Tag Archive for: Cesarewitch

Alphonse Le Grande reinstated as winner of Cesarewitch

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Connections of Alphonse Le Grande have been successful in their appeal against his disqualification from first place in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last month and he has been reinstated as the winner.

Apprentice jockey Jamie Powell was deemed to have used his whip 10 times in the closing stages, four more than the permitted allowance, and due to the value of the race the Whip Review Committee awarded the historic handicap to the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Manxman, who had been beaten by a nose.

However, trainer Cathy O’Leary and owners the Bet Small Win Big Syndicate appealed that decision, as did Powell, who had been handed a 28-day suspension.

An independent British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel concluded that one of Powell’s strikes was not intentional, as he made contact with the horse moving his whip from one hand to the other.

Panel chair Sarah Crowther KC said: “We find that his body position was different to the first nine strikes, it seems to us that he was somewhat crouched and off balance to his left and very low in the saddle.

“Whilst his arm and hand were in the same angle as the previous strikes, the change in body position and the different stride of the horse had the effect of changing the angle of the strike.

“It was common ground, that as Mr Powell retrieved his whip from that strike on the way back, pulling it back towards his right-hand side and bringing it forward, there was contact. It seemed to us the question for us was whether that contact constituted use of the whip.”

Alphonse Le Grande (yellow cap) coming home to win the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap from Manxman
Alphonse Le Grande (yellow cap) coming home to win the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap from Manxman (Mike Egerton for The Jockey Club)

She went on: “Adopting a pragmatic interpretation of the word ‘use’ in context of the rules as a whole and from our experience of panel of racing, we find it is not every single contact between a whip and a horse that will amount to a use.

“We do find this is a fact sensitive question and specifically on the facts of this case we find the contact was made in circumstances where Mr Powell was retrieving his stick from the wrong side of the horse and it was effectively an unavoidable contact which could not have had any material impact on the performance of the horse.

“Therefore we find that in total there were nine uses, three above the permitted level, the horse will be reinstated and the suspension will be 20 days.”



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Alphonse Le Grande camp appeal against Cesarewitch sanctions

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Connections of Alphonse Le Grande have submitted appeals against the horse’s disqualification from the Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Trained by Cathy O’Leary and ridden by apprentice Jamie Powell, the gelding was first past the post in the handicap highlight, repelling the challenge of Manxman by a nose.

It soon became evident Powell may have breached the whip regulations though, with the rider referred to Tuesday’s meeting of the Whip Review Committee.

The WRC concluded Powell had hit his horse 10 times, four strikes above the permitted level and the trigger for automatic disqualification from the race, with Powell also banned for 28 days.

O’Leary, Powell and owners the Bet Small Win Big Syndicate will all contest those penalties at a hearing on a date yet to be decided.

A statement from the British Horseracing Authority said: “Connections and jockey of Alphonse Le Grande have submitted appeals against the Whip Review Committee’s decision to disqualify the horse from the Cesarewitch and suspend jockey, Jamie Powell, for 28 days.

“We are liaising with parties involved to determine a date for the appeal.”



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Bowen reflects on delayed Cesarewitch victory

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Sean D Bowen is in the record books as a Cesarewitch-winning rider but rather than getting to celebrate on-track, he had to settle for hearing the news driving to Leicester on Tuesday.

Irish raider Alphonse Le Grande prevailed by a nose on the day at Newmarket, with Bowen’s mount, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Manxman, the vanquished runner-up.

However, it soon became apparent Alphonse Le Grande’s rider Jamie Powell had breached the whip rules, prompting a referral to the Whip Review Committee on Tuesday.

The WRC duly confirmed Powell had struck his mount 10 times, crossing the threshold for disqualification and promoting Manxman to first, with Bowen soaking up the result en-route to racing in the East Midlands.

Jockey Sean D Bowen his in contention for the apprentice crown
Jockey Sean D Bowen is in contention for the apprentice crown (Mike Egerton/PA)

He said: “They were saying it could get overturned straight after but we would have to wait until Tuesday.

“There was great excitement on Tuesday when I was driving to Leicester, I got a phone call to say the result did get overturned.

“I’ve probably never been as happy as I was going racing after hearing that news! It’s probably one of the biggest handicaps in England that everyone wants to win.”

For Bowen, it was a bittersweet feeling to be announced winner of one of the year’s most prestigious handicaps but miss out on his moment in the spotlight following the race.

And the 19-year-old – who is in a tussle with Joe Leavy for the apprentice title and hopes to lift the trophy at Catterick on Saturday – admits it would have been a great way to end a successful season if the result had been overturned on the day.

Bowen continued: “Everyone had the same idea that the result should have been changed on the day and it is definitely something they will have to look at, especially a race that big with the prize-money on offer.

“I never saw the horse on the outside and I just thought it was myself and Mr Whelan (Trevor, on Ian Williams’ Aqwaam) that it was between. As we pulled up, Mr Powell asked me did I win and I wasn’t sure, as there was a fair distance across the track between the both of us.

“It would have been a big moment for my career, but I didn’t realise he was four over until I was leaving, so I never really thought too much about it.

“I just had to wait until Tuesday to see what decision they made and luckily it came out in favour for us.”



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Monday Musings: A Mishap for Martin

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It wasn’t Mullins, Willie or nephew Emmet; nor Gordon Elliott; neither O’Brien, Aidan or Joseph; nor even tricky old Charles Byrnes that was slipping away silently to collect the proceeds from a 33/1 winner of the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket on Saturday, writes Tony Stafford. No, it was that man Martin again.

Tony of that ilk is a mastermind at, in racecourse parlance, having it off. He did under his own name in the Chester Plate (Cup consolation) in May; lost his licence but still had the brass neck to stand grinning alongside his sister Cathy O’Leary – the trainer in name – after the same horse, Alphonse Le Grande, also picked up the Northumberland Plate consolation at Newcastle in June. Martin must have had more than a little influence in Saturday’s even more spectacular coup de grace on Dewhurst Stakes Day.

I would imagine those closest to the horse won a few bob – it’s difficult not to when the SP is 33/1 and presumably in a race that was at least ten short of the optimum figure - and no better for it - they must have got longer than that in the build-up.

It was almost with glee then that on the TV coverage after the photo-finish verdict was announced, Lydia Hislop and Nick Luck counted the whip strikes administered by apprentice rider Jamie Powell and came up with ten, the magic number which would normally be construed as the borderline for disqualification.

Nothing will be finalised until tomorrow when the whip offences committee reviews a case that seemed to satisfy the local stewards and young Powell himself, namely that he did indeed hit Alphonse Le Grande ten times.

The £99k first prize will be a significant loss to the owners, the appropriately named Bet Small Win Big syndicate, but their respective sibling trainers have done them proud collecting three very tough handicaps in the UK this year. Pretty rough justice for the rider, too!

The hapless jockey is no novice. Before this year he had amassed 59 wins in three seasons at home. In that context, only seven more from 171 rides in 2024 when an acceleration might have been expected along with experience, is quite an anomaly.

But nothing like the anomaly where riding for Saturday’s trainer, or indeed her brother when he still held the licence, is concerned. Cathy O’Leary has had an almost equal number of domestic runners on the flat and over jumps in the past period. Until September 5 when En Or won a two-mile handicap at Clonmel, she had not trained a single domestic winner and, until now, it’s En Or from 37 runs. Over jumps, it’s nought from 30, so one from 67 in all.

As to the possibility of a rider/trainer(s) connection, forget it. Young Powell, as I mentioned earlier, has had 171 rides in Ireland this year, yet none from either Mrs O’Leary or her brother. I wonder if the disqualification is confirmed tomorrow whether he’ll be asked to get up on another of their plots.

Plots they surely are. One report suggested Alphonse Le Grande had been down the field in his previous race in Ireland as though it was a rubbish run. His eighth of 30 in the Irish Cesarewitch, worth almost 500k to the winner, represented a very good performance. I just watched the replay, and he was almost the only runner staying on in a race won by Aidan O’Brien’s The Euphrates

In the last furlong and a half, he passed at least half a dozen high-class handicap stayers, many like him laid out to try to win the massive prize. Had there been another 100 yards to run, he would have been fifth.

Anyway, one win in 67 at home: yet two in five for Cathy in the UK. Her Zanndabad came over for the Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot, started 9/2 favourite and finished sixth under William Buick. Belgroprince accompanied Alphonse Le Grande to Newcastle and finished seventh behind him.

Her final UK runner in that time is probably one to write down in your notebooks or trackers. The 47-rated Jackie Brown came to Hamilton in August and was unplaced in a low-grade handicap.

Since returning home, the filly has had three runs and started 25/1 each time. First it was 14th of 17; next 5th of 12; then last week at Navan she was beaten only half a length in an 18-runner handicap. Remember the name and watch out UK, Cathy might well be coming!

If the result is amended tomorrow, it will mean that never mind the 12-horse Irish assault, the UK will have ended two years of their domination in the race with a 1-2. The Crisfords’ Manxman won the race on the far side by half a length from Ian Williams’ Aqwaam, who looked all over the winner a furlong out. Strong-finishing Alphonse Le Grande nosed ahead on the near side of a race shaped into two halves by Ryan Moore’s guiding Queenstown across as they entered the ten-furlong straight.

Ryan and Aidan had earlier had the disappointment of the withdrawal of overnight odds-on shot The Lion In Winter from the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.

In his absence, once raced, and that only a week earlier, Expanded made a brave battle of it with Godolphin’s Ancient Truth up the stands rail while Shadow Of Light, the other Charlie Appleby runner, switched over from the far side group to get up late in a battle of heads.

All three colts will probably be aimed at a Guineas, though whether it will be in Newmarket, Longchamp or at the Curragh is anyone’s guess at this stage. It didn’t appear there was another City Of Troy in there this year, but you never know and it was a great effort for Shadow Of Light to come back so soon after his emphatic Middle Park Stakes win over Whistlejacket two weeks earlier.

Saturday’s racing for the big teams was almost a half-term break after the excesses of three days of Tattersalls October Yearling sale Book 1.

The board behind the auctioneers shows several currencies in addition to the UK guineas bidding, with Euro, US dollar and Yen to the fore. I am grateful to the Blood Horse for revealing that Newsells Park Stud, owned by Graham Smith-Bernal, grossed almost three times as much as any other vendor, his lots accruing more than $23 million. That’s 17.6 million guineas!

The median figure (the middle when all 400 are laid out from top to bottom was an astonishing 250,000 guineas and the average 340,000 guineas, both records, as was the total turnover of 128 million guineas. That figure beat the 2022 record when 120 more yearlings were catalogued.

Sixteen lots exceeded one million guineas, and two buyers dominated throughout. Amo Racing, in a concerted effort to break into the territory that Kia Joorabchian described as “the province of the home-breeders like Coolmore, Godolphin, Juddmonte and Shadwell”, paid a total of 20 million for 17 yearlings.

Godolphin might be prolific breeders these days, but Sheikh Mohammed and team were also very active, even exceeding Amo Racing’s tallies with 18 yearlings at just over 22 million guineas.

Smith-Bernal, happy for the international break so he could concentrate on his lovely yearlings rather than Tottenham Hotspur FC, sold the most expensive of the lot at 4.4 million for a filly by stallion of the week Frankel, naturally to Amo.

Lots of love, as the ancient Romans and Latin scholars might have said, going around at Tattersalls. And plenty of Amo too!

- TS



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Cesarewitch controversy leaves Crisfords ‘subdued’

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Simon Crisford admitted to feeling “slightly robbed” after Manxman lost out by just a nose in a controversial finish to the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on Saturday.

Alphonse Le Grand got the better of a real tussle at the end of the two-and-a-quarter-mile handicap contest, but replays showed his jockey, 3lb claimer Jamie Powell, had appeared to strike the gelding 10 times with his whip.

Jockeys are limited to six hits, with his four extra strikes raising the prospect of disqualification under the British Horseracing Authority’s rules.

The BHA confirmed on Saturday evening that the case had been referred to the Whip Review Committee, which will meet on Tuesday to consider Powell’s ride and possible sanction should he be found in breach.

Crisford, who trains in partnership with his son Ed, described himself as “fairly subdued” after missing out by a narrow margin in these particular circumstances.

He told Racing TV: “I wasn’t aware of the situation when I left the racetrack because I left straight afterwards, but then I had a phone call from Tony Hind, Ryan Moore’s agent, saying ‘listen, you’re going to win the race’. So I said ‘well, I’m halfway home so it’s a bit late to go back to the racetrack’.

“When all of the information came to hand, I felt fairly subdued to be honest.

“I felt particularly sorry for Ed because it’s such a famous race, historic, a great win if he had won. It’s a televised race, a big moment for our stable, so we felt slightly robbed.”

Since the whip rules were changed last year, there have only been two horses disqualified from race due to their jockeys breaching the rules.



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Alphonse Le Grande Cesarewitch joy may turn to tears

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After a marathon two and a quarter miles, just a nose separated the front two as Alphonse Le Grande held off Manxman to win the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket – but there looks set to be a sting in the tail for connections.

The five-year-old was completing a pretty unique treble, as having won the consolation races for the Chester Cup and the Northumberland Plate earlier in the season, this time he was taking the main event.

Since June, he has been in the care of Tony Martin’s sister, Cathy O’Leary, as Martin serves a suspension for breaking anti-doping rules – extended as he was present for the Newcastle win.

However, this success also looks set to have the gloss knocked off it, as unfortunately for winning apprentice jockey Jamie Powell, it appeared that he used his whip 10 times, four above the permitted level.

The matter has been referred to the British Horseracing Authority Whip Review Committee, which will meet on Tuesday and will result in the likely disqualification of the winner.

Despite a full field not lining up for the second leg of the autumn double, there was still plenty of drama.

At one point, they were in two distinct groups in the home straight before fanning out right across the track – and with two furlongs to run, Aqwaam appeared to hold all the aces.

He was on the far side of the track but then 33-1 shot Alphonse Le Grande broke through on the opposite side under Powell.

There was little between them close home and finally Manxman (7-1) appeared from in behind with a powerful run and he joined the Irish raider on the line, only to fail by the narrowest of margins.

“It was down to our jockey, it was a great ride from him and great of him to bring him over for a bit of better ground,” said O’Leary, speaking before it became apparent Powell had broken the whip rules.

Alphonse Le Grande (yellow cap) just prevailed
Alphonse Le Grande (yellow cap) just prevailed (Nigel French/PA)

“It’s a big buzz and he’s a little horse with a big heart, he’s class and he got a great ride.

“I think he might be going for a holiday after winning three big races, he deserves it. I’m sure he could keep climbing higher in the staying ranks.”

When asked about Martin’s impending return, O’Leary added: “Hopefully Tony gets his licence back next week. I haven’t heard from Tony (since the race).”

Powell was unaware of his breach and initially said: “I thought I was beat and I asked Sean (D Bowen on Manxman) pulling up and he thought he had won. It’s never great when you don’t know but when I saw my name on the screen, it was great.

“I’m delighted to win for Cathy and all the team at home and it was great it all worked out well.

“I have ridden over here last year over that sort of trip and track and it was unusual to see them split. I could see plenty of fancied horses in front of me and when I could see James Doyle (on The Shunter) and Ryan Moore (on Queenstown) near me, I was delighted.

“The horse took me everywhere, I was a passenger there today but he was tough at the finish and got his head in front.”

He added: “It’s a big deal to come over here and ride winners, especially big ones, and it’s been a bit of a quiet year. It’s nice to get one before the season ends and it will be a year to remember, anyway.

“It’s my first winner over here from six or seven rides and I did the Racing League this year as well. It was nice to get my first winner.

“I was late into it, my father Anthony Powell was a jump jockey and won the Irish National and my grandfather is a Classic-winning jockey in Ireland on the Flat, so I do have a racing background.

“But myself personally, I never rode racehorses till I was 16. It’s worked out since I’ve started and it seems to be going well anyway.”

Simon Crisford said of Manxman: “He was given a fantastic ride and it was a really brave and honest effort.

“I thought he had won and I was screaming and hadn’t really seen the horse down the stands’ side.

“He put all his heart into it and was 4lb well in and that gave us effectively four lengths. We all really fancied him today and he’s run like a really nice progressive stayer for next year.”

Explaining the process, chief steward Tony McGlone said: “From a stewarding point of view, we identify a possible breach of the rules, which in this case is four over as a possible breach.

“We then ask the jockey to make a comment after watching the film and then we send the film and comments off to the Whip Review Committee and they will make a decision on Tuesday.

“It’s not a decision the stewards make, we just identify a possible breach and we then send it on to the Committee to make their decision.

“That’s the process that will be followed in this case, and there was another jockey in the race who hit his horse eight times and same situation, we looked at it, asked is he over the six? The answer is yes, by two, and then we listen to his evidence and record it and send it off to the committee, who will look at it on Tuesday and make a decision.

“We identify, collect the information, then send it on to the Whip Review Committee to make the decision.”

A British Horseracing Authority spokesperson added: “We can confirm that the ride by Jamie Powell on Alphonse Le Grande has been referred to the Whip Review Committee.

“No breach of the rules has yet been found and the horse will not be disqualified unless the Whip Review Committee, which will meet on Tuesday, determines that the whip has been used four times or more above the permitted level, and, for example, that all uses of the whip made contact with the horse, and that none of the uses were clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes only.

“There have been several cases already since the new rules were implemented whereby a ride was referred and carried a potential disqualification but the Whip Review Committee did not reach this outcome.”



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The Shunter realises long-term plan with Cesarewitch strike

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The Shunter repelled all challengers to fulfil a long-term plan in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Trained by Emmet Mullins, the 10-year-old is more famed for his exploits over obstacles, having won at the Cheltenham Festival and been placed at Grade One level in novice chase company.

Back on the level though, The Shunter teamed up with James Doyle in the two-and-a-quarter-mile contest which offered over £103,000 to the winner.

Doyle rode The Shunter (14-1) with restraint in the early exchanges, making stealthy headway before pushing to the front two furlongs out.

The Shunter (centre) was too strong in the Cesarewitch
The Shunter (centre) was too strong in the Cesarewitch (Nigel French/PA)

Top weight Tashkhan had been prominent throughout but he was eager for a battle, pushing The Shunter all the way through the closing stages while Pied Piper, another National Hunt runner moving back to the Flat, made a late grab for glory inside the distance.

However, The Shunter dug deep to prevail by three-quarters of length from Pied Piper, with Tashkhan (25-1) a further head back in third and 100-1 shot Bashful Boy grabbing fourth.

Mullins admitted this race had been the plan for almost a year, with future plans yet to be decided.

He said: “It was a brilliant performance from horse and rider. I’d say James didn’t know what to make of the instructions going out as I said the horse has probably got more ignorance than ability, but he’ll keep pulling it out and keep fighting.

“It’s a bit surreal it’s come off. This race has probably been on the radar since he finished fourth in the November Handicap in Naas last year. We always thought there could be a big pot in him on the Flat and patience has paid off.

“He’s been in great order at home and he’s very tough, which he has shown down through the years.

“All options are open again. He was entered in last year’s Grand National and we scratched him at the 11th hour, but everything is an option.”



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High-class hurdler Pied Piper firmly on Cesarewitch trail

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Ante-post Club Godolphin Cesarewitch favourite Pied Piper is on course for Newmarket on October 14.

Gordon Elliott’s dual-purpose performer had a spin on the Flat at Killarney in August, where he looked the likely winner only to fade into third close home.

A classy hurdler who was second in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, connections are hoping there is still some wriggle room from his Flat mark earned during his days with John and Thady Gosden.

“He’s in good nick and he’s on course to run in the big race later this month,” said Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction.

Pied Piper (far side) was just touched off in the County Hurdle
Pied Piper (far side) was just touched off in the County Hurdle (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Killarney was his first run back, Gordon wanted to give him a run and he ran great, he just blew up and hopefully he’ll improve a lot from it.

“There seems to be a lot of jumpers, mainly dual-purpose horses, in there this year and I think the ground will suit him.

“The big thing this year is that he’s had a break. When we bought him the year before we just kept him going, he ran at Cheltenham, Aintree and then Royal Ascot – we did an awful lot with him.

“We decided to give him a good break this year through the summer and hopefully he’ll have got stronger and will be a fresher horse.”

Logan went on: “He’s not massively exposed on the Flat and his run at Royal Ascot was very good when you look back. He had traffic problems and wasn’t beaten all that far by Coltrane who is one of the best stayers around.

“We’d be hoping he should have a very nice run there before he goes back jumping.

“We’ll leave the jockey to Gordon, but he won’t be short of offers I wouldn’t have thought. He’s in good form and we’re really looking forward to it.”



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Monday Musings: Still Not Sleepy

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They raced for a lot of money in Ireland yesterday, the Friends of Curragh Irish Cesarewitch carrying a £292k first prize, for which 30 horses turned up, writes Tony Stafford. You would have won a lot of money, too, if you had found the Joseph O’Brien-trained winner, the potential heir to the Ballydoyle job one might suggest, sending out 150/1 shot Magellan Strait for a victory which prompted a quiz from the stewards.

The magical Joseph might well have been a little more confident of his shortest-priced horse of four, third home Dawn Rising, who had won Ascot’s Queen Alexandra Stakes as the 2/1 favourite under Ryan Moore at Royal Ascot back in June.

The two O’Brien stayers were split by another veteran of big-race success in the UK, Dermot Weld’s Falcon Eight, successful in the 2021 Chester Cup under Frankie Dettori.

The winner and second do not have the much less well-endowed but still probably more prestigious Newmarket version in three weekends time on their agenda, but 13 from yesterday’s race do, and I’ve managed to find another 11 from various races over the past couple of days even including an unplaced runner in the Preis von Europa in Cologne, Germany, yesterday.

That was the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Live Your Dream, who is very high up in the weights. This 14 was bolstered by Saturday’s Turners Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket, won nicely by Andrew Balding’s Grand Providence, clearly enjoying the extended trip. Eight of the nine that followed him over the line have the big-race entry.

Ryan Moore, amazingly, was back after riding in Sydney the day before, but his mount, Aidan’s Tower Of London, understandably favourite after his creditable fourth behind stablemate Continuous in the St Leger only eight days earlier at Doncaster, could not make his lenient mark tell.

In all, Willie Mullins had six runners in the big race. The ease with which Ireland’s champion jumps trainer knocks off our big flat long-distance races, matched only really by his main Cheltenham protagonist Nicky Henderson, is well chronicled, but here he was well and truly on the back foot.

Of course, all his sextet, plus one in a consolation race for those missing out on the big one, have Newmarket entries, where he will be aiming to add to his hat-trick from 2018-20. One of those, Stratum, was in the field but Brighton and Hove Albion FC’s chairman Tony Bloom was probably far too engaged watching his team beat Bournemouth (boo! – Ed.) than to take more than a passing notice of his veteran’s 25th place.

Expect an upgrade if he turns up at HQ, and the same probably goes for Jackfinbar (8th), Lot Of Joy (11th), Echoes In Rain (13th), Mt Leinster (22nd) and M C Muldoon (27th after making the running for David Manasseh and partners).

Echoes in Rain had finished second in the inaugural big-money Irish Ces last year, behind the then Aidan -trained Mr Waterville, who is now with Chris Waller in Australia. Ryan rode him into fourth place at Rosehill on Saturday and no doubt he has the Melbourne Cup as his main objective as had Tower Of London. Maybe the latter raid may be under review.

But the one trial that caught most of us out – yet it shouldn’t have if we had examined the very extensive history of his career – was the all-the-way gutsy win of 11-year-old Not So Sleepy in a quite valuable (by UK standards) 1m5½f handicap at Newbury.

Since making a winning debut over a mile as a juvenile at Nottingham almost nine years ago, the home-bred Not So Sleepy has now won ten races for Hughie Morrison, five each on the flat and over jumps. Not So Sleepy has raced 63 times (46 on the flat) with six second and five third places along with ten fourth’s, including in the Cesarewitch’s of 2019 and 2020. Under both codes he has won around a quarter of a million and nudged over a combined £500k on Saturday.

When he won his third-ever race in the Group 3 Dee Stakes his rating jumped up to 107 after that Derby trial. It has never dropped below 94 despite two long losing sequences – 13 in succession after Chester over the next 18 months, then another 15 following his Epsom Derby Day handicap win as a five-year-old.

Running well enough with places in tough races not to get much respite from the BHA officials, Not So Sleepy got a late and in many circles highly questionable switch to hurdling as a seven-year-old. The cynics were preening themselves after he was far too free on debut at Kempton, but he then bolted up at Wincanton which earned a 125 rating. One more pulled up run ended that mixed campaign.

So now it was back to the flat, for another six winless runs, but a portent of what might be in the future was a fourth in his first try at the Cesarewitch behind Stratum. Now it was back to hurdling, winning two Ascot handicaps by making all in devastating fashion, his mark already up to 144 by the time he turned out for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury the following February.

That year, the big field produced two false starts and after being in a great position to jump first time round, Not So Sleepy found himself hampered at the eventual departure and the then eight-year-old was never in contention. Hughie and his owners Lord and Lady Blyth still had the ambition to run in the Champion Hurdle, but he was pulled up.

A break followed until the autumn, when under Graham Lee he won a Pontefract handicap off that career lowest 94 before his fourth place to Mullins’ Great White Shark at Newmarket in Cesarewitch number two. He then resumed over hurdles, jinking and unseating at the first flight in the 2020 Fighting Fifth won by Epatante, before gaining a second win in the Betfair Exchange Hurdle at Ascot.

This gave Morrison great satisfaction as he beat a former stable-companion, Buzz, whom the owners had moved to Henderson after Morrison had successfully managed physical issues in his early days on the flat.

He then ran a much improved race, fifth in Honeysuckle’s first Champion Hurdle, before taking in the Chester Cup, finishing a close seventh. He still got his lengthy summer break, but instead of a third run at Newmarket, a close second in a Doncaster handicap was the prelude to a dead-heat with Epatante in the 20201 Fighting Fifth before a fifth place behind the same J P McManus mare in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the same position, a little closer than the previous year, behind Honeysuckle in her repeat championship.

He continued with two relatively disappointing runs in summer 2022 but was back in top form with a third after taking up the running a mile out in last year’s Cesarewitch.

Three hurdles runs, two behind the new star Constitution Hill, including once more in his fourth Champion Hurdle, preceded the usual summer break. And you can guess the rest.

He returned at Newbury on Saturday, his trainer joking before the race, having heard the news that Constitution Hill was to continue hurdling, with a wry: “Whatever happens today, I can categorically state that Not So Sleepy will NOT be going chasing this winter.”

So next month, he will be trying to match another of his rival Henderson’s achievements. Nicky won the 2008 Cesarewitch with the 11-year-old Caracciola who proceeded to win the Queen Alexandra at age 12. Morrison has a Group 1 win on his record with 10-year-old Alcazar, but if Not So Sleepy does the deed at the fourth time of asking, that would be a bigger achievement to my mind.

Both the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire began life in 1839 and they are two of my favourite races. I was hoping to write a piece today outlining why I thought Dylan Cunha’s Silver Sword was a good thing to win the race next Saturday, but the trainer is unwilling to run him back so soon after his eye-catching run last week in Listed company at Sandown. He prefers to wait for a race he has in mind at Santa Anita in November. If only!

In his absence, I would love to see William Knight make up for last year’s unlucky defeat of Dual Identity, who won most impressively recently at Sandown. All we can hope is that Knight, who has had no luck this year, might have it turn his way this weekend for a change.

- TS



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Goodwood winner Temporize being pointed towards Cesarewitch goal

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A trip to Newmarket for the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch could be on the cards for Temporize following his victory at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

A rare runner on the level for handler Syd Hosie, the four-year-old has made his mark on the level for the Sherborne-based handler since joining the yard from Charlie Johnston earlier in the season.

A respectable display at Newbury on debut was followed by a near-miss in a competitive heat at Ascot before finding the target on the Sussex Downs and having originally been bought to go hurdling, plans to tackle timber could now be on hold with further big-race Flat assignments under consideration.

They include the £200,000 Cesarewitch on October 14 and now rated 89, there is the possibility that Temporize could head straight to the Rowley Mile.

“I still have to make a firm plan with the owners, but I think they would like to run in the Cesarewitch,” said Hosie.

“There is a race at York, but I said to the owners if you run him and they put him up in the handicap you are taking a bigger weight to the race. So he might go to the trial in September time or go straight there.

“We bought him to go hurdling and thought we would run him a few times on the Flat because the owner wanted to go to Goodwood. I said if he runs any good at Ascot, we can go there and obviously he just got beat at Ascot. He did the business at Goodwood and then all the hurdling plans go out the window for a bit.

Luke Morris gives Temporize a pat after victory at Goodwood
Luke Morris gives Temporize a pat after victory at Goodwood (Molly Hunter/PA)

“When we got him he had finished second at Doncaster and he gave the winner so much weight and was still there fighting at the end of the race. That was one of the reasons we bought him.

“His three-year-old form is good as well and he goes on any ground which is nice. Hopefully he will still go jumping at some point in the autumn.”



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Hugely popular Buzz heads for long and happy retirement

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Cesearwitch and Ascot Hurdle winner Buzz has been retired by Nicky Henderson and owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds.

The popular grey captured the public’s imagination with a string of tough staying performances on the Flat and over hurdles for the Seven Barrows yard.

As a seven-year-old in October 2021 he captured the Cesarewitch under Oisin Murphy and the following month took the Grade Two Ascot Hurdle in the hands of Nico de Boinville.

However, he suffered a fractured pelvis on the eve of the Long Walk Hurdle and while he subsequently recovered to make a comeback after 508 days off in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham earlier this month, he finished last of five to Rajinsky.

In a statement, Thurloe Thoroughbreds said: “Our Cesarewitch and Ascot Hurdle star Buzz, who recovered so remarkably from a pelvis fracture last year, has been retired.

“It was a massive achievement getting Buzz back on the racecourse last week after a year and a half off. He was eased down after getting tired in heavy ground and although he was fine after the run he was lame and sore after the next day.

“It was a muscular lameness which flared up as a result of reusing muscles he hasn’t used for such a long time.

“We have discussed with Buzz’s vet Dave Matheson and have agreed that persevering with Buzz in training would be very tough on him as even though he is fit, well and enjoying his training, he does put so much into his work and his racing that he may always be a bit lame and sore afterwards.

“Therefore we have made the bittersweet decision to retire Buzz from racing.

“Buzz brought Thurloe on the most unbelievable journey from day one, throwing his all into every race he competed in.

Buzz and Nico de Boinville (left) took the Ascot Hurdle
Buzz and Nico de Boinville (left) took the Ascot Hurdle (Nigel French/PA)

“It was always going to be a huge achievement to get him back onto the track and we are so grateful for all of those who have been part of the process from Nicky Henderson and everyone at Seven Barrows, Dave Matheson, Charlie and Tracy Vigors at Hillwood Stud, Greta Mason and Matt Buckland and, of course, Reggie Pallas who has been devoted to him as his work rider and loyal partner from day one.

“Buzz’s character has made him a horse to follow but the fact that he has contributed to raising upwards of £150,000 for our charity endeavours, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, has made it even more special.

“We are delighted that Buzz will retire with a happy and long life ahead of him with Reggie, who will be able to have him himself.

“He will have a summer off now and hopefully there will be plenty of wonderful adventures for him and Reggie to discover in their next chapter together. He has been a joy for us in every way to own and we are so happy he can have a long and healthy retirement.

“Thank you for the memories Buzz, you are, and always will be, a horse of a lifetime.”



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Monday Musings: Newmarket Rejuvenation

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I had intended writing copiously 24 hours after my first wholly enjoyable, nay rejuvenating, visit to Newmarket racecourse for two years about a brief conversation of which I was the sole observer, writes Tony Stafford. The conversants were those two genial giants of our sport, Charlie Appleby and Aidan O’Brien, but I will leave that until later.

It was in the evening during a catch-up scan through the Saturday results that I noted the 7.30 p.m. race at Chelmsford was called the Tote.co.uk Now Never Beaten By SP Handicap (Division 1).

I’ve noticed that race title before, marvelling that the object of so much ridicule and indeed suspicion in its Betfred-owned days between 2011 and 2019 had been apparently transformed upon its acquisition and operation by the group formerly known as Alizeti Capital but now UK Tote Group.

Their intention, I remembered reading, was exactly that - to ensure the Tote returns were never to be bettered by SP and to help grow its new version to be of financial benefit to the sport.

In its rubric, Tote Group UK says it is “now owned by a group of racehorse owners and breeders who are passionate about the sport, backed by people who own and train over 1,000 horses worldwide.

“We’re united by a shared desire to secure British racing’s finances for generations to come through a revitalised Tote”. Glowing contributions in that notice in support of UK Tote Group have come from Sir Anthony McCoy, John Gosden, Richard Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud, and the Racehorse Owners Association.

I scrutinised all 36 races run in the UK on Saturday and in 24 of them, including the 7.30 at Chelmsford, SP was better than the returned Tote price about the winner. Course and betting shop punters would not have benefited, but I am reassured that online Tote odds backers will have been, according to the publicity (admittedly confusing) blurb to the tune of a maximum £500 per bet. [The race title referred to tote.co.uk, the online arm of the tote]

The three regular backers I know whom I thought might have been able to confirm this as correct all were unable to do so as they all three to coin a theme “had my account with the Tote closed years ago.” They all habitually try to get a few hundred quid on a horse. One big firm, asked for £500 each way on a horse the other day, offered to take £2.80 each way. Still theirs is a happy slogan and I wish anything that might correct the joke level of prize money in the lower reaches of the sport, a potential blessing. But as my three friends I’m sure would say: “Don’t hold your breath.”

I mentioned Charlie and Aidan’s very amicable chat earlier at Newmarket soon after the Darley Dewhurst Stakes victory of unbeaten Native Trail and the Irishman was glowing in his congratulations to his younger English counterpart.

Three wins on the day had already pushed Appleby past Andrew Balding at the top of the trainers’ championship standings for the first time and Aidan admired both Native Trail and the less exposed Coroebus, easy winner of the Group 2 Autumn Stakes.

Where Native Trail was a breeze-up buy for 210,000gns in the spring, able to make his debut in early July and now was making it a perfect four-for-four, there is no Godolphin blood in him, being by Oasis Dream out of an Observatory mare – Juddmonte all the way.

Coroebus meanwhile is Godolphin through and through: by Dubawi, their version of Coolmore’s great stallion Galileo, out of a mare by Galileo’s first superstar, the unbeaten Teofilo.

O’Brien remarked on both colts’ physicality, to which Appleby replied: “Coroebus is 540 kilos and Native Trail is 545, and that’s as heavy as Adayar who you know is a monster!”  Formidable for two-year-olds you would agree!

The wins brought Appleby some elbow room at the top of the table and with a dearth of major and valuable races to come save next Saturday’s Qatar Champions Day at Ascot and the Vertem Futurity (just over £100k)  at Doncaster the following weekend, opportunities are somewhat polarised.

Aidan told me he plans to run his top juvenile Luxembourg in the Vertem Futurity and expects that outstanding Camolot colt to go first in 2022 for the 2000 Guineas where he will almost certainly encounter Native Trail and Coroebus.

While Appleby has been inching his way up to and past Balding, who has had a season that must have surprised him with more than £4 million already in the satchel, he will be aware that John and Thady Gosden, who started slowly this year, are still in there pitching.

Balding has ten entries for Ascot, but only a couple, both 8-1 shots – Invite in the Fillies and Mares race, and Alcohol Free in the QE II – have better than outside chances. Appleby’s hopes from six entries centre, should he run, on Derby winner Adayar, about whom 3-1 is probably a little tight after his Arc exertions.

But the Gosden ten, with six in the closing Balmoral Handicap - Gosden senior dearly wants to win that race – include four serious darts at the biggest prizes of the day.

Mishriff, saved from the Arc in favour of the Champion Stakes, is 6-4 favourite for the £680k Champion. Palace Pier vies for favouritism with improving Baeed in the £623,000 to the winner QE II. Additionally, Free Wind is 7-2 for the £283,000 Fillies and Mares, and Stradivarius, should he renew hostilities with Trueshan, is second favourite behind that horse in the similarly-endowed Stayers’ race.

The Gosdens lurk around £500,000 behind Appleby and, unless such as Snowfall and maybe something else can edge out Mishriff, or The Revenant, back with a near miss at Longchamp, could possibly again unseat Palace Pier with Baeed’s help. Otherwise it seems a dominant position for a hat-trick for Clarehaven. It looks theirs to lose.

While that stealthy challenge in the trainers’ race has suddenly crystallised, the jockeys’ battle between incumbent Oisin Murphy and his nearest challenger William Buick has been a constant side-show most of this year.

It’s easy to portray this tussle as between Mr Naughty and Mr Squeaky Clean and certainly Oisin Murphy’s second failed breath test, which for the moment merely cost him one day’s riding at Newmarket on Friday, has done nothing for his reputation.

The jockey stressed that the alcohol reading while exceeding the permitted limit for being allowed to ride a racehorse was below that excluding him from driving a car. Great! Only slightly pissed then!

He dominated talk at Newmarket on Saturday, most people saying that for a repeat offence the case should get a proper investigation and the inside story at Newmarket on Saturday was that an inquiry will be held at the BHA today.

A one-day slap on the wrist, if that is all that happens for the offence, seems inappropriate to me. Suppose he hadn’t been tested, thus was free to ride on Friday and had caused danger to other jockeys and their horses. That puts the six-month ban (now ended) for promising apprentice Benoit de la Sayette when he was found in breach of the drug rules back in the spring in some context.

In the end, of course, Murphy was free to ride Buzz in the Cesarewitch and he gave the one-time Hughie Morrison horse a peach of a ride, one befitting of a champion, to make it a third win in the race for Nicky Henderson.

Buzz came to deny Burning Victory and William Buick in the dying strides, maintaining his margin over his rival to eight, when had the result been turned around it would have been only six. Charlie isn’t giving up on his jockey though and plans to run plenty of talented maidens between now and D Day on Saturday. Burning Victory of course was only Mullins’ second string but it would have been a nice result for readers of this column who may have noticed my frequent mentions of the mare in recent weeks.

So we had a seven-year-old winner who hadn’t raced on the Flat for two years beating a mare who had never previously run in a Flat race either in England or Ireland outclassing 30 other stayers. Burning Victory’s defeat and the no show of favourite M C Muldoon stopped a Willie Mullins four-timer in this contest.

Why are jumps trainers so good at winning on the Flat? We’ve known about these two for decades, but another younger member of their profession, an Irishman based in Gloucestershire, is showing similar tendencies.

Until 16-year-old daughter Fern attained that age in the summer, her father Fergal O’Brien was so disinterested in Flat racing that he had only winner from 50 runners in sporadic seasons from 2013 to 2019.

Fern, mentored by Fergal’s assistant and partner Sally Randell, a former star military race rider, won at the first time of asking a couple of days after her birthday and now stands on four wins from eight rides for her father as a lady amateur. His other 16 runners have yielded another four victories, including smart hurdler Gumball making all in a decent staying handicap at York on Saturday and Polish getting home first in a jump jockeys’ Flat race at Goodwood yesterday.

That makes it eight from 24 and a strike rate of 33%, a figure the Gosdens, Balding, William Haggas and the rest would kill for. And none of them has 55 jump winners since the end of April either!

  • TS   


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