The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap

horse race Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, ...

in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs (3,621 metres), and finishes on the Rowley Mile. It is scheduled to take place each year in October.

History

"Cesarewitch" is an anglicised version of

Tsesarevich Tsesarevich (russian: Цесаревич, ) was the title of the heir apparent or presumptive in the Russian Empire. It either preceded or replaced the given name and patronymic. Usage It is often confused with " tsarevich", which is a di ...

, the title of the heir to the throne in Imperial Russia. The race was named in honour of Tsesarevich Alexander (later Tsar Alexander II), after he donated £300 to the

Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, a ...

. The event was established in 1839, and the inaugural running was won by Cruiskeen. It was founded in the same year as another major handicap at Newmarket, the

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to t ...

. The two races came to be known as the Autumn Double. The Cesarewitch initially took place before the Cambridgeshire, but the schedule was later reversed and it is now held two weeks after the other race. Three horses completed the double in the 19th century — Rosebery (1876), Foxhall (1881) and

Plaisanterie Plaisanterie (1882–1906) was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bred by the Comte de Dauger, she was sold in England for FF825 at the Tattersalls September yearling sale. She was purchased by trainer Thomas Carter, Jr., a member ...

(1885) — but the feat has been rarely attempted since then. The race was formerly staged during Newmarket's Champions' Day meeting in mid-October and became part of a new fixture called Future Champions Day in 2011. In 2014 the Cesarewitch was separated from Future Champions Day, which was moved back a week in the calendar, and in 2015 it returned to the Saturday of the new Future Champions Festival.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins): * Aaim To Prosper - ''2010, 2012'' Leading

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

(6 wins): * Doug Smith – ''Canatrice (1939), French Design (1954), Sandiacre (1957), Come to Daddy (1959), Alcove (1960), Persian Lancer (1966)'' Leading trainer (4 wins): * William Day – ''Haco (1853), Dulcibella (1860), Thalestris (1864), Foxhall (1881)'' *

Mathew Dawson Mathew Dawson (1820–1898) was a British racehorse trainer. In a career which lasted from 1840 until his death in 1898 he trained the winners of twenty-eight British Classic Races, a figure surpassed by only two other men. He was significant ...

– ''Lioness (1863), Julius (1867), Salvanos (1872), Stone Clink (1886)''

Winners since 1974

* ''Weights given in stones and pounds.''

Earlier winners

* 1839: Cruiskeen * 1840: Clarion * 1841: Iliona * 1842: Arcanus * 1843: Corranna * 1844:

Faugh-a-Ballagh Faugh-a-Ballagh (foaled 1841 in Ireland) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. A brother to Birdcatcher, Faugh-a-Ballagh was sold to E. J. Erwin in 1842. He ran once as a two-year-old at the Doncaster's Champagne Stakes, finishing third to The Cure ...

* 1845: The Baron * 1846: Wit's End * 1847: Caurouch * 1848: The Cur, owned by William Stuart Stirling-Crawfurd * 1849: Legerdemain * 1850: Glauca * 1851: Mrs Taft * 1852: Weathergage * 1853: Haco * 1854: Muscovite * 1855: Mr Sykes * 1856: Vengeance * 1857: Prioress * 1858: Rocket * 1859: Artless * 1860: Dulcibella * 1861: Audrey * 1862: Hartington * 1863: Lioness * 1864: Thalestris * 1865: Salpinctes * 1866: Lecturer * 1867: Julius * 1868: Cecil * 1869: Cherie * 1870: Cardinal York * 1871: Corisande * 1872: Salvanos * 1873: King Lud * 1874: Aventuriere * 1875: Duke of Parma * 1876: Rosebery * 1877: Hilarious * 1878: Jester * 1879: Chippendale * 1880:

Robert the Devil Robert the Devil () is a legend of medieval origin about a Norman knight who discovers he is the son of Satan. His mother, despairing of heaven's aid in order to obtain a son, had asked for help from the devil. Robert's satanic instincts propel hi ...

* 1881: Foxhall * 1882: Corrie Roy * 1883: Don Juan * 1884: St Gatien * 1885:

* 1886: Stone Clink * 1887: Humewood * 1888: Tenebreuse * 1889: Primrose Day * 1890: Sheen * 1891: Ragimunde * 1892: Burnaby * 1893: Cypria / Red Eyes * 1894: Childwick * 1895: Rockdove * 1896: St Bris * 1897:

Merman Mermen, the male counterparts of the mythical female mermaids, are legendary creatures, which are male human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal human shape. Sometimes they are described as hideous and other ...

* 1898: Chaleureux * 1899: Scintillant * 1900: Clarehaven * 1901: Balsarroch * 1902: Black Sand * 1903: Grey Tick * 1904: Wargrave * 1905: Hammerkop * 1906: Mintagon * 1907: Demure * 1908: Yentoi * 1909: Submit * 1910: Verney * 1911: Willonyx * 1912: Warlingham * 1913: Fiz Yama * 1914: Troubadour * 1915:

Son-in-Law Son-in-Law (22 April 1911 – 15 May 1941) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses. The National Horseracing Museum says Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this c ...

* 1916: Sanctum * 1917: Furore * 1918: Air Raid * 1919: Ivanhoe * 1920: Bracket * 1921: Yutoi * 1922: Light Dragoon * 1923: Rose Prince * 1924: Charley's Mount * 1925: Forseti * 1926: Myra Gray * 1927: Eagle's Pride * 1928: Arctic Star * 1929: West Wicklow * 1930: Ut Majeur * 1931: Noble Star * 1932: Nitsichin * 1933: Seminole * 1934: Enfield * 1935: Near Relation * 1936: Fet * 1937: Punch * 1938: Contrevent * 1939: Cantatrice * 1940: Hunter's Moon * 1941: Filator * 1942: ''no race'' * 1943: Germanicus * 1944: ''no race'' * 1945: Kerry Piper * 1946: Monsieur l'Amiral * 1947: Whiteway * 1948: Woodburn * 1949: Strathspey * 1950: Above Board * 1951: Three Cheers * 1952: Flush Royal * 1953: Chantry * 1954: French Design * 1955: Curry * 1956: Prelone * 1957: Sandiacre * 1958: Morecambe * 1959: Come to Daddy * 1960: Alcove * 1961: Avon's Pride * 1962: Golden Fire * 1963: Utrillo * 1964: Grey of Falloden * 1965: Mintmaster * 1966: Persian Lancer * 1967: Boismoss * 1968: Major Rose * 1969: Floridian * 1970: Scoria * 1971: Orosio * 1972: Cider with Rosie * 1973: Flash Imp

Notes

References

* Paris-Turf: ** , , , , *

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of ...