DAWN RISING (3.40) has bright prospects of continuing the Irish domination in the £175,000 Club Godolphin Cesarewitch.
The long-running established heritage handicap has gone to horses trained by Charles Byrnes, Emmet Mullins and Cathy O’Leary over the past few years.
Byrnes is back with leading contender Reverend Hubert, a horse atop William Hill’s market (7-1) with last year’s winner Alphonse Le Grande (15-2).
But Dawn Rising, beaten only four lengths 12 months ago, is able to compete from a 7lb lower mark on his return visit.
Out of sorts earlier in the campaign, Joseph O’Brien’s trainee has been creeping back into form via a fourth place in a Galway handicap and a fifth in the Irish version of this.
Double-figure odds on both occasions suggests a long-term plan has been mapped out by connections as he is much shorter here with soon-to-be five-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy aboard.
Cases can be made for nearly all of the nine runners in a red hot renewal of the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
Zavateri survived a stewards enquiry to hold onto the Curragh’s National Stakes after beating Gstaad by a head.
The pair set the standard on form, but punters seem to prefer the claims of impressive Group Three course and distance scorer Distant Storm.
However OXAGON (3.00) – one of three good ITV chances for Murphy – was not seen to best effect in Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes.
Puerto Rico was given a canny ride from the front that day and there is likely to be more pace on here to suit my selection, who stepped out in the maiden his stable secured with top class Field of Gold in 2024.
A price of 17-2 shows the Frankel colt has to improve to pass the level set by the principals, but he raced greenly on Town Moor so there is every chance he will.
Murphy partners improving GLADIUS (1.15) in the Too Darn Hot Darley Stakes, while later, his weighing room colleague Clifford Lee is fancied to hit number one on highly-regarded HANKELOW (2.25).
SPYCE (1.50) seemed sure to lose out to a promising newcomer at Yarmouth, yet he rallied gamely and is a value alternative to the Night Of Thunder Zetland Stakes favourites.
UNCLE DON (3.15) would have been closer to handicap blot Realign two weeks ago with a clearer run and is still relatively unexposed ahead of York’s Coral Sprint Trophy.
A hat-trick is lined up by DIVISION (1.30) and ERZINDJAN (2.05) has not been far away in some quality handicaps of late.
