The Shunter repelled all challengers to fulfil a long-term plan in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Trained by Emmet Mullins, the 10-year-old is more famed for his exploits over obstacles, having won at the Cheltenham Festival and been placed at Grade One level in novice chase company.

Back on the level though, The Shunter teamed up with James Doyle in the two-and-a-quarter-mile contest which offered over £103,000 to the winner.

Doyle rode The Shunter (14-1) with restraint in the early exchanges, making stealthy headway before pushing to the front two furlongs out.

Top weight Tashkhan had been prominent throughout but he was eager for a battle, pushing The Shunter all the way through the closing stages while Pied Piper, another National Hunt runner moving back to the Flat, made a late grab for glory inside the distance.

However, The Shunter dug deep to prevail by three-quarters of length from Pied Piper, with Tashkhan (25-1) a further head back in third and 100-1 shot Bashful Boy grabbing fourth.

Mullins admitted this race had been the plan for almost a year, with future plans yet to be decided.

He said: “It was a brilliant performance from horse and rider. I’d say James didn’t know what to make of the instructions going out as I said the horse has probably got more ignorance than ability, but he’ll keep pulling it out and keep fighting.

“It’s a bit surreal it’s come off. This race has probably been on the radar since he finished fourth in the November Handicap in Naas last year. We always thought there could be a big pot in him on the Flat and patience has paid off.

“He’s been in great order at home and he’s very tough, which he has shown down through the years.

“All options are open again. He was entered in last year’s Grand National and we scratched him at the 11th hour, but everything is an option.”

Aidan O’Brien hailed City Of Troy as the best two-year-old he has trained following a sensational display in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

O’Brien expressed some doubts about the soft ground in the lead up to the race but the decision to run the colt proved the right call.

Under Ryan Moore, the unbeaten juvenile set the early pace as the 8-15 favourite and the triumph looked inevitable when he surged clear of his seven rivals two furlongs from home before crossing the line three and a half lengths ahead.

Ancient Wisdom made light work of the Emirates Autumn Stakes for William Buick and Charlie Appleby.

The bay was the 2-1 joint favourite for the one-mile Group Three and was ridden patiently on soft ground that he seemed to relish.

Coming out of the dip on the Rowley Mile he began to gather pace and was easily able to pull away from his rivals to secure a three-and-three-quarter-length victory over Chief Little Rock.

Ancient Wisdom had been off the track since finishing third to subsequent Group One scorer Rosallion in July and Appleby, who was winning the race for the fourth successive year, was delighted to see the Dubawi colt leave that run well behind him.

He said: “We were disappointed we were beaten at Ascot, but the form worked out so well you couldn’t really be disappointed in it.

“I’ve held my hands up – I probably mismanaged him by running him here at Newmarket on his second start. He broke his maiden at Haydock and I thought I’d take him to Newmarket thinking I’d get a bit more experience and I was probably just forcing him a bit too much.

“After Ascot we said we’d give him a nice break and come here for either this or the Zetland, thinking he’ll be a nice middle-distance type for next year.”

On whether he views Ancient Wisdom as a Derby contender, the trainer added: “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, but I think a mile and a quarter will be well within his compass and I personally feel he’ll appreciate going a mile and a half.

“It’s nice to see some of these two-year-olds coming to the fore. You can go through the season wondering where the next star or nice horse is going to come from, hopefully over the last 24 hours we’ve started to unearth a couple.

“He’s a Dubawi and with those middle-distance type Dubawis, I personally think you can’t force them too much in the early part of their three-year-old career.

“Something like at Dante (at York) might be a target for him, whether we take in a race before a Dante we’ll just see where we are in the spring.”

Betfair cut Ancient Wisdom to 12-1 from 33s for next year’s Derby.

Alsakib looks set to head for Qatar during the winter after continuing his steep upward trajectory in the £120,000 bet365 Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket.

The grey son of Kingman had won three of his four previous starts for Andrew Balding, most recently landing a valuable handicap at Ascot last month.

With James Doyle in the saddle, Alsakib was the 100-30 favourite to defy a 9lb rise and land another lucrative prize on the Rowley Mile and he eventually reeled in Shadow Dance to prevail by half a length.

“He’s a lovely horse who has done nothing but improve and stays well, which has slightly surprised me,” said Balding.

“At Goodwood (finished third over a mile and a quarter) it looked like he might stay a bit further and he’s now unbeaten over a mile and a half. He’s definitely going the right way.

“I doubt we’d go again this season in England. The hope, certainly for the owner, is that he might run in the Qatar Derby in December. That would be dropping back to a mile and a quarter, but that was always the intention after putting him in training with me, so we’ll look towards that.

“If he comes back next year, anything is possible.”

Devoted Queen made an impressive start to her career in the first division of the Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

A Kingman half-sister to the high-class One Ruler, Charlie Appleby’s youngster was the 15-8 favourite to make a successful debut and quickened up smartly to beat Vicario by two and a quarter lengths in the hands of William Buick.

Appleby and Buick were completing a double following the earlier success of Dance Sequence in the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes, and the trainer said: “She (Devoted Queen) is a nice filly, her work has been good at home and she’s from a family that we know.

“There was confidence coming into her today, but as Will said beforehand, she’s a filly for the future and he wanted to ride her the right way round and get the most out of her that way.

“I think we’ll just see how she does mentally before we decide if we run her again this year. She’s a filly who does everything a little bit on her nerves at home, which is why she wore the red hood to post today. We’ll see how she comes out of it and decide whether we give her one more run or put her away.”

Division Two of the seven-furlong contest went to the stoutly-bred Glimpsed (13-8), trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Rossa Ryan.

The Night Of Thunder filly is a sibling to several Pattern race performers for owner-breeder Julian Richmond-Watson, including the Group One-winning stayer Scope.

Get The Music On was the 6-4 favourite following a narrow defeat on her Lingfield introduction, but Glimpsed’s stamina kicked in late on and she got up to score by a length and a quarter.

Beckett’s assistant Joe Tuite said: “She’s not the biggest, but she’s well-bred and very tough and showed a great attitude.

“Her work has been good and we’re pleased she’s transferred that to the racecourse.

“She does what it says on the tin, there’s stamina in her pedigree and I’m sure she will stay further.”

The concluding Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes was run in near darkness and driving rain – and it was Gary Moore’s 9-1 shot Novus who emerged from the gloom to secure Group Three honours by two lengths from Veil Of Shadows.

Winning jockey Tom Queally said: “I couldn’t see much, and I knew I was going to give her a great ride because no one else could see anything either!

“All she’s done all year is improve and it’s remarkable because she’s had a few little niggles along the way. She wasn’t quite right a few weeks ago and Gary has done a great job with her.

“She loves dig in the ground and on the dam’s side there’s stamina, so we were quietly confident that would make a difference and it did.”

Classy hurdler Pied Piper will bid to continue the Irish domination of the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.

Formally owned by the late Queen when twice a winner on the Flat for John and Thady Gosden, it is over obstacles where the now Gordon Elliott-trained five-year-old has made his name, finishing second and third respectively at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.

With attentions turned to the level once again following a long summer absence, Pied Piper finished third on his comeback run at Killarney in late August and the Cullentra House handler has managed to snare the prized booking of Ryan Moore ahead of this main autumn objective.

“It’s very interesting and we’re really looking forward to it,” said Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction.

“He’s in great form and his prep up to this has been very good, so Gordon is very happy with him.

“He is on a nice mark (96) and he’s after having a good break from jumping last year. He’s come back a bigger, stronger and fresher horse. It’s a big ask in a big field but we’re very happy with him.

“It’s going to be a messy race and it’s a big field as we all know, but hopefully Ryan will be in a nice position and will be happy. We’re very lucky and Gordon has done a great job, we’re really looking forward to having Ryan Moore riding him.”

The Irish have won four of the last five runnings of the Cesarewitch, with Elliott’s great rival Willie Mullins responsible for three of those victories.

Jockey bookings would suggest the William Buick-ridden Lot Of Joy is the pick of the Closutton quintet this time, with Rachael Blackmore getting the leg up aboard Jackfinbar, while hoping to join his uncle on the roll of honour is Emmet Mullins, who will saddle Cheltenham Festival winner The Shunter – who he describes as “Mr Versatility”.

The Grand National-winning trainer is keeping his eye on the weather and said: “Hopefully they get all the rain that is due and he could run a big race.

“He is a very versatile horse and he proved that when picking up the bonus by winning over both hurdles and fences in the space of two weeks. He’s Mr Versatility and obviously this is another avenue we can explore with him.

“He always runs his race and has been training well and hopefully is there to take his chance.”

Noel Meade is another Irish handler more commonly associated with training over jumps and has assembled a two-strong raiding party headed by Galway Hurdle runner-up and Irish Cesarewitch fourth Jesse Evans.

“He’s actually better off in this race than he was in the Irish Cesarewitch,” explained Meade.

“He seems in good shape but had a hard race in the Irish Cesarewitch, so we will have to hope he has recovered from that. But he seems OK and the little bit of work he has done has been good and we’re happy with him.

“He likes fast or fastish ground but the trip is a little bit of an unknown with him. He gets two miles all right, but two-miles-two, I don’t know, we will see.”

Jesse Evans will be joined in the line-up by stablemate Sheishybrid, who tuned up for this by finishing second over track and trip in the Cesarewitch Trial Handicap.

“She was second in the trial there and she is a good bit better off with the one that won it,” continued Meade.

“She stays all day and she will get two and a half miles. She will get the trip no problem and seems to have come out of the race well the last day. The quicker the ground, the better.”

Getting the better of Sheishybrid in the Cesarewitch trial was Andrew Balding’s Grand Providence, who will once again be partnered by Hayley Turner as she edges her way towards 1,000 career winners.

The jockey said: “She’s got a nice light weight and is proven at the distance at the track. Staying has really brought out the best side of her.”

Hughie Morrison saddled Vino Victrix and Not So Sleepy to finish second and third respectively in this 12 months ago and both are back for another crack at the prestigious handicap.

Not So Sleepy arrives after making all in Newbury’s Autumn Cup last month and will now have the burden of a 4lb penalty, while Vino Victrix returns to the Rowley Mile off a mark 2lb lower than when second to Run For Oscar in 2022.

“Sleepy didn’t help his chances by winning that handicap the other day, but that was very pleasurable and now he has a penalty,” said Morrison.

“We haven’t been trying to be cute with Vino, just nothing has really come for him this year. If he comes back to form, he could run into a place again.

“It would be nice to have a nice, big winner at the end of the season, but we’ve had a great year and can’t be greedy.”

Battle-hardened stayer Tashkhan registered his first victory in over two years when thriving in the mud at Chester recently and his handler Brian Ellison is hoping conditions will allow for another bold showing off top-weight here.

“I’m praying we get enough rain and it looks like it’s coming,” said Ellison. “We need it and the owner is keen on running, but obviously he won’t run unless the ground is right.

“He was good last time, top-weight in a handicap and giving weight away and a beating to in-form horses. It was good and we were over the moon with him really, he’s bouncing at the moment.

“I wouldn’t say he has to step up, but the ground is more important to him than the horses he runs against – he needs that soft or heavy ground.”

David Pipe’s Wordsworth was purchased with this race in mind and was seen to good effect over hurdles at Bangor 10 days ago, while Gary Moore’s Goshen and the Alan King-trained Tritonic are other names jumps fans will be familiar with.

The latter will attempt to give King and owners the McNeill family a second win in the race after combining with Grumeti in 2015 and Tritonic’s jockey Rossa Ryan believes he will be right in the mix.

He said: “I love him and I would put a line through Goodwood. It was sticky ground there and he didn’t like it.

“It either needs to stay dry and become nice, good ground or it stays raining and becomes loose. I think in the middle of that, he’s not in love with it.

“Alan’s are in good form and he will have a chance, he won’t be bringing him for the sake of it.”

Aidan O’Brien expects City Of Troy will gain some valuable experience as he makes his eagerly-anticipated return in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes.

The son of Justify made a winning debut at the Curragh in July and then blew the field away to take the Superlative Stakes by six and a half lengths later in the same month.

The National Stakes was then bypassed due to unsuitable ground and while the going was officially described as soft on Friday, connections are happy to take up their Rowley Mile engagement as they look to get another run in before the end of the campaign.

City Of Troy currently heads the betting for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby, with O’Brien viewing the Dewhurst as a perfect ending to the colt’s campaign.

O’Brien said: “He’s ready for his third run. Obviously he was due to the go the Curragh three weeks ago and that didn’t work, but everyone is happy with him.

“We always loved him and he’s done everything we’ve asked him so far. This should be a lovely run to finish him off for the year and give him more experience.

“Everything is well with him. He is a beautiful moving horse.”

Also entered is Owen Burrows’ Alyanaabi, a Shadwell-owned colt who was last seen winning the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over course and distance in late September.

Of that performance, Burrows said: “I felt he had to quicken at a few stages in the Group Three last time. He had to quicken down the hill and he had to quicken going up the hill.

“I’m not concerned if there is lack of pace in the race as this horse has won over six furlongs, so if it did turn into a sprint late on I wouldn’t be concerned. He is pretty versatile.

“We always felt he was this level and the fact I pitched him in a Listed race on his second start (Pat Eddery Stakes) instead of going for a novice race under a penalty suggested that.

“He has always shown a fair level and it wasn’t out of the realms of possibility he would be rocking up in a race like this.”

Charlie Hills’ Iberian was a winner last time out when taking the Champagne Stakes under Tom Marquand, the same jockey who takes the rides at Newmarket on Saturday.

He said: “I’m looking forward to riding him and obviously he will have to take another step forward, but he holds all the credentials for a horse that you are going into a race like that on.

“It’s a different task but one he looks ready to go and tackle.

“I was very impressed (at Doncaster) like everyone else who was watching him and he showed a good turn of foot, which is what you need over seven in a Group One. There’s obviously been Group One winners behind him, albeit on different ground. He’s in top order so fingers crossed.”

On the threat of City Of Troy, the rider added: “We’ve only seen him on a racecourse twice and he’s off a three-month absence since the Superlative. While he was impressive in that, if ever there is a day to take on a horse like that, this is it. Circumstances are probably as ever in our favour as they can be and I’m looking forward to it.”

Juddmonte and Andrew Balding have supplemented Mill Reef winner Array into the race where he will be ridden by James Doyle.

Juddmonte’s Barry Mahon said: “It’s a big task, but he’s in good form and won the Mill Reef well.

“No Nay Never’s progeny seem to excel at two and there wasn’t a whole lot left for him this year, so the owners were keen to give it a go and so was Andrew and we said we’d give it a rattle.

“I think we’re confident enough about the trip – Oisin (Murphy) was pretty confident that he’d stay the seven the last day.”

Eve Johnson Houghton has an entrant in Indian Run, a dual winner this term who made his Group debut when landing the Acomb Stakes at York by a length and a half in August.

“He’s got a big day and obviously it’s a hot race, it’s a championship race,” the trainer said.

“He goes there in great form and we go there very hopeful. He’s done everything we’ve ever asked of him, so let’s hope he keeps on going that way.”

Completing the field is John and Thady Gosden’s Eben Shaddad, third in the Tattersalls Stakes, Richard Hannon’s Vintage Stakes winner Haatem and O’Brien’s Henry Adams.

Ylang Ylang stayed on to land the bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained bay was not prominent under Ryan Moore and was handled patiently after starting at odds of 9-2 in the one-mile Group One.

On soft ground the race became more of a test of stamina and in the latter stages of the contest she was able to edge past the 3-1 favourite Shuwari to prevail.