Cesarewitch antepost tips: Long-range preview and best bets for Newmarket on October 14

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Antepost Value Bet tips: 2023 Flat season

0.5pts win Blazeon Five in Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at 25/1 (General)

0.5pts win Golden Shot in Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at 25/1 (General)

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I got Five on it...

Lambourn-based trainer Roger Teal is already eyeing up a possible shot at Classic glory with the exciting Dancing Gemini next spring, but before that looks to have a realistic chance of landing another significant Newmarket prize in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap.

If the thought of taking on the best of what Aidan O’Brien, Charlie Appleby and the Gosdens have to throw at the 2000 Guineas in May is somewhat daunting, things aren’t exactly looking a whole lot easier ahead of next month’s valuable two and a quarter-mile HQ contest, Willie Mullins having had no fewer than 15 horses initially entered up.

However, in BLAZEON FIVE Teal has a progressive mare who seems likely to sneak in near the foot of the weights based on recent editions of this prestigious handicap (max field size is 34).

Blazeon Five has had a fantastic season already, winning three times on the all-weather through last winter and making a smooth transition back to the turf with an Ascot victory from a mark of 83 back in May. Runner-up that day was Syd Hosie’s Temporize, who went on to frank the form in no uncertain terms when justifying favouritism in the highly-competitive Coral Goodwood Handicap.

• Click here to back Blazeon Five for the Cesarewitch with Sky Bet

And despite another victory of her own at Ascot in July, plus a near-miss at Southwell earlier this month, Blazeon Five is still rated in the 80s (2lb well-in for this race running off 87) and is clearly a horse who stays one step ahead of the handicapper through never winning by far.

Her dam, Precision Five, wasn’t too dissimilar having improved from a basement mark of 46 to end up being rated 85, and I’m convinced there’s another chunk of improvement still to come from the five-year-old.

The Southwell second – in another strong heat it must be said – looked a shade unfortunate (replay below) as Blazeon Five was towards the fore throughout and was only overhauled late by the dropped-out (and well-handicapped) Sir Chauvelin, who came from dead last under a typically well-judged Paul Mulrennan ride.

Blazeon Five was fighting back again at the line and she looks well worth another chance effectively running off the same mark at Newmarket.

Prescott runner rates gold-plated back-up

Lord knows which of the Mullins contingent will turn up on the day but Sirius was bought for 95,000 euros last October and his BHA mark of 90 looks a bit of a guess-up, while M C Muldoon was the big gamble of the race last year and has run just a couple of times since disappointing his disappointing effort as the 9/2 favourite under Ryan Moore 12 months ago.

Gordon Elliott’s Pied Piper, chinned in the County Hurdle before struggling in the Grade 1 behind State Man at Punchestown in April, made a promising return to the level at Killarney last month and he’s definitely on a fair mark if this is the plan with him.

The layers aren’t taking any chances, though, offering between 10/1 and 14/1, and it’s a similar story (and very similar price) with 2022 runner-up Vino Victrix, who is now 2lb lower than last year and shaped a bit better behind Novel Legend at Goodwood last time out.

The other one to get on side at this early stage is GOLDEN SHOT, Sir Mark Prescott’s only Cesarewitch entry who, like Blazeon Five, is set to run off a mark of 87 and will hopefully find himself at the bottom of the handicap.

• Click here to back Golden Shot for the Cesarewitch with Sky Bet

That mark is 10lb higher than for his ridiculously easy 27-length victory at Ffos Las in August, since when he’s been beaten three lengths when fourth as the 7/4 favourite in Nottingham’s Colwick Cup Handicap.

Despite Luke Morris making the running, that two-mile contest on good ground around quite a tight track still didn’t look enough of a test for Golden Shot, a gelded son of Golden Horn, who has already progressed from an opening mark of 56 last autumn.

He looks made for an extreme test like this and the softer the ground the better come October 14.

First published on Sporting Life Plus at 1145 BST on 24/09/23

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