Bookies take cover from canny Martin

Tony Martin has not yet decided who will ride the gambled-on Salute Him in Saturday's Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket.

The six-year-old has had just three outings this season and has not run since a strong-finishing third to Perfect Stride — when ridden by Richard Hughes — in the Listed Wolferton Handicap over 10 furlongs at Royal Ascot in June.

Salute Him was slashed from 16-1 to 11-1 second favourite by William Hill for the ultra-competitive nine-furlong handicap yesterday.

But County Meath trainer Martin, who won the race with She's Our Mare in 1999, says his gelding's fitness must be taken on trust.

"He seems in good form and I'm happy with him, but I would have been happier if we could have got to Newmarket with another run under his belt.

"The weather has been very bad in Ireland this summer and we've not had a chance to run him. The ground has been too soft and it would not suit him as much."

Martin's success with handicappers has seen the bookmakers take a cautious approach in the build-up to the race, in which the stable's Pires is also an intended runner.

William Hill's Kate Miller said: "Usually these gambles are inspired by tipping lines but this doesn't appear to be the case this time. The money has come from a wide spread of punters and from several that we respect."

Martin is not surprised by the support for Salute Him, who has 9st 5lb in the £160,000 contest.

He added: "We've yet to confirm a jockey, but I think the public are just looking for a form horse and are latching onto his last run — and if he improves from that, we'd be hopeful."

Meanwhile, Brian Meehan hopes Radiohead, beaten by Awzaan when favourite for the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury last time, can avenge that defeat in Friday's Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Meehan said: "The pace of the race didn't suit him at Newbury and hopefully he'll be seen in a better light this time. He's very well and we'll just have to see what happens."