan O´Brien has his usual powerful representation. Of the 14 horses that he has left in, Oratorio looks the pick. He has won 3 out of his 5 races so far, including an easy victory in the Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes (G.2) at The Curragh last time following on from a good second to Damson in the Phoenix Stakes. Ad Valorum, who easily won a Curragh maiden on his debut last weekend, and the very consistent Russian Blue also take the eye.

Michael Jarvis´s highly regarded Subpoena, an easy winner of a York maiden last week, has stood his ground, as has Brian Meehan´s Zohar, who won a Haydock maiden, and one of Henry Cecil´s most promising juveniles, Camacho, who won a Newmaket maiden on his only start.

'At this stage the Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes looks like being wide open, with a plethora of high class two-year-o ld colts remaining engaged,' commented Lisa Hancock. 'It will be a worthy highlight on the second day of the Cambridgeshire Meeting.'