'He must have a big chance' - layers taking evasive action as Willie Mullins dark horse heads Cesarewitch market

Sea Of Sands, unknown to many until last month, has been installed favourite for Saturday’s Club Godolphin Cesarewitch after bookmakers spotted clues to make them wary.

Trained by Willie Mullins and running in the colours of his wife Jackie, Sea Of Sands had been off the course for 776 days before winning a maiden hurdle at Listowel on September 25, his first start for the trainer.

The Racing Post in-running comments describe the six-year-old, who was a Group 3 winner on the Flat in Germany in 2021 and was second favourite for that year's German Derby, as scoring in a "canter", with Mullins explaining his absence being the result of training “issues”.

Patrick Mullins, who partnered Sea Of Sands, said on Monday: “Sea of Sands has nice Flat form and his work in Closutton has been good. It’ll be hard backing up quickly after a long layoff, but Listowel blew the cobwebs away and he must have a big chance.”

Sea Of Sands was the only horse confirmed by Mullins for the Cesarewitch, which he won three times between 2018-20. William Buick, who has been jocked up to ride, has ridden three times for the trainer, winning twice and finishing second.

The booking of Buick was particularly eye-catching for bet365, according to the firm’s spokesman Pat Cooney, and they make Sea Of Sands 4-1 favourite.

“The two red alerts from our position are William Buick being booked at this stage and the field cutting up as it has,” Cooney said. “Great White Shark was a horrendous result [in 2020] and we feel this horse is coming into the race with a similar profile.

“Being ex-French, it's difficult to get a true handle on the form so rather than building up a significant liability going into the race, we would rather be cautious until final declarations.”

Last year's Cesarewitch was won by The ShunterCredit: Edward Whitaker

Only 28 horses stood their ground for the Cesarewitch meaning this year’s race will be only the second time in the last decade that fewer than 30 runners will line up.

Paul Binfield, spokesman for Paddy Power, who make Sea Of Sands 5-1 favourite, said:  “We’ve made Sea Of Sands favourite because the race has cut up quite badly and he is one we have been laying, albeit at larger prices. We initially put him back in with three co-favourites, but we laid him almost immediately at 6-1 prompting us to go shorter.”

Five of the last six Cesarewitch winners have been trained in Ireland, including last year’s winner The Shunter, who has been left in the race by trainer Emmet Mullins and could be joined by stablemate Jacovec Cavern.

Similar to Sea Of Sands, Jacovec Cavern returned from a long layoff – 459 days – to finish a close second at the Galway festival and Ladbrokes make him 5-1 favourite ahead of 6-1 shot Sea Of Sands.

Head of PR Nicola McGeady said: “We thought Sea Of Sands looked fairly short so decided to stand out a bit as this is a totally different test. Jacovec Cavern came very close to landing a punt at Galway and looks the ideal type.”

Club Godolphin Cesarewitch (3.40 Newmarket, Saturday)
bet365: 4 Sea Of Sands, 7 Jacovec Cavern, 8 Sixandahalf, 10 The Shunter, 12 Premiere Ligne, Warmonger, 14 bar

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Godolphin add Middle Park winner to Dewhurst mix as only three trainers have runners - plus the Cesarewitch has a new favourite 

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