YOU’RE allowed to start with a fairly long shortlist in the Cambridgeshire, and you whittle it down.

This Songisforyou is on that (long) shortlist for sure. Emmet Mullins’ horse ran well to finish third in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile at the Galway Festival, and he stepped forward from that last time when he stepped up in trip to 10 furlongs and won the Northfields Handicap at the Curragh.

He has to carry a 4lb penalty, but the handicapper has raised him by 6lb, which itself was not overly harsh. He has the potential to go beyond his new mark of 100. But he is short, he has been the story of the market of the week.

There wasn’t much between This Songisforyou and Norwalk Havoc in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile at Galway, so he has to be on your shortlist too, and he has a good high draw.

Norwalk Havoc actually finished a length and a half in front of This Songisforyou at Galway, and he meets him on 2lb better terms, and he is twice his price.

Also, Norwalk Havoc raced from stall 16 at Galway, he was the only one of the first seven home who was drawn higher than 10.

He has raced just seven times in his life, has the potential to improve again, and he has form on testing ground.

He won his maiden on heavy ground at Leopardstown in April, and he followed up on soft ground at Gowran Park. Jessica Harrington’s horse has to be high on your shortlist too.

To be considered

Mythical Guest and Look Back Smiling could both outrun big odds, and the two Iain Jardine horses also have to be considered. Winner of an apprentices’ handicap at Naas over a mile on good ground on his final run for Ger Lyons, Mr King has run three times for his new trainer, and last Saturday he put up his best performance since he left Ireland when finishing third behind Aragon Castle in a hot handicap at Ayr.

He was well back in the field early on that day, and did well to keep on as well as he did. A winner over 10 furlongs, he left the impression that he would appreciate a greater test of stamina, a faster pace over a mile or a slight step up in trip. Today’s test could suit him well. That said, his stable companion Paddy The Squire could be the value of the race. The Golden Horn colt proved his liking for testing conditions when he won a 10-furlong handicap at Ayr last July on soft ground.

On his seasonal return, he stayed on well on the far side in a nine-furlong handicap at Hamilton to get to within a short head of Theoryofeverything, whom he meets on 5lb better terms today. That was also his first run back after a wind operation.

He put up another good performance last time at Chester, again on soft ground, to finish third in a decent 10-and-a-half-furlong handicap, and he can be marked up at least a little on the bare form of the run. He was well back in the field and he was wider than ideal, so he did well to stay on to take third place.

The fact that he stays 10 furlongs is an asset to bring into the Cambridgeshire. He goes well on soft ground, he should get the fast pace that suits him, and he has a nice draw in stall 21. The near side seemed to be favoured yesterday and on Thursday at Newmarket, and the last eight winners of the Cambridgeshire were drawn 21 or higher. Coincidentally, two of them were drawn in stall 21.

Iain Jardine’s horse has run just eight times, so he still has the potential to go beyond his rating of 87 off which he races today. He could outrun decent odds.

Haydock handicap

Earls could also outrun his odds in the one-mile handicap that opens proceedings at Haydock.

Gavin Cromwell’s horse has had plenty of racing, but he proved at Galway that he retains lots of ability. He didn’t have a lot of luck in-running in the Colm Quinn Mile, and it was a similar story in the Ahonoora Handicap over seven furlongs on the Sunday, when he didn’t have a lot of racing room on the run around the home turn and, once into the clear in the home straight, he stayed on well up the hill.

He is 2lb lower now than he was then, he is down to a mark of 89, only 2lb higher than the mark off which he won a seven-furlong handicap on soft ground at Haydock in April. He proved that day that he could operate at the track and, crucially, on soft ground.

A winner over five and six furlongs, his form suggests that he is better over seven furlongs than he is over a mile, but he stayed on well to finish fifth in the Irish Lincoln in March.

He finished off his race well again in a heavy-ground one-mile handicap at the Curragh in April to get to within a nose of subsequent Duke of Edinburgh winner Crystal Black. Luke Morris can take his time on him today, and it may be that he will be able to finish off his race again better than most.

Recommended:

Earls, 1.30 Haydock, 6/1 (generally), 1 point win

Paddy The Squire, 3.40 Newmarket, 28/1 (generally), 1 point each-way