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Key events
A second Cesarewitch win for Alphonse Le Grande, and a third in all for Tony Martin, his trainer. A big moment too for Patrick McGettigan, his 5lb-claiming rider.
NEWMARKET 3.40 RESULT: GRANDE DAY OUT IN CESAREWITCH
1. ALPHONSE LE GRANDE 18-1, 2. Sea Lantern, 3. Dawn Rising, 4. High Fibre. 29 ran.
Vaguely Royal was slow to start, and most of the field are heading for the far rail …
Sax Appeal moves up rapidly, they’re quite strung out already …
Premier Ligne and Sax Appeal lead … Sea Lantern mid-division, Beylerbeyi held up, still a fair old way to go but they’re turning the bend into the long straight …
Pole Star and Goolagong are also in the leading group, no sign of any closers as yet …
Sea Lantern now asked for an effort as Goolagong comes through to lead … High Fibre also makes a move … goes for home … he leads into the final furlong but here comes Sea Lantern with Alphonse le Grand also finishing well ….
It’s so close at the line, Alphonse Le Grand and Sea Lantern flashed across together with Dawn Rising next.
They’re going in for the Cesarewitch .. and they’re off and running …
Sea Lantern has been attracting all the money in the run-up to the Cesarewitch. He’s now clear favourite at 9-2, with Dawn Rising next at 11-2 and Beylerbeyi on 15-2 to give Billy Loughnane a second win. It’s 8-1 Naval Tribute and 9-1 bar, though High Fibre has now crept down to 12-1.
On the track, meanwhile, they are going down for the Cesarewitch (though it will, of course, take them a while to get to the 2m 2f start).
Beylerbeyi and Dawn Rising, last year’s 1-2, head the betting for the race that starts in one county and finishes in another. Sea Lantern, a lightly-raced contender from the Brian Ellison stable, is next in and likely to improve on his form to date now that he steps up in trip, although the step up from a mile-and-a-half to two-and-a-quarter is quite a significant one.
Naval Tribute, one of several live runners from the James Owen stable, is down to 11-1 after plenty of support, while his stable companion High Fibre – the horse with the burden of my tip – is around 14-1 to give Silvestre de Sousa a fourth Cesarewitch success.
More fallout from the Dewhurst: William Hill have come up with a more attractive 25-1 quote about Darkness Falls winning the Triple Crown, and MV Magnier, from the Coolmore operation, was happy to agree that it will be a target next season.
It’s one thing the lads [in the syndicate] have always wanted to do. It’s a huge thing for the breed and now he’s proved he can come back from nine to seven in the Dewhust, it proves he has proper pace for the Guineas.
YORK 3.17 RESULT: ANGEL WINGS HOME IN SPRINT
1. COUL ANGEL 9-2, 2. Advertised, 3. Al Shabab Storm, 4. Binhareer. 21 ran.
They’ve off at York and it looks like the far side has a light advantage already. Dark Thirty is leading that group, but now gives way and Old Is Gold is going well for Andrew Balding, Coul Angel is leading in the centre, here comes the line and it’s Coul Angel for the win.
They are about to go off in the six-furlong sprint at York, I’m rooting for Dark Thirty to repeat his win in a similar race – and on similar ground – at the Dante meeting.
Aidan O’Brien did little to dispel talk of grand ambitions for Darkness Falls next year in his post-race interview.
He’s very exciting. I thought it was a massive ask to ask him to come back from nine [furlongs] to seven but when they have that much class they can do anything.
Definitely [the Triple Crown is an ambition]. His dad went very close and was an incredible horse.
There was an immediate quote of 12-1 from Paddy Power about Darkness Falls winning next year’s Triple Crown, and Darkness Falls is now favourite for both the 2,000 Guineas – at around 3-1 – and Derby, again at around 3-1.
Darkness Falls was not even back in the unsaddling enclosure before there was mention of a possible tilt at the Triple Crown next year.
His sire, Camelot, went very close to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky in 1970, winning both the 2,000 Guineas and Derby in 2012 before coming up just short behind Encke in the St Leger. It left a very sour taste in the mouth when Encke’s trainer, Mahmood al Zarooni, was later banned for eight years for steroid-doping, and John Magnier, the supremo of the Coolmore Stud operation that supplies O’Brien’s ammunition, would love to have another run at the most elusive prize in the sport.
NEWMARKET 3.00 RESULT: DARKNESS SHINES BRIGHTEST
1. DARKNESS FALLS 6-4, 2. Desert Castle. 5 ran.
Darkness Falls quickens again, Desert Castle tries to go with him but the line is looming, it looks like another Dewhurst for Aidan O’Brien .. and Darkness Falls gets there.
Three out, still Jassas but he’s under a ride now, Darkness Fall goes on and Desert Castle makes ground to challenge …
Jassas sets the pace with Darkness Falls close behind, Desert Castle travels well in fourth …
They’re going in for the race that could well decide the champion two-year-old …
… and they’re OFF IN THE DEWHURST!
Dewhurst Stakes betting:
5-6 Desert Castle
7-4 Darkness Falls
10-1 Great Barrier Reef
28-1 Jassas
40-1 Gentle Hurricane
Darkness Falls has some back-up in this five-strong field as Great Barrier Reef, the winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June, is a 10-1 shot to give Wayne Lordan another Group One winner.
Newmarket 3.00, Dewhurst Stakes, Group One, 2yo, 7f
And so to the feature event of the day’s action, from a purist’s point of view at least, and a race that pits the current ante-post favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas – Desert Castle – against the market leader for the Derby, Darkness Falls.
Desert Castle looked something out of the ordinary when bolting up – from Sergei Diaghilev, the runner-up in the last – in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. The vid is a few posts back but here it is again:
There’s something about his stride as he goes through the gears that leaves a lasting impression.
Darkness Falls is a huge prospect too, though, and has a Group One win to his name already in the Golden Fleece at Leopardstown in mid-September.
The only slight concern is that today’s race is over a two-furlong shorter trip, but if O’Brien feels he has the speed, then he probably has.
Here’s William Buick on the way back to unsaddle …
He dug deep. He’s a lovely prospect for next year, he’s still got a bit of furnishing to do and he’s got a great mind to go with it.
Montreal Rocks did really well to pick up Sergei Diaghilev there. It looked as though the second-favourite had got first run on Roger Varian’s colt, but he quickened impressively down the outside and won with something to spare in the end.
NEWMARKET 2.25: MONTREAL ROCKS IN THE AUTUMN STAKES
1. ROCK MONTREAL 11-8 fav, 2. Sergei Diaghilev, 3. Al Jabbar. 7 ran.
They’re off and running and they’ve split into two groups ..
Sergei Diaghilev is near side, the two Godolphin runners in the other group …
Reuniting now, Notable Dream leads from Sergei Diaghilev, Rock Montreal goes wider …
The big two go on, Sergei Diaghilev leads out of the Dip but Rock Montreal is chasing him down … he leads a few strides from the line and Rock Montreal get the win …
Rock Montreal is the 11-8 favourite as they go into the stalls, with Sergei Diaghilev on 15-8 and Al Jabbar at 15-8.
This isn’t necessarily a two-horse race, though, as Charlie Appleby’s Al Jabbar, with champion jockey-elect Billy Loughnane in the saddle, is a live second-string for the Godolphin team at 9-2.
He looked a useful prospect when winning a maiden – again at Doncaster – last time out but this is obviously a big step up in class (and William Buick, Godolphin’s main jockey, is aboard Rock Montreal).
Newmarket 2.25, Autumn Stakes, Group Three, 1m
We’ll be back at York in two races’ time for the last of the track’s six-furlong sprint handicaps this season, but for now the focus turns to the two-year-olds at Newmarket with the Autumn Stakes next up.
This is the first of two clashes between the Godolphin operation and the O’Brien stable, with Roger Varian’s Rock Montreal going to post for the former and Sergei Diaghilev looking to keep O’Brien’s streak going after his victory in the Zetland.
Both horses finished second at Doncaster’s Leger meeting last time out. Rock Montreal was behind the filly, Forbidden Fire, in the Flying Scotsman Stakes …
… and Sergei Diaghilev was runner-up to the impressive Desert Castle – the favourite for the Dewhurst later on – in the Champagne Stakes.
YORK 2.05 RESULT: GREY DAY ON THE KNAVESMIRE
1. GREY CUBAN 28-1, 2. St Anton, 3. Lord Melbourne, 4. Say What You See , 5. Nobody Knows. 18 ran.
Late drama before the off as Stoneacre Donny wasn’t with the field, and now the remainder are off and running at York …
Grey Cuban leads them, Water To Wine is caught four wide …
Castle Stuart also close up, St Anton catches the eye from the rear, but Grey Cuban still leads ..
Into the final furlong, they still haven’t got to Grey Cuban, he’s going to make all ….
York 2.05, handicap, 1m 2f 56yd
This 19-strong contest is as open as any on the televised card today, the Cesarewitch included, and Water To Wine and Nobody Knows, both lightly-raced three-year-olds with only three runs in the book, are vying for favouritism at around 6-1. I’m hoping for another with a similar profile, John Butler’s Shadow Road, to run a big race at a bigger price (around 10-1 at the momoment). But frankly, this is as open as it gets, even at York.
NEWMARKET 1.50 RESULT: DRUMBEAT LEADS CHARGE FOR O’BRIEN
1. DRUMBEAT 10-11 fav, 2. Wykehurst Park, 3. Apulia Bay. 6 ran.
Off and running in the Zetland Stakes, and Sword Salute bounced straight into the lead with Netherstream and Apulia Bay next …
Bowdens takes a strong hold and races alone far side, Drumbeat held up second-last …
Six out, still Sword Salute that leads …
Now Drumbeat makes a forward move, Wykehurst Park too … they go on with Apulia Bay …
Into the dip, Drumbeat is in control now, he’s surging clear, this is going to be one for Aidan O’Brien but Wykehurst Park will pick up the second-place money for Andrew Balding.
Wykehurst Park is attracting a little money and is in to 9-2 to add further momentum to the Balding bandwagon.
Newmarket 1.50, Zetland Stakes, Group Three, 1m 2f
We’re swiftly on here to the Zetland Stakes, the longest race in the calendar for juveniles. As with the opener, there’s a small field, and Aidan O’Brien’s Wootton Bassett colt Drumbeat is the even-money favourite to pick up the £42,500 first prize.
Balding, meanwhile, fields the 5-1 shot Wykehurst Park, a comfortable winner at Yarmouth last time, while Apulia Bay, from the Simon & Ed Crisford yard, is also around 5-1 to give James Doyle a quick double.
There’s a going change here at Newmarket: it’s now good, good-to-soft in places.
James Doyle, the winning jockey, had a quick chat with Newmarket’s course reporter after Humidity’s win in the opener:
This time last year, he was beaten by Bow Echo and we all saw what he went on to do. It’s very exciting to see him back and he’s passed today’s test with flying colours. He’s a project and still only lightly-raced, but he did a good job against some experienced horses today.
1.30 YORK: CUT A DASH WINS WITH A FLOURISH
1. CUT A DASH 4-1 fav, 2. Agamemnon, 3. Battle Fever. 10 ran.
They’re off and running in the Rockingham at York – a level break but they all end up on the far rail after two furlongs …
Hickory Lad leads narrowly, Love A Giggle there too, Cut A Dash charging home down the middle …
Now Cut A Dash leads, Agamemnon trying to pick him up but he won’t get there, Cut A Dash is the winner.
York 1.30, Rockingham Stakes, Listed, 6f
The races will be rat-a-tat from now on and ITV viewers are off to York next for the opener on the final day of racing at the track before the Dante meeting launches the 2026 Flat season on the Knavesmire.
Cut A Dash and my pick Divine Whisper are the 4-1 joint-favourites for this six-furlong contest for juveniles, with Agamemnon and Dubai Champion also prominent in the betting at 11-2 and 13-2 respectively.
What a way for Andrew Balding to launch proceedings on a day that could yet prove crucial in the title race. A grand total of £84,521 added to the kitty ahead of his big rival’s best hopes of the day in the Autumn Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes.
1.15 NEWMARKET RESULT: HUMIDITY HEADS UP BALDING 1-2-3
1. HUMIDITY 15-8, 2. The Lost King, 3. High Stock. 5 ran.
At halfway, order is still the same but Boiling Point coming under pressure … High Stock makes a move from the back, and now Humidity goes into the lead …
Final furlong, Humidity still leads, The Lost King in pursuit, and High Stock third … that’s how they’re going to finish, a 1-2-3 for Andrew Balding!
Boiling Point a narrow early leader but they’re well bunched, Humidity just behind in second
Even more cash for Humidity, and he’s joint-favourite with his stable companion at 7-4 … and they’re all in and off …
At the post for the Darley Stakes, money is coming for Humidity down to 2-1 but The Lost King remains favourite at 7-4.
Newmarket 1.15, Group Three Darley Stakes, 1m 1f
The action on the main card of the Future Champions meeting kicks off, a little oddly, with an all-aged race over the nine-furlong course, but it has significance for the trainers’ championship as Andrew Balding trains no fewer than three of the five runners.
A 1-2-3 would add a very useful £85k to his prize money haul, and while High Stock is the 14-1 outsider of the field, his other two runners, The Lost King and Humidity, head the market at around 7-4 and 11-4 respectively.
They arrive on the Rowley Mile with very different profiles: The Lost King, a four-year-old, has 10 races to his name already this year having started his campaign on the all-weather back in January, while Humidity is unraced since finishing a one-length second to Bow Echo, this year’s 2,000 Guineas winner, in a Group Two here last September.
I plumped for Humidity to pick up where he left off last year, but the market seems keener on The Lost King’s chance at the moment, while Boiling Point, who defied top weight to win the Cambridgeshire Handicap over track and trip last season, is also popular at around 7-2.
Preamble
Hello from Newmarket, the HQ of Flat racing, on day two of the Future Champions meeting, when the Dewhurst Stakes – the British season’s most valuable and prestigious contest for two-year-olds – will take centre-stage, ably supported by a couple more juvenile events that often highlight a star of the future. Add the historic Cesarewitch Handicap and an ongoing, ever-tightening race for the trainers’ title to the mix and there is a fascinating afternoon in store.
Much of the narrative involves head-to-heads: Desert Castle versus Darkness Falls in the Dewhurst (3.00); Rock Montreal versus Sergei Diaghilev in the Autumn Stakes (2.25); and of course, Andrew Balding versus Aidan O’Brien – the trainer of Darkness Falls and Sergei Diaghilev – in the trainers’ championship. Balding boosted his lead in the race to more than £300k yesterday, but O’Brien will be aiming to put a big dent in that this afternoon, just seven days before the money-drenched Champions Day card at Ascot next weekend.
Dawn Rising – with Ryan Moore booked to ride for Joseph O’Brien – was second behind Beylerbeyi in last year’s Cesarewitch and the pair of them are currently trading as 13-2 favourites for this year’s renewal of a race that dates back to 1839.
The ITV cameras are also on the Knavesmire, where York concludes its season with a typically competitive card, and tips for the televised card are here (with a headline that may well prove to be much better than the actual picks deserve).
We’re off and running here at Newmarket at 1.15 with the Group Three Darley Stakes, and I hope you’ll be along for the ride on what is always an intriguing and informative afternoon at the track.
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