Alphonse Le Grande wins the Cesarewitch

Cesarewitch Newmarket preview

By Mike Vince

Horse Racing

Sun October 05, 2025 · 3M ago

Mike Vince sets the scene ahead of Saturday's Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket.

The Cesarewitch was first run in 1839 - the same year as the Cambridgeshire - and in its long history it has hardly ever attracted the headlines to compare with what happened 12 months ago.

This season everyone will likely be hoping for a race that’s relatively peaceful and tranquil.

It was a thrilling finish 12 months ago, the field split across the Rowley Mile and a desperate photo finish between Irish raider Alphonse Le Grande, who led one group, and Manxman at the head of the other. Alphonse Le Grande, ridden by Jamie Powell, got the verdict by a nose.

Then it all kicked off as Powell’s ride was referred to the Whip Review Committee resulting in the jockey getting a hefty ban, and the horse disqualified. An appeal followed and, on something of a technicality, the original result was later restored.

That all added up to a third Irish-trained winner in a row and the sixth in the past seven years, a sequence only interrupted in 2021 by the victory of the Nicky Henderson trained Buzz and including the 10-year-old The Shunter, one of the oldest winners of the race.

The Cesarewitch is unique in that it takes in the county boundary between Cambridgeshire, where it starts, and Suffolk, where it ends. Given the distance it’s no surprise that the winning trainers' list includes many names better known for their exploits over jumps, not only Henderson but also Alan King, Phillip Hobbs (twice) and Martin Pipe (also with two wins) also feature.

In its long history only one horse has won the Cesarewitch twice. In 2010, carrying just 7-13, Louis Philippe Beuzelin partnered the Brian Meehan-trained Aaim To Prosper to victory, and amazingly two years later with Kieren Fallon up he won it again, with a 66/1 SP.

In the intervening year, Frankie Dettori won it on the Jamie Osborne-trained four-year-old Never Can Tell, and they were sent off at 25/1.

It seems somewhat bizarre that the Cesarewitch shares top billing on Saturday with Newmarket’s most significant two-year-old race, the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, as the centrepiece of Future Champions Day.

But there’s no doubt which race will be the easier to solve.

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?