Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap: Pied Piper cut after Moore booking

Pied Piper is the 9/2 favourite with Coral in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap betting odds after Ryan Moore was booked to ride him at Newmarket on Saturday.

Gordon Elliot’s five-year-old was already the ante-post favourite and his odds have been cut after the latest entry stage.

The dual-purpose performer had a spin on the Flat at Killarney in August, where he looked the likely winner only to fade into third close home.

A classy hurdler who was second in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, connections are hoping there is still some wriggle room from his Flat mark earned during his days with John and Thady Gosden.

Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction, said: “Killarney was his first run back, Gordon wanted to give him a run and he ran great, he just blew up and hopefully he’ll improve a lot from it.

“There seems to be a lot of jumpers, mainly dual-purpose horses, in there this year and I think the ground will suit him.

“The big thing this year is that he’s had a break. When we bought him the year before we just kept him going, he ran at Cheltenham, Aintree and then Royal Ascot – we did an awful lot with him.

“We decided to give him a good break this year through the summer and hopefully he’ll have got stronger and will be a fresher horse.

“He’s not massively exposed on the Flat and his run at Royal Ascot was very good when you look back. He had traffic problems and wasn’t beaten all that far by Coltrane who is one of the best stayers around.

“We’d be hoping he should have a very nice run there before he goes back jumping.”

Coral’s David Stevens said: “Pied Piper was already clear favourite for the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch before the booking of Ryan Moore was announced but the news has unsurprisingly been well-received by punters, with the Grade 2-winning hurdler backed into 9/2 market leader following the latest entry stage for the race.”

A total of 40 remain in contention, including David Pipe’s recent Bangor winner Wordsworth.

Willie Mullins has several options at the five-day stage including M C Muldoon and Lot Of Joy.

Eleven-year-old Not So Sleepy, back to winning ways last time out, is due to be partnered by Tom Marquand and is proving a popular choice, having been cut from 25/1 to 14/1 in the Cesarewitch Handicap betting odds.

Emmet Mullins will be represented by 20/1 shot The Shunter, a Cheltenham Festival winner over fences in 2021.

Owner JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “Emmet was happy with him before the weekend and the intention then was to go.

“He ran a nice race on the Flat in the summer (fourth), Emmet was pleased with that and you’d expect him to come forward from that. He’ll go there in good nick, anyway, and we hope he runs well.”

Grand Providence and Vino Victrix are the 10/1 joint-second favourites ahead of Jesse Evans at 12/1.

Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap odds

9/2 Pied Piper

10/1 Grand Providence, Vino Victrix

12/1 Jesse Evans

14/1 Not So Sleepy

16/1 Blazeon Five, Novel Legend, Tashkan, Temporize, Zenon

20/1 Aztec Empire, Golden Shot, Goshen, Lot Of Joy, M C Muldoon, Mr Escobar, Sheishybrid, The Shunter, The Very Man, Wordsworth

25/1 Bar