Betfred Cesarewitch |
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| Heritage Handicap, Newmarket 15:50 £250,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 2f, Class 2  |
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| Saturday 10th October 2015 | |
1 Grumeti 50/1
2 Oriental Fox 7/1
3 Quick Jack 9/1
4 Renneti 16/1
34 ran Distances: shd, 1l, nk
TIME 3m 56.02s (slow by 11.02s)
Oriental Fox touched off in a photo as Grumeti foils the gamble
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Grumeti foiled a late gamble on Oriental Fox as he edged a thrilling photo-finish to the Betfred Cesarewitch at Newmarket.
Top weight Oriental Fox enjoyed a welter of support before the off, but it was 50-1 shot Grumeti who triumphed for trainer Alan King and jockey Adam Beschizza, with Quick Jack back in third.
Beschizza was completing his own autumn double after landing the Cambridgeshire on Third Time Lucky at the track last month.
Grumeti, who is markedly more celebrated for his hurdles and chase achievements, was staying on all the way in the two-and-a-quarter-mile heat as Nearly Caught launched an early bid for home.
However, Oriental Fox and Grumeti were catching with every stride and the pair were neck and neck in the shadow of the post, with just a short head separating them, while Quick Jack was a further length away.
Renneti finished fourth for the Willie Mullins operation.
Beschizza said: "It's the autumn double. It's happened, so I'm over the moon
"I sat bit handier than I'd liked - Mr King said to take my time - but he's seen it out.
"He's not ran in two and a half months and I think if he was in a Flat yard you'd think he'd need it (the run), but he came here as fit as a flea.
"He's done it well, and I'm delighted."
Neither King nor owner Max McNeill were on hand to witness Grumeti's moment in the spotlight, but McNeill's brother, Hugh, said: "He's absolutely unbelievable.
"I didn't think for a minute he was going to do it and I'm sure if they (King or McNeill) thought he was going to win they would all be here.
"I'm sure Alan King is thrilled to bits.
"When I spoke to Adam before the race, he seemed very confident, and said, 'I'm going to give him a good race and get in the top four', but I didn't think for one minute we would go that close.
"It was a fantastic moment."
Oriental Fox's jockey Joe Fanning was suspended four days (October 26-29) after he used his whip above the permitted level.
Rab Havlin will also be out of action on the same dates after he committed a whip offence aboard Nearly Caught.
Betfred Cesarewitch (Heritage Handicap)
£250,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 2f, Class 2
34 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (15) | Grumeti 50/1 | Adam Beschizza 8-2 |
A King | 7 | |
| 2nd | (3) | s.h | Oriental Fox (GER) 7/1 | J Fanning 9-10 |
M Johnston | 7 |
| 3rd | (30) | 1 | Quick Jack (IRE) 9/1 | R L Moore 9-5 |
A J Martin | 6 |
| 4th | (18) | nk | Renneti (FR) 16/1 | J P Spencer 8-8 |
W P Mullins | 6 |
| 5th | (6) | nse | Nearly Caught (IRE) 12/1 | R Havlin 9-7 |
H Morrison | 5 |
| 6th | (4) | ½ | Le Maitre Chat (USA) 33/1 | P J Dobbs 8-10 |
Ian Williams | 4 |
| 7th | (11) | ½ | Moscato 14/1 | L Morris 8-11 |
Sir Mark Prescott | 4 |
| 8th | (32) | ¾ | Communicator 40/1 | Hayley Turner 8-6 |
A M Balding | 7 |
| 9th | (33) | s.h | Steve Rogers (IRE) (ex4) 20/1 | Andrea Atzeni 8-5 |
R Varian | 4 |
| 10th | (34) | ¾ | Knightly Escapade 100/1 | S A Gray 8-2 |
B Ellison | 7 |
| 11th | (12) | 1¼ | Rite To Reign 33/1 | S Donohoe 8-7 |
P J McBride | 4 |
| 12th | (23) | hd | One More Go (IRE) 80/1 | B A Curtis 8-5 |
G A Swinbank | 4 |
| 13th | (2) | nk | Gavlar 20/1 | Callum Shepherd (7) 8-9 |
W J Knight | 4 |
| 14th | (21) | ½ | Bayan (IRE) 14/1 | Cam Hardie 8-2 |
G Elliott | 6 |
| 15th | (20) | s.h | Low Key (IRE) (ex4) 13/2f | Tom Marquand (3) 8-4 |
D Pipe | 8 |
| 16th | (26) | s.h | Big Thunder 50/1 | S W Kelly 8-9 |
D O'Meara | 5 |
| 17th | (25) | 2¾ | Aussie Reigns (IRE) 80/1 | Kieran Shoemark (5) 9-8 |
G L Moore | 5 |
| 18th | (9) | ½ | Heartbreak City (FR) 10/1 | F M Berry 8-8 |
A J Martin | 5 |
| 19th | (1) | 1¼ | Triumphant (IRE) 50/1 | Hector Crouch (5) 8-12 |
G L Moore | 6 |
| 20th | (8) | nk | Deauville Dancer (IRE) 25/1 | Ryan Powell (3) 8-2 |
Sir Mark Prescott | 4 |
| 21st | (13) | ¾ | Noble Silk 20/1 | Oisin Murphy 8-12 |
Mrs L Wadham | 6 |
| 22nd | (16) | 2½ | Magic Dancer 50/1 | Harry Bentley 8-4 |
R M Beckett | 3 |
| 23rd | (22) | 3¾ | High Secret (IRE) 20/1 | C Catlin 8-12 |
Sir Mark Prescott | 4 |
| 24th | (35) | nk | Saved By The Bell (IRE) 66/1 | Sam James 8-11 |
D O'Meara | 5 |
| 25th | (14) | 2 | Gabrial's King (IRE) 66/1 | P Mathers 8-11 |
R A Fahey | 6 |
| 26th | (10) | 8 | Wordiness (ex4) 25/1 | S De Sousa 8-6 |
P D Evans | 7 |
| 27th | (31) | ½ | First Mohican 50/1 | T P Queally 9-4 |
A King | 7 |
| 28th | (7) | ½ | William Of Orange 12/1 | G Baker 9-1 |
Sir Mark Prescott | 4 |
| 29th | (27) | 3 | Norab (GER) 66/1 | Daniel Muscutt (3) 8-10 |
B J Llewellyn | 4 |
| 30th | (36) | 2 | Cassells Rock (IRE) 25/1 | L F Roche 8-2 |
A J Martin | 5 |
| 31st | (17) | 2 | Angel Gabrial (IRE) 33/1 | P Hanagan 9-8 |
R A Fahey | 6 |
| 32nd | (19) | 1¾ | Teak (IRE) 40/1 | C D Hayes 8-9 |
Ian Williams | 8 |
| 33rd | (28) | 15 | Cinnilla 50/1 | Martin Lane 8-6 |
R M Beckett | 4 |
| PU | (29) | Montefeltro 40/1 | Robert Tart 8-10 |
B Ellison | 7 |
