Ante-post favourite Sweet William 'unlikely' to run in the Cesarewitch says John Gosden

Sweet William, a general 5-1 ante-post favourite for the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket next month, is an "unlikely" runner according to joint-trainer John Gosden.

The four-year-old was promoted to favouritism for the 2m2f stamina test, which is staged on the Rowley Mile on October 14, after his half-length defeat to fellow Cesarewitch entry Absurde in the Ebor Handicap at York last month.

Sweet William was sent off a short-priced 5-2 favourite that day on the back of his smooth defeat of Adjuvant in the Coral Summer Handicap at Goodwood, which was over a mile and six furlongs, but he had previously won over an extended two miles at Newbury in July, suggesting he would have no problem with the Cesarewitch distance.

Gosden said: “Sweet William has come out of his run in the Ebor Handicap in good shape, but at this stage I would say he's an unlikely runner in the Cesarewitch. He may well run again this year but he could have other options."

Sweet William, who was unraced at two, is still relatively lightly raced having made only seven career starts, with five of them coming this season.

His only other entry this year is in the Group 2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, a race the Gosden stable last won with Stradivarius in 2018, on Champions Day at Ascot on October 21.

Before that, a potential option for the Normandie Stud-owned gelding could be the Listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes over two miles on the first day of Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting on September 28.

Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (4.15 Newmarket, October 14)

bet365: 5 Sweet William, 8 Absurde, 10 Echoes In Rain, Dawn Rising, Teed Up, 12 Live Your Dream, 14 Novel Legend, The Very Man, Pied Piper, Lot Of Joy, 16 bar

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