Cesarewitch Handicap Tips 2024: Two for Saturday’s big race

The big betting event at Newmarket on Saturday is the Cesarewitch Handicap, due off at 15:40, which sees 25 horses compete over 2m2f for a total prize fund of £175k.

It's a prestigious race that's been dominated by National Hunt yards of late - and my Cesarewitch Handicap Tips includes one at 8/1 who can keep the trend going.

Sixandahalf @ 8/1

Jumps trainers have an excellent recent record in the Cesarewitch. Willie Mullins completed a hat-trick between 2018-2020 and Nicky Henderson, Charles Byrnes and Emmet Mullins have shared the last three.

Willie and nephew Emmet are responsible for the current 1-2 in the market, in Sea Of Sands and Jacovec Cavern, while Gavin Cromwell saddles third-favourite SIXANDAHALF, who gets my vote.

The four-year-old made her belated debut in March, finishing runner-up to subsequent Listed and Grade 3 winner Familiar Dreams in a bumper at Naas, and she's gone from strength to strength since.

She won her next start in that sphere by a whopping 11 lengths, before embarking on a Flat campaign, culminating in an excellent third in the Irish Cesarewitch a couple weeks ago.

That was off a mark of 88, carrying 8st6lbs, while this time it's 89 and 8st8lbs respectively. She's actually better off at the weights with the reopposing Dawn Rising, who was over four lengths behind at the Curragh, so I expect that form to be confirmed - and most of her fellow market principals rate riskier propositions in my book.

At the prices, this is a win-only suggestion. We're going to utilise the Super Extra Place Race terms (six places at 1/5 the odds) with my second selection.

Spirit Mixer e/w @ 14/1

In 2022, Andrew Balding's SPIRIT MIXER developed into a classy stayer, rising from a mark of 79 to 100 in just seven starts.

However, the six-year-old son of Frankel appeared just once the following season and wasn't seen again until March this year, meaning he had just one run in around 600 days.

It goes without saying, that's a long time to be inactive and therefore it's probably no surprise that he's been largely disappointing this term.

Something's changed lately, though. After several modest efforts, he ran a blinder in the Shergar Cup Stayers at Ascot off a much-reduced rating of 85, and he's won back-to-back handicaps at Chester off 84 and 88 coming into the Cesarewitch.

He gets in off 91, which could yet underestimate him now he's found some form. Remember, this is a horse who was competitive off a nine-pound higher mark a couple years ago.

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