Who Dares Wins battle of the day

WHO Dares Wins got the better of his Alan King-trained stablemate Coeur De Lion to win the Betfred Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket.

As is so often the case in these marathon handicaps, jumps trainers were to the fore with dual-purpose performer Shrewd back in third.

Coeur De Lion was sent off the 9-2 favourite, but the smart juvenile hurdler was struggling briefly three furlongs from home under Hollie Doyle.

While he responded to pressure, Who Dares Wins (7-1) and Tom Marquand made rapid headway up the far rail.

The two stablemates came close together inside the final furlong but Who Dares Wins, who had finished fourth in the Chester Cup and third in the Ascot Stakes, finally landed a big pot by a length and threequarters.

Shrewd filled the same position as 12 months ago with the veteran Oriental Fox staying on into fourth.

King was not present at he was attending a wedding, but owner Henry Ponsonby said from Newbury: “I’m obviously really pleased.

“He really deserved that. He was slightly unlucky in the Chester Cup and ran a cracker at Royal Ascot.

“He goes to the Cesarewitch now. He picks up a penalty but we’re not too bothered about that, it was worth winning this.

“The slow pace caught him out last time at Chester.

“He’s had a light campaign and of course he’s a very useful hurdler, too, so we’ve that to look forward to as well.”

The winner was cut to 12-1 from 16s for the Cesarewitch itself.

Hughie Morrison’s Star Rock (5-2 favourite) won the ebfstallions.com Bentley Cambridge Fillies’ Handicap on her first outing since May.

She was also a winner on that occasion, when she beat Luca Cumani’s God Given who was not disgraced in Group One company last time out.

Morrison said: “I hadn’t over-trained her, so I didn’t know what to expect.

“She just knocked herself and as she’s a nice horse in the making, I didn’t want to rush her.

“I think the obvious race for her now is the Old Rowley Cup given she’s entered in that, she’s progressive, hopefully.”