Bell Urges Caution on Tactician Cesarewitch Bets

Royal trainer Michael Bell has warned punters considering supporting his progressive stayer Tactician for the Cesarewitch Handicap to think again, as the Queen’s colt is most unlikely to take his chance in the Newmarket marathon, writes Elliot Slater.

Amongst the ante-post market principals at horse racing odds of as short as 10/1cf, Tactician is expected to run in the Group 2 Doncaster Cup on Town Moor before hopefully moving on to bid for the Group 3 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot’s ‘Champions Day’ fixture on October 15. There had been plenty of market support for the four-year-old gelding after his tremendous effort on the Knavesmire last month in the ultra-competitive Betfred Ebor Handicap where he failed by only a length to give 4lbs to the Brian Ellison-trained winner Moyenne Corniche.

 The son of Motivator had already been on an upward curve coming into the York race having  finished a narrow runner-up to Yourgonnabelucky in a well contested stayers handicap at Newmarket on his seasonal bow in mid-May, before going on to win in style at York in July where he ran right away from his rivals to land the listed John Smith’s Silver Cup from the super-tough Fox Hunt.

 Bell clearly believes that the Queen’s improving stayer is now ready to compete regularly at pattern race level and that he would be over-burdened with weight even in a hot handicap like the Cesarewitch. Sir Mark Prescott’s Tuscan Gold, (who has not even completed a race this term having unseated his rider leaving the stalls on his only start at York last month), is the heavily supported with best racing odds of 10/1 ante-post co-favourite for the long distance event run on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course, together with Roger Charlton’s former smart bumper horse Keys and Nicky Henderson’s Veiled, both of whom have won their last two outings in handicap company.