Beylerbeyi bidding to make history with Cesarewitch repeat

Beylerbeyi has plenty going for him ahead of his repeat bid in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday given he is in form, 2lb well-in, warm favourite and has champion jockey-elect Billy Loughnane doing the steering.

Yet his shrewd trainer Ian Williams remains no more than cautiously optimistic ahead of the title defence, pointing out his six-year-old will not only need luck in running in order to weave his way through a huge field, but have to make history if he is to land the prize.

With no horse since the race was first run in 1839 managing to do what the Williams runner is attempting, namely come back 12 months on and hit the bullseye again, that is some weight against him.

Only one horse, Aaim To Prosper, trained by Brian Meehan, has won twice, with his wins separated by a year in 2010 and 2012.

If Williams were looking for positives Aaim To Prosper was prevented by injury from attempting to back up in 2011 and again in 2013, but the Alvechurch handler is under no illusions about the size of the task that awaits in the cross-border marathon.

“If he is going to win and if he makes history that is amazing, but it is not going to be any easy assignment,” he said. “It is a very tough race, conditions suit and he is in good form but he will need the luck of the gods on his side.

“Yes there is plenty pointing in the way of a good run, but there are also probably 26 horses to pass in the last two furlongs and there are some well-handicapped horses in there. They don’t give these races away and he will have to be at his very best and have luck in running to be there at the end with a decent shout.”

Beylerbeyi has advertised his claims all season and his last run, finishing a length and a quarter behind Prix du Cadran winner and Scandinavia conqueror Caballo De Mar in the Doncaster Cup, flashes on the billboard.

Dangers though are everywhere, not least from across the sea with Irish raiders taking six of the last eight and bringing half a dozen potentially unexposed contenders to the party this time.

Emmet Mullins, who struck with The Shunter in 2023, has Cock And Bull (James Doyle) and Dream On Baby (Gavin Ryan), while Joseph O’Brien takes aim with last year’s runner-up Dawn Rising, returning off the exact same mark.

Willie Mullins, who landed a hat-trick between 2018-20 with Low Sun, Stratum and Great White Shark, brings Highwind, Charles Byrnes, who won with Run For Oscar in 2022, aims Reverend Hubert, and Tony Martin runs Alphonse Le Grande who was beaten a nose in 2024.

Home defences are stacked high behind Beylerbeyi, too, with Kirchner bidding to land another big pot for the Rogues Gallery syndicate and trainer James Owen.

Syndicate founder Tony Elliott said: “We are very, very confident. He is an absolute weapon, looks fantastic on the gallops, and he has just been tipping along nicely at home.

“I would have liked him to have had a run nearer to this race and we looked at a few possibilities for him, but they didn’t really fit.

“Still he has has run well when fresh and it is two and a quarter miles.”

Andrew Balding could do with a large share of the £175,000 pot as he looks to prise the trainers’ title from Aidan O’Brien and runs Shrimp Shady (Rob Hornby), Tactician (Charlie Tucker) and Berkshire Sundance (Alfie Redman).

“Tactician is a very decent horse who made a very good comeback after injury, but he’ll only run if the ground is good or slower,” said the Kingsclere handler.

“Shrimp Shady has been on the go a long time, but he’s had a very productive season and rarely runs a bad race.

“He’s off a good mark and the same applies to Berkshire Sundance, who goes on any ground and has competed consistently in all these top staying handicaps. I’d hope he again could run really well at a big price.”

Jim Goldie went close when seeing La Vecchia Scuola denied by a head by none other than Aaim To Prosper in 2010. Mountain Road, who chased home Small Fry at York over two miles, will aim to go one better for the Lanarkshire yard over the extra trip.

“The trip will suit him we think and if they had run the York race over another 100 yards we would probably have won,” said Goldie, who also saddles Letsbefrank.

“It is a tough race, he is on a career-high mark, but we will see whether he has some in hand on Saturday. He is definitely going into it in good form.”