2m2f (Row) Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+)
A race dominated by the Irish, National Hunt horses and Willie Mullins in particular in recent years, but the master jumps trainer is probably heading to Newmarket more in hope than in expectation given the credentials of his runners. Contrast that to the confident Gordon Elliott who has Pied Piper entered and set to be sent off a 9/2 favourite for the Cesarewitch. Pied Piper looks feasibly well-handicapped, but I have my doubts about his stamina and his constitution for a race like this so I can let him go unbacked.
With the ground looking quite testing it would be easy to favour the jumps horses. Jesse Evans, Goshen and Not So Sleepy could all run big races and I was close to tipping former, however I was a bit put off by Noel Meade’s remarks that Jesse Evans may not get the trip and on the look of his form, he is more likely to hit the frame then claim a win.
So I want to be on two proven stayers that like cut on the ground and coincedentally I have landed on two flat horses that both have similar-ish progressive profiles in TEMPORIZE and BLAZEON FIVE. In fact, these two selections actually took each other on in a two-mile handicap on soft ground at Ascot in July when they pulled away from the field. Temporize is up 5lbs since that race whereas Blazeon Five is up 3lbs – both feel like they are still on fairly generous marks.
Since then Temporize has gone on to hose-up in the Coral Goodwood Handicap over 2m 4.5f in soft ground at Goodwod, raised 7lbs, but still below his three-year-old mark and Blazeon Five was unlucky in both his next two starts getting done for pace over 1m 6f last time whilst just being edged out in a sprint finish in a slowly run race at Southwell the time before. He’s been generously dropped 2lbs.
Both horses have shown incredible consistency in holding their form this season and I think the race can set up nicely for both who are very lively each-way chances in this marathon of a handicap.
1pt each-way Temporize @11/1, 14:40 Newmarket, Saturday (1-7 places, 1/5 odds with Paddy Power)
0.75pts each-way Blazeon Five @33/1, 14:40 Newmarket, Saturday (1-7 places, 1/5 odds with Paddy Power)