Irish Trainers Can Dominate Cesarewitch.

A fantastic 10/1 winner last Saturday thanks to Nazeef winning the Sun Chariot Stakes.

Once again we head to Newmarket for our Big Saturday Race. A cracking day of racing all round with the jumps season taking off at Chepstow, while York host the sprint trophy handicap.

Great White Shark won a valuable stayer’s handicap hurdle at the Galway Festival in great style this summer. She ran quite freely but jumped super and saw out the 2m7f trip on soft ground well. That bodes well for her getting this marathon flat trip of 2m2f with soft ground to suit. She does have good flat form such as when she gave amateur rider Jodie Townsend a big win in the qualified riders flat handicap (2m1f) at Galway in 2018. She ran well enough in that same amateur riders’ flat race at Galway this season off a 2lb higher mark of 88 when seventh.

Take a look at that Galway race won by Princess Zoe and you will see that Great White Shark was unlucky not to finish closer. She got pushed very wide rounding the bend into the straight losing lengths but powered home to be beaten just over two lengths. Willie Mullins sends over just the one horse for this valuable handicap which he has trained the winner of the past two years.  Great White Shark is rated 145 over hurdles so she looks very well handicapped off a flat mark of 86!

Jessie Harrington is another dual-purpose trainer who looks to have a lively contender with Lynwood Gold. A recent spin over hurdles at the Listowel Festival should have set her straight for this stamina test. Last March this gelding beat a good bumper and jump horse in Blackbow at Navan in a maiden hurdle. That race was over two miles on heavy ground so Lynwood Gold will stay this trip no problem.

He caught the eye when third at the Curragh behind Daltons Highway in a two-mile flat race. That effort was backed up with a tidy win in a trial for the Ebor Handicap at the Curragh over a 1m6f trip. At the Galway festival he ran well to place third behind Princess Zoe on soft ground. I think the ground and trip are ideal for our selection. Shane Foley rides and with a nice low weight of 8-11 he looks to be on the right side of the handicapper.

Newmarket - 3:35 ( Cesarewitch Heritage Handicap)