The 2022 flat season is drawing to a close and Newmarket racecourse hosts the Cesarewitch meeting today. It is Day 2 of the Dubai Future Champions Festival.
Track conditions are likely to remain good.
The highlight of the day is the Gr1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes, due off at 16h00. Seven juvenile colts contest the 7-furlong Group 1 event with a first prize of £300,000.
Course and distance winner Nostrum, unbeaten in two starts, is favourite for the Juddmonte operation.
Impressive in both his starts, the Kingman colt showed pace and class when only needing to be pushed out by Ryan Moore to win the Gr3 Tattersalls Stakes here last month. Richard Kingscote now takes the ride with Moore contracted to ride the Ballydoyle colt Aesop’s Fables.
Aidan O’Brien’s raider Aesop’s Fables showed a great turn of foot to win the Gr2 Futurity Stakes at the Curragh in August. Subsequently below par in the Gr1 National Stakes run on very soft ground, the son of No Nay Never should be given another chance back on a quicker surface.
Godolphin are represented by the unbeaten Naval Power trained by Charlie Appleby with Will Buick in the irons. A winner of two listed races, he must have a say from a powerful yard as well as Isaac Shelby, the unbeaten Superlative Stakes winner.
Good each way bet Chaldean – highest rated runner in the line-up (Pic – Racing TV)
However, another Juddmonte colt, the Andrew Balding trained Chaldean gets the nod in a red-hot renewal of the most highly prized juvenile race in the UK.
The son of Frankel has stepped forward with each run and was seriously impressive when dominating from the front the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month.
That performance earned Chaldean an official rating of 115, making him the highest-rated horse in the field – and with Frankie Dettori keeping the partnership intact, he looks a good each way play in a competitive and informative contest.
23 go over the marathon trip of 2 miles and 2 furlongs for the big betting race of the day, the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (16h40).
Leading ‘jumps’ trainer Nicky Henderson can make it back-to-back wins (after Buzz won last season) with the seven-year-old mare Ahorsewithnoname.
Runner-up to Love Envoi in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, the seven-year-old has since won twice on the Flat.
She bolted up at York’s Dante Festival in May and Henderson then elected to keep her fresh, presumably with this race in mind. Ryan Moore aboard is a positive and she should be involved in the finish. The well-backed Irish raider Run For Oscar comes in with a low weight and looks the danger.
