Builmeupbuttercup, seen winning at Galway, goes for Willie Mullins and Frankie Dettori in the English Cesarewitch© Photo Healy Racing
Land Of Oz has got the run in the Emirates Cesarewitch his supporters were hoping for after 31 horses were declared for the two-and-a-quarter-mile marathon at Newmarket on Saturday.
In the end, there was no need for connections of Sir Mark Prescott’s progressive young stayer to sweat whether he could make the maximum 34-strong line-up.
Prescott has another leading fancy in Timoshenko but took out his other entry, Distant Chimes.
Willie Mullins is three-handed with ante-post favourite Buildmeupbuttercup, Stratum and Great White Shark bidding to give Ireland’s champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins back-to-back victories in the valuable handicap after Low Sun 12 months ago.
Ireland’s champion flat trainer Aidan O’Brien is relying on Cypress Creek to provide him with a first success in the race. Other raiders from the Emerald Isle are Sneaky Getaway, Mr Everest, Great Tango and Party Playboy.
The weights are headed by Who Dares Wins while Ranch Hand, Dubawi Fifty, Coeur De Lion and Time To Study are among the leading contenders for the home contingent.
Molatham heads a field of nine for the Darley Autumn Stakes after owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and trainer Roger Varian opted for the Group Three rather than take on Pinatubo in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
Last month’s Doncaster Listed winner faces eight rivals including John Gosden’s twice-raced unbeaten colt Cherokee Trail and Charlie Appleby’s Al Suhail, who was a close third in the Solario Stakes at Sandown.
