Le Don De Vie team looking for big Cambridgeshire run with Australia on hold

A plan to win a major prize in Australia with Le Don De Vie, ante-post favourite in some lists for Saturday’s bet365 Cambridgeshire, has been put on hold for this year, and connections are hoping that pays dividends with victory in the £160,000 Newmarket cavalry charge.

A comfortable winner at Goodwood last month on just the seventh outing of his career, the three-year-old is owned by Aziz ‘Ozzie’ Kheir, whose game plan is to win Australia’s biggest prizes.

Kheir’s racing manager, Mathew Becker, said: “The decision we made when we bought Le Don De Vie this summer was to ship him down here [Australia] for the big spring carnivals, but after looking through his form and assessing him we think he's a horse for next year.

“Ozzie has got a strong connection with Hughie Morrison, who has done such a good job with Marmelo. He was keen to support him further and have more horses in the yard, so we left the horse there this season. He’s loving having horses in Europe.”

Le Don De Vie: winning well at Epsom earlier this seasonCredit: Mark (& Gerry) Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The market suggests Le Don De Vie has a solid chance of landing the Cambridgeshire, with the gelding as short as 7-1 in some lists, and Becker added: “Hughie’s really happy with Le Don De Vie. He was a bit unsure about the ground if there was a lot of rain, but he’s very positive about the horse running well.

“He’s won three of his four races this year and the form of his run when he was beaten at Goodwood is excellent, so we’re really excited.”

Connections of Jazeel, winner of last year’s Silver Cambridgeshire and generally a 14-1 chance for Saturday’s race, are also dreaming of landing the big pot.

Sold out of Mick Channon’s stable over the winter, Jazeel has continued to improve under Jedd O’Keeffe’s tutelage and, in addition to a Sandown success in July, has been placed at several of the big festivals this summer.

Jazeel (middle): a narrow winner at Sandown earlier this month beating Beringer (yellow) and Hyanna (orange cap)Credit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

O’Keeffe said: “We think he’s ideally suited by a mile and a furlong at Newmarket and he loves a big field. A really strong pace – which you’d expect to get in a Cambridgeshire – is what he wants. He’s done well this year and Jamie [Spencer] has formed a really good alliance with him.”

He added: “Most of Jazeel’s wins have been on good to firm, but I think his best run came at Goodwood when it may have been a bit slower than good. He’s in great form.”

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