Alphonse Le Grande etched his name into racing folklore by becoming only the second horse ever to capture the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch on two separate occasions, storming through in the closing stages to deny the heavily-backed Sea Lantern at Newmarket.
The seven-year-old, trained by Tony Martin and ridden by 5lb claimer Patrick McGettigan, produced a powerful late surge to collar the 4-1 favourite Sea Lantern, who had taken the lead inside the final furlong. The winning margin was a short head in what proved to be a thrilling climax to the historic handicap. Dawn Rising, the runner-up from the previous year, finished third, while High Fibre completed the frame in fourth.
Alphonse Le Grande's triumph mirrors his success in 2024, placing him alongside Aaim To Prosper as the only dual winners of this prestigious contest, with Aaim To Prosper having won in 2010 and 2012. According to Sporting Life, Alphonse Le Grande won at 18-1 odds, with the race attracting a field of 29 runners and an official winning time of 3 minutes 46.45 seconds.
Martin, who was serving a three-month suspension when Alphonse Le Grande won two years ago—a period during which Cathy O'Leary held the licence—expressed his delight at the outcome.
I couldn't believe it, I thought we had ruined our chances by running two weeks ago at the Curragh. But he's such a tough little horse he pulled it out the bag. He keeps turning up when we need him and on better ground he finds another gear.
The trainer went on to praise McGettigan's performance, highlighting the young rider's composure and tactical awareness.
I didn't know we had got it, but I'm delighted he got the right result in the photo - I just need to make sure the jockey weighs in!
He has never ridden for me before, but he came up and sat on him in the week and I loved the positivity. He did exactly what we asked him to do when we had a good chat with him in the week.
Martin elaborated on McGettigan's credentials and his handling of the race.
He rode in the race last year and for a fellow of his age he really shone there today. I was hoping it would happen, but you can never be sure a 5lb claimer would be capable of doing that and he was excellent.
I knew they had started racing early and I wondered had he overdone it a little bit, but we were tracking the right man turning in and he was a length off Ryan Moore and it was great for a young lad to have the patience to do what he did.
The trainer also reflected on the challenges leading into the race and the horse's remarkable durability.
I thought the ground was gone two years ago when he won and I probably shouldn't have run him at the Curragh last time. But he's such a tough and durable horse and he's bounced back. Luckily the weather has held, he got his ground today and we got a great result.
Looking ahead, Martin expressed optimism about Alphonse Le Grande's future.
He's only seven and if he comes home safe and sound we can have plenty of fun with him again next year.
According to Sporting Life, Alphonse Le Grande's 2024 victory came after initial controversy, as he was disqualified for whip misuse before being reinstated on appeal. He won that edition off an official rating of 87, the same rating at which he triumphed in 2026.
Sea Lantern's near-miss and future prospects
For Brian Ellison, the result was bittersweet. His charge Sea Lantern ran a tremendous race but fell just short in the photo finish.
He's run an unbelievable race and he got a bump which I'm not sure if it cost him. He's run brilliant.
According to At The Races, Ellison revealed that Sea Lantern was bumped by High Fibre approximately 150 yards from the finish, an incident the trainer believes may have disrupted his horse's momentum and potentially cost him the race.
Despite the defeat, Ellison remains convinced of Sea Lantern's potential at the highest level.
He's a really good horse and I think he could definitely be a Group horse. He's so laid-back, it's gutting we got beat but we're so pleased he ran so well.
Sea Lantern, a four-year-old with only four career starts to his name, had won a five-runner handicap at Pontefract before stepping up to Cesarewitch company. Ellison plans to rest the horse over the winter months and target staying races over two miles in the coming season, with possible progression to Group-level contests forming part of his long-term strategy for the improving youngster.
