Alphonse Le Grande wins the Cesarewitch

Tony Martin eyes Cesarewitch repeat with Alphonse Le Grande

Horse Racing

Fri October 10, 2025 · 7M ago

Tony Martin is confident Alphonse Le Grande is in a good position to defend his title in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap on Saturday.

The six-year-old won the race last year only to be disqualified and win it back on appeal, while he runs off a 6lb higher mark this campaign.

Martin’s sister Cathy O’Leary trained the horse to win last year’s race with Martin banned for six months for breaking anti-doping rules, but he’s hopeful he can land the race in his own name 12 months on.

He told Racing TV: “He’s in good form, we’re quite happy with him, he’s travelled over and he’s in good form and well.

“It was eyecatching [at York last time], just unfortunate. William Buick thought there would be lots of pace on but they slowed up the tempo and he had to take his own medicine.

“The good thing is he finished his race well but we were just too far out of our ground.

“He’s entitled to have the mark he has after what he’s done. He hasn’t had the rub of the green at York or Ascot and if things had worked out better you’d imagine he’d have been in the first three or four.

“He looks to have a chance and hopefully he runs a big race. I’d have to be disappointed if he wasn’t in the first five.”

Alphonse Le Grande is generally 7/1 for the repeat win.

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