The definition of good luck in Russia is state security knocking at your front door and demanding ‘Ivan Denisovich?’ when you are able to reply ‘Ivan Denisovich lives two doors down.’ Sometimes you just have to be thankful it is someone else’s bad day. Steaming around the M25 on Saturday towards Newmarket’s Juddmonte-sponsored Cambridgeshire Handicap day, I suddenly noticed there was no traffic on the other side of the motorway. Soon I realised why: a huge overturned truck was blocking all three lanes. As I passed mile after mile of frustrated motorists, some leaning on their car bonnets for a smoke, I realised that if it had been on my side I would have been lucky to get to headquarters for the last race. Instead I knew my luck was in, and I would make it to one of my favourite fixtures with its three Group races for two-year-olds that start to reveal the potential champions of 2024.

The father and son partnership of Simon and Ed Crisford have been building quality for some time. Their Havana Grey colt Vandeek was unbeaten in three races and though some, including the maestro Aidan O’Brien, were ready to make excuses for O’Brien’s opposing River Tiber, who finished behind him in the Prix Morny in France, I was convinced that he would stay that way in the Group One Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes. He did so in breathtaking style, taking the lead a furlong out in the six-furlong contest with a real injection of pace which induced his jockey James Doyle to call him ‘a pure ball of speed’. Said James: ‘He’s an electric horse and he coped with the quicker ground well, which opens all sorts of options.’ For his jockey he is a sprinter in the making rather than a 2000 Guineas horse, but he doesn’t look like your typical chunky speedster. As Simon Crisford pointed out, Vandeek is a tall, leggy colt who stands over a lot of ground and there is one other factor that might help him stay further: his temperament. Vandeek is not only on form the best two-year-old we’ve seen anywhere this year, he is also the most relaxed. Said his co-trainer: ‘He was flat-out asleep today until noon. We couldn’t get him up to go to the races. His mind is so good and makes our job easy.’ The key to stable thinking will be whether they bring him back to try seven furlongs in the Dewhurst.

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.’