Punters relieved as St Michel gets a run
Since the weights were published, Sir Mark Prescott's stayer went on to finish an excellent third in the Doncaster Cup and punters have latched onto him being very well handicapped
ANTE-POST favourite St Michel has scraped into the Betfred Cesarewtich by the skin of his teeth as the 33rd of 34 runners at Newmarket on Saturday.
Sir Mark Prescott's youngster appears very well handicapped having finished third in the Doncaster Cup since the weights for the prestigious handicap were released.
That form now looks rock solid with runner-up Quest For More successful in the Prix du Cadran last weekend.
Heading the weights is Hughie Morrison's Fun Mac and the trainer also runs Sweet Selection, another who ran well in the Doncaster Cup and who is even better off with St Michel.
Oriental Fox, who has run well in the race in the past and Yorkidding will represent Mark Johnston, while David Pipe runs Ennistown and Starchitect.
Willie Mullins runs Renneti, Jessie Harrington is represented by Modem and Tony Martin aims to follow up his Ebor win with Moonmeister and Golden Spear.
Another trainer doubly represented is Iain Jardine with the consistent pair Shrewd and Nakeeta.
"It's fantastic to go to a race like the Cesarewitch with two proper chances," Jardine told Betfred TV.
"It's a privilege to have two top staying horses, they are both good horses at that level and have achieved a fair bit without winning, Nakeeta especially.
"He finished second in the Chester Cup and ran well at Ascot, I just feel he's been a little bit unlucky once or twice.
"Winning a race like this would do wonders for us, it would be a big step forward, we want to have runners in these type of races if we're looking to progress.
"To grab a race like the Cesarewitch would be a great achievement and it would round off the season."
Others to note include last year's winner Grumeti, Andrew Balding's Montaly and Jamie Osborne's Life Less Ordinary.
Always Resolute and Teak are the two reserves.
Meanwhile, Churchill heads a field of seven for the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien's star colt is odds-on to claim his fifth successive win after progressing from the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot to the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh.
Lancaster Bomber, who has acted as pacemaker for his illustrious stable companion in his last two starts, has again been recruited from the Ballydoyle team.
The two Irish raiders face a strong home contingent led by the William Haggas-trained Rivet, winner of the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month.
South Seas made it three from three for trainer Andrew Balding when defeating subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere runner-up Salouen in the Solario Stakes at Sandown in August, while the John Gosden-trained Seven Heavens, a son of Frankel, is the unknown quantity in the line-up. He is stepping up considerably in class having won an Ascot maiden and a two-runner conditions event at Goodwood.
Godolphin are represented by Charlie Appleby's Gimcrack winner Blue Point, who was runner-up in the Middle Park Stakes a fortnight ago, and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Thunder Snow, who was only beaten a head by Rivet in the Champagne.
