We preview the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket this Saturday.
The Club Godolphin Cesarewitch is the second leg of the Autumn Double and one of the toughest betting puzzles of the Flat season. It is a Class 2 Heritage Handicap over two miles and two furlongs, run as part of Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket on Saturday 10 October. The race is worth £175,000, with £90,195 to the winner. The maximum field is 32, and 94 horses are still entered, so Thursday's declarations, and a possible ballot, will decide who gets a run.
Newmarket has been good to firm, with the GoingStick at 7.3 on Saturday after irrigation. Heavy rain is forecast for Wednesday and more is expected on Friday, so the ground could be closer to good by raceday. That would help the stayers who prefer a little give.
Cesarewitch Handicap Winners, Trends & Stats
Beylerbeyi won last year's race at 7/1 off 8st 11lb, from a field of 19.
Recent winners:
- 2025 Beylerbeyi, 8st 11lb, 7/1
- 2024 Alphonse Le Grande, 8st 3lb, 33/1
- 2023 The Shunter, 9st 1lb, 14/1
- 2022 Run For Oscar, 8st 11lb, 4/1
- 2021 Buzz, 8st 13lb, 8/1
- 2020 Great White Shark, 8st 6lb, 9/2 favourite
- 2019 Stratum, 9st 7lb, 25/1
- 2018 Low Sun, 9st 2lb, 10/1
- 2017 Withhold, 8st 8lb, 5/1 favourite
- 2016 Sweet Selection, 8st 8lb, 7/1
Key trends:
- Nine of the last 10 winners carried 9st 2lb or less, and Stratum in 2019 was the only exception
- Only two of the last 10 favourites have won
- Winners have come at up to 33/1, and three of the last 10 started at 14/1 or bigger
- Willie Mullins won three in a row from 2018 to 2020, Emmet Mullins won with The Shunter in 2023, and Tony Martin's Alphonse Le Grande won in 2024
Cesarewitch Handicap 2026 Odds
Cesarewitch Handicap Runners Guide
Beylerbeyi
Ian Williams' six year old is the defending champion. He won this race last year off 8st 11lb and now has 9st 4lb, which puts him above the weight that has suited nine of the last 10 winners. He has not won this season, but he finished second over this trip in the Doncaster Cup and fifth in the Ebor. He is a worthy favourite, but he is now on a much stiffer mark.
Kirchner
Jamie Owen's four year old won over two miles at Ascot and was second in the Northumberland Plate. He has 9st 0lb, which is a workable weight, and he is one of the more progressive horses near the top of the market.
Galileo Dame
Joseph O'Brien's five year old finished third in the Irish Cesarewitch, a key trial. She is well treated on 8st 9lb and gives the Irish another strong contender.
Sirius
Willie Mullins' seven year old was second in the Irish Cesarewitch. He has only 8st 7lb off a rating of 90, which is a good weight for a horse with proven stamina, and his trainer won this race three years in a row.
Goblet Of Fire
Nicky Henderson's six year old has won at Newmarket and was second over two miles here on his latest start. He has a fair weight of 8st 11lb, and his trainer won this race with Buzz in 2021.
Cock And Bull
Emmet Mullins' five year old won over two miles and a furlong at Galway. He has 8st 9lb, and his trainer won with The Shunter in 2023.
The Reverend
This Willie Mullins runner has won at Newmarket but was well beaten in the Irish Cesarewitch, and he has a big weight of 9st 5lb.
Valedictory
The Gosdens' four year old won over a mile and six and a half furlongs at Doncaster and picks up a 5lb penalty, which takes him to 9st 3lb. He has to prove he stays this much further.
Sea Lantern
Brian Ellison's four year old won at Pontefract and also carries a 5lb penalty, but he is still near the bottom of the weights on 8st 7lb.
Reverend Hubert
This eight year old has form over course and distance and finished fifth in last year's Cesarewitch. He has 8st 12lb.
Hopewell Rock
He was second in the Ebor, but he is near the top of the weights and has much more to carry than the horses who have done well in this race.
Manxman
He was second in the 2024 Cesarewitch, and he picks up a 5lb penalty to carry 9st 1lb.
Mountain Road
Jim Goldie's seven year old was second over two miles at York and has 8st 9lb.
Dawn Rising
He was second in last year's Cesarewitch and now has 9st 0lb. He is a nine year old and is not certain to run.
Cesarewitch Handicap Trainer To Watch
Willie Mullins won three Cesarewitches in a row between 2018 and 2020, with Low Sun, Stratum and Great White Shark, and he has a strong team entered again. Sirius has the profile that has worked for him before: proven stamina, a low weight and good recent form in the Irish Cesarewitch.
Cesarewitch Handicap 2026 Tips
The weights are important here. Nine of the last 10 winners carried 9st 2lb or less, and that counts against Beylerbeyi, The Reverend, Valedictory and Hopewell Rock. Beylerbeyi deserves respect as last year's winner, but at 9/2 he is short for a horse with a higher weight and no win this year, especially as only two of the last 10 favourites have won.
The Irish Cesarewitch has produced two strong contenders on lower weights. Galileo Dame, who was third, has 8st 9lb, and Sirius, who was second, has 8st 7lb. Kirchner is the leading British contender on a fair weight after his second in the Northumberland Plate.
Sirius is the selection. He has proven form at this sort of trip, one of the lightest weights among the main contenders, and the trainer with the best recent record in the race. He is available at 20/1 with some firms, and with four places paid he has a good chance of a return each way. If the rain arrives as forecast, that should suit him.
