Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap – Newmarket – Saturday 11th October

The historic Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday 11^th October has undergone a wildly fluctuating pattern in terms of prize money, whereby from a level in excess of £300k to the winner less than 10 years ago, to now just over £90k, it’s little wonder some of the other staying prizes on these shores and also abroad too are providing more attractive options for many.

A quick glance at the entries, current prices and roll call of previous winners suggests strongly that the Irish contingent should be where to focus, but with the valuable Premier Handicap at Naas the day after being an option for many of the entrants in Newmarket’s Cesarewitch, we could be looking at a slightly depleted field from that which we’ve come to expect.

With that in mind, now looks to be a great time to get involved from an ante-post perspective, with a horse who seemingly has it as something of a long/medium-term plan and holds this race as his only entry among all the other autumn options available to a number of the others.

At 16/1 each-way with Bet365, Beylerbeyi is the 2-star ** ante-post option for WhichBookie, and I’d be happy to back at anything 10/1+ at this stage.

With no fewer than 26 racecourse starts to his name at trips of 1m2f or less, it’s fair to say that it’s taken a while to realise that staying distances are very much his domain. Given he’s not bred to get a yard beyond 1m2f at the very most, and he’s been winning in his turn, it’s hard to crab connections too much.

However, since stepping up to 1m4f initially, and then beyond that in his two latest starts, Beylerbeyi has absolutely taken off and if you watch his finishing efforts in all his last 7 starts, there is never a moment where you wouldn’t be absolutely convinced that he’ll stay as far as you want him to.

Having improved the guts of 20lbs since stepping up in trip, on the evidence of his run in the Mallard Handicap on penultimate start at Doncaster, Beylerbeyi should have legitimate designs on becoming a Cup horse next season based on the time comparisons and track position elements associated with his performance that day, and how the Doncaster Cup won by Sweet William was run.

Ian Williams has since gone to Newbury with Beylerbeyi and was mightily unlucky not to win there having been squeezed for room at a crucial stage. What these last two defeats have meant though, is that Beylerbeyi won’t be lumbered with a penalty for winning since the weights were confirmed and he has been kept fit by racing. It might just prove to be a masterstroke by Ian Williams, as Beylerbeyi is 5lbs ‘well-in’ on ratings.

In truth, Beylerbeyi could be 15lbs ‘well-in’ if my hunch that he is a genuine Cup horse in the making next season is anywhere near true, and I’d be surprised if the 16/1 each-way available with Bet365 is around for too long.