2m2f (Row) Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo+)
Irish-trained jumps horses have had a significant edge in this race over the years and I think the Gordon Elliott trained MORDOR is far too big a price. This five-year-old is a decent 130 rated hurdler that avoided deep ground last winter.
He ran a solid race to finish 8th in the Martin Pipe and has put in some strong consistent displays in the four flat-handicaps he has run in this season. Mordor put in a taking performance in a Killarney handicap on decent ground to win easily before getting a poor run at the Curragh in a competitive handicap and latterly he stayed on in soft ground at Goodwood over 2m 4f when finishing second behind a runaway leader.
Mordor should really enjoy returning to this sounder surface and he carries a very low weight so I can see him outrunning his huge odds of 20/1.
Similarly, BELGRAVIAN also carries a low weight and whilst this improving three-year-old is technically 1lb out of the handicap, he is actually 5lbs well-in on offical ratings and receives an 8lb swing at the weights with Reverend Hubert who won the Cesarewitch Trial comfortably over C&D last month. Belgravian has really made huge strides this campaign and this end-to-end gallop on quicker ground looks like it will suit him better than the nine-runner race on easier conditions that he exprerienced in the trial. This age group haven’t done so well in recent years, but he has plenty of experience and can make his presence felt.
1pt win Belgravian @10/1, 1pt win Mordor @20/1, 15:40 Newmarket, Saturday
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