Irish raider Run For Oscar routs Cesarewitch rivals

Irish trainer Charles Byrnes saw his long-term plan for Run For Oscar come to fruition in emphatic fashion with a taking success in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap, much to the delight of part owner Mary O’Hanlon who described the victory as “unbelievable.”

Having secured his place in the two and a quarter mile test with victory at Haydock Park 62 days ago, the gelded of son of Oscar looked ahead of the assessor after proving a cut above his rivals in the heritage handicap, which was worth £103,080 to the winner.

Buried amongst his rivals for much of the race it wasn’t until just outside the two furlong pole that David Egan weaved his mount into contention seemingly still full of running with the majority of his rivals flat to the boards.

After sweeping past long-time leader Not So Sleepy the well backed 4-1 chance quickly put the race to bed in a matter of strides before crossing the line three and a quarter lengths clear of runner up Vino Victrix.

Byrnes said: “The plan was to arrive at the two furlong marker and that is why he took a pull at the three. He had a very good preparation and the race had been laid out for him.

“We decided not to go to the Curragh as I thought this race, the distance and the track would suit him much better. It was one of those plans that came off on this occasion but they don’t always come off.

“The plan during the summer was to go to Galway for the amateurs’ race and he got balloted out then. When he didn’t get in there we needed to win somewhere to get in here so we took him to Haydock Park.

“Everything went very smoothly and he got a smooth run through and got there in plenty of time. Once I saw the nose peeping through there I said it would be hard to see him get beat but you never know.

“We won the Cesarewitch Trial here last year (with Turnpike Trip) and David’s father John rode him. We were thinking of this race for that fella but he picked up an injury. So with this horse it has been on the back of my mind for a long time.”

Not only was Byrnes pleased to see his long term plan for Run For Oscar come off, but he was delighted it was in the silks of the Top Of The Hill Syndicate, who have enjoyed Grade One victories together with Byrnes over the jumps with Solwhit.

He added: “They have been the most tremendous owners, once in a lifetime and they have always left it to me.

“They deserve every bit of success they get. It is so hard for us smaller trainers to get our hands on a good horse for a handicap let alone a graded race.

“I’ve been very fortunate through the years. He could go back over hurdles well. He is on a nice mark over hurdles and my son could ride him and take off seven.

“There is a race at Haydock Park that jumps into my mind straight away. Whatever he does after today is a bonus.”

Although admitting to being a “bit nervous”, Mary O’Hanlon, who is part of the winning syndicate alongside her husband Pat and three children, hopes there remains plenty more chapters in the story of Run For Oscar.

She said: “It is unbelievable and I’m hoarse now. My husband Pat is more into it than me but he was keeping me calm and giving me a running commentary right the way through.

“I was a bit nervous but we were hopeful. We had a few bob on him as well.

“It has been a terrific day so far and I know we had big days with Solwhit but this has been really good today especially with this horse.

“Hopefully there is more to come but we will leave it to the trainer where we go next. There is nice hat shop over there so I might have a look at some!”

As for winning rider David Egan he believed that everything went to plan from the moment the pair set foot on the track.

Egan said: “That was Plan A. Mr Byrnes filled me with lots of confidence going into the race and told me to just take my time.

“It’s a race where they go a strong gallop early and they get going very early but he didn’t put any pressure on me – he told me to just creep along and sneak into the race.

“He would rather I was running on to get a place than be up there to lose a place and he has done even better than that.

“The Cesarewitch is a very specialist race. Not only is there the distance of an extended two miles and two furlongs but you have to canter down the whole way and need a horse with a very good mind.

“He hacked to post – we went down second and I had no other horses around me. I was a mile and a half in front of the rest of the field and he just lobbed away saving so much energy.

“I saw a couple of the other runners getting warm and sweaty and taking a hold going to post. It makes a big difference with a horse like him. He dropped out and crept into the race from half a mile out. I took a pull on him three out. He’s a very good horse.”

Run For Oscar becomes the sixth Irish-trained Cesarewitch winner in the post-WW2 era following Vintage Crop (1992), Leg Spinner (2007), Low Sun (2018), Stratum (2019) and Great White Shark (2020).