The Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket always used to be one of my favourite races of the season. Back in the 1980’s it was not too difficult to find the winner with the likes of Popsi’s Joy, Halsbury, Mountain Lodge, Kayudee, Nomadic Way and Double Dutch all well fancied.
The same cannot be said of the most recent winners. First we had jump trainers monopolising the race such as Messrs Pipe, Hobbs and Henderson. That last four winners needed Mystic Meg with Aaim To Prosper winning twice (16-1 and 66-1) along with Never Can Tell (25-1) and Scatter Dice (66-1). Could we be in for a third successive “double carpet” winner this year?
Not according to the bookmakers who are running scared from Irish raider Quick Jack. The high-class hurdler won at Galway in July when hooded for the first time. It was not exactly the kind of race where you can rely on the form too much but the third horse was only just beaten at Ascot recently. By my calculations the horse has been raised 9lbs but there seems to be plenty of confidence behind him. If you have managed to get on at a double-figure price you should be well pleased but he is less tempting at around 6-1.
Big Easy and Ray Ward are next in the betting. The former was a staying on second in the trial race here last month but finished only 21st a year ago and has not won since scoring over three miles at Cheltenham in April last year. Ray Ward was behind Big Easy last time and was beaten by Teak at Goodwood in July. You have to go back just as far for his last victory. Teak followed up by winning over an extended three miles at Plumpton!
Maid In Rio bolted up at Ascot in July off a mark of 93 but is now 10lbs higher and has looked laboured in her last three races. Earth Amber was quietly fancied here a year ago and only beat one horse home. Her form varies from second in a Group 3 on the flat to second in a maiden hurdle at Fakenham!
I’ve been very impressed with Cam Hardie this season and he teams up with the progressive Rhombus for Ismael Mohammed. He carries only a 4lb penalty for his win at Newbury, a race in which he gave his rivals a good six lengths start. Waterclock was second here last year and is lower in the weights, unfortunately so low that he may not even get into the final line-up.
Big weights are not necessarily a bar to success in this race so Suegioo should not be discarded with 9st 8lb. Marco Botti’s gelding stayed on well at Doncaster last month behind Stomachion and should give Martin Harley a good ride.
Rhombus @25-1 Coral
Suegioo @18-1 Paddy Power
Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4,5 non-runner – no bet
