Cesarewitch Runners 2024 - Low Turnout for Historic Handicap as Irish Trainers Dominate Confirmations

Only 28 runners remain after the five-day confirmation stage for the 2024 Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket. Run this Saturday, 12th October, the race has been run for nearly 200 years and is a unique contest over the Rowley course, being staged over 2m2f and featuring a large maximum potential field of 34.

As a result, we are already at a point where all of those left in on Monday would take part on Saturday if declared in an unusually small turnout. Among those taken out was ante-post favourite Belloccio, though trainer Willie Mullins still looks likely to hold a very strong chance courtesy of Sea Of Sands, who has been well-backed since confirmations as the only Closutton inmate left in the field. The six-year-old joined Mullins from France in August and won on his hurdling debut in September.

Willie’s nephew Emmet won this last year and is duly represented in the 28 still standing. One of those is defending champion The Shunter. Now an 11-year-old, the JP McManus-owned Cheltenham Festival winner has not been seen for nearly a year, but is only 5lb higher in the weights, while Jacovec Cavern joined Mullins from Paul Hennessy’s yard in July and was a runner-up at the Galway Festival. He is still unexposed in both code at the age of five.

Irish trainers are responsible for nine of the top ten in the handicap, with the top-weight currently slated to be Queenstown for Aidan O’Brien. The son of Galileo is O’Brien’s only prospective runner and chased home Kyprios twice earlier in the season, while son Joseph has two possible representatives in the shape of former Royal Ascot hero Dawn Rising and shock 2023 Irish Cesarewitch winner Magellan Strait, who won that equivalent at 150/1.

Another former winner is set to return in Charles Byrnes’ Run For Oscar, who won impressively in 2022. Gordon Elliott’s pair of Samui and Ndaawi, as well as staying veteran Falcon Eight round out the aforementioned Irish handicap toppers, with only Ian Williams’ Roberto Escobarr among the top ten in the weights for the home side.

The hosts could nevertheless have some strong chances from further down the weights with Sir Mark Prescott’s progressive youngster Warmonger now guaranteed a run, while Premier Ligne has been going close of late for Hughie Morrison, and was runner-up in the trial for this race over course and distance last month.

Cesarewitch Handicap Runners 2024