The Dewhurst may be the highlight of Saturday’s card at Newmarket, but a 2m2f cavalry charge across the Rowley Mile follows 40 minutes later. 29 runners go to post for the £175,000 Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at 3.40pm, the second leg of the Autumn Double after last month’s Cambridgeshire.

As ever, the race has storylines in abundance, including last year’s winner Beylerbeyi bidding to make history. There have also been bold words from Brian Ellison about his contender, while there is plenty of Irish interest as has become traditional in the past decade. Punters should enjoy trying to work out this age-old racing puzzle.

Beylerbeyi bids to make history

No horse has won back-to-back renewals of the Cesarewitch, and only Aaim To Prosper, successful in 2010 and 2012, has won it more than once. Ian Williams’ Beylerbeyi can join that exclusive club. The six-year-old won this race 12 months ago off 8st 11lb, a length clear of Dawn Rising, and he returns with a full stone more on his back at 9st 11lb.

Those extra pounds look well deserved, as Beylerbeyi has been running consistently well in big handicaps all season, including when fifth of 22 at York’s Ebor meeting in August. He produced a career-best effort in the Group 2 Doncaster Cup last time, beaten a length and a quarter by Caballo De Mar, who has since won the Group 1 Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend.

Williams is well aware that the gelding’s temperament is the main hurdle. “Unfortunately he can be his own worst enemy if he doesn’t settle early in the race,” he said. “The form worked out really well, it’s good to see it wasn’t just a one-off performance. It will be tough, but he’ll give it his best shot.” Billy Loughnane rides from stall 22, which is significant in that only 19 runners contested the race last season.

Sea Lantern carries Ellison’s confidence

Trainers rarely make predictions as bold as the one Brian Ellison made earlier this week about Sea Lantern. “He’ll win,” the Malton handler said to the Racing Post. “I have to be confident, I just think he’ll win. He’s a good horse.”

The four-year-old cost 75,000gns at the Horses in Training Sale last autumn after winning a maiden at Roscommon for Jack Davison. Saturday is only the fifth start of his career. He was third on his debut for Ellison at Pontefract in April, behind subsequent Listed winner Infraad, and then returned from a near five-month break to win his handicap debut at the same track in September.

Sea Lantern has since been raised 8lb, so he is effectively 4lb well in under his penalty. However, he steps up six furlongs in trip, and Ellison had wanted some rain. “He just needs nice, safe ground,” he said. “And the way he runs, he’ll stay the trip because he’s lazy.” The going on the Rowley Mile is now good, having been good to firm earlier in the week. Rowan Scott rides, while Ellison also saddles the veteran Tashkhan, who finished third under topweight three years ago.

Cesarewitch 2026 racecard

The Irish are out in force

Irish-trained runners have a fine record in this race, as our Cesarewitch trends show, and there are six of them this time. The most familiar is Joseph O’Brien’s Dawn Rising, who was beaten just a length by Beylerbeyi 12 months ago. The nine-year-old’s form figures this year make for grim reading, with no finish better than seventh in six starts. Even so, he races off the same mark of 97 as last year, and the booking of Ryan Moore catches the eye.

Emmet Mullins runs two dual-purpose types. Cock And Bull won a 2m handicap at the Galway Festival in July by a neck from Wahraan, who also lines up here, and James Doyle takes the ride. Dream On Baby is rated 87 on the flat but has been a high-class hurdler. She was second in a Grade 2 mares’ hurdle at Doncaster in January, and she won a Tramore maiden by 12 lengths in August.

Charles Byrnes’ Reverend Hubert beat Cock And Bull at the Curragh in June, so he has a solid claim, while Willie Mullins’ Highwind and Tony Martin’s Alphonse Le Grande, the 2024 Cesarewitch hero, complete the Irish team.

Kirchner and Valedictory lead the home defence

James Owen fields four runners, and the shortest-priced of them is Kirchner, a former Jean-Claude Rouget inmate. He was second at Newcastle in June before winning by four lengths at Ascot in July, and Rossa Ryan rides.

John and Thady Gosden’s Valedictory has won three times this season. Those wins include a defeat of Beylerbeyi on Newmarket’s July Course and a success at Doncaster last month in a first-time visor. He carries a 4lb penalty under William Buick, and 2m2f is a new test for him.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s Manxman also has a penalty to carry after hacking up by 14 lengths at Goodwood last month. Andrew Balding’s Tactician tops the weights with 9st 12lb.

Joe Napier’s Cesarewitch Selections

James Owen’s Naval Tribute has got better the further he has raced. A winner on four of his last eight starts, he is on a hat-trick after back-to-back victories over 2m. The Sea The Stars gelding has had plenty in hand in his recent two successes and promises to be suited even better by this extra quarter-mile. Owen knows how to improve a handicapper no end and his ceiling may not have been reached.

Another of note is Premiere Ligne, who is Saffie Osborne’s mount in the race. The seven-year-old did not have the form to make it into this race until most recently, when he bolted up by six-and-a-half lengths in the Cesarewitch Trial. Only six horses contested that race, but he was extremely dominant and is now effectively 1lb well-in. He was second in the same trial, over this track and trip, off 3lb higher in 2024 and only flopped in this race due to soft ground. He has an opportunity to right that wrong at a big price.

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