Haafhd was the last to go on to glory in the 2000 Guineas when proving a decisive winner of this in 2004. It’s glory days as a trial came in in the mid to late eighties and early nineties when winners included the likes of Shadeed, Dancing Brave, Doyoun, Tirol and Marju who all went to take the Guineas.
This years renewal has attracted a small field of four nevertheless it may prove very informative come Guineas day in May in three weeks time.
Richard Hannon who handled Tirol in 1990 reintroduces the unbeaten Tornado the ante post second favourite on most lists at around 6/1 for the Guineas. As a juvenile he was successful on the three occasions he went to the course. A maiden and Listed victory was followed by victory in the G2 Champagne Stakes over 7 f at Doncaster last year. He’ll go off a short price favourite for this on the back of that two year old campaign.
In the Guineas ante post market the other three are all generally 25 /1 shots.
Dundonnell for Roger Charlton reopposes Tornado having gone down a 1/2 L in the Champagne when he went off favourite. Previous to that he had won twice and looked to be a colt in the making. The Doncaster run was followed by a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf where again he went off favourite. He went down 2 1/4 L to George Vancouver having raced over keen early before settling and running on. It was his best race of the season.
Havana Gold also in the care of Richard Hannon is the most experienced runner in the field having run six times winning four including the G 3 Somerville Stakes at Newmarket. His last run was in the Tattersalls Millions Two Year Old Trophy, a restricted race where he was second to Ghurair who is a general 16/1 shot for the Guineas.
Tawhid represents Saeed bin Suroor and completes the line up. As a juvenile he progressed in three maiden runs finishing nowhere, second, winning and in his final appearance a G3 success in the Horris Hill Stakes. That’s an upward curve but how high it will go will now be tested.
That remark does apply to them all. This is afterall an early season trial and all connections will be looking to get something out of he race. It’s context as a Guineas trial will be whether the winner can provide any opposition to Dawn Approach in the ante post lists. A good winner will see him shorten and might see Jim Bolger’s colt lengthen as the market recalibrate’s to the possibility that the Guineas is not just a one horse race.
The one who could justify a change in the market is Dundonnell. Although only fourth at Santa Anita it was a G 1 contest. He’s also a colt who looked like he would improve with maturity and today he might just cause some ripples in the Guineas market.
Recommendation : Dundonnell 7/2 win