Here we go again. The first classic weekend is upon us.
Poetic Voice winning the Killavullan stakes at Leopardstown last October, picture courtesy of Seb Daly and Getty images
Newmarket hosts the 2000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1000 Guineas on Sunday.
In the colts version Wembley heads the market with the money coming all week in the lead up to the race.
He’s raced six times with just the one win credited, a Roscommon Maiden. It’s what he’s registered as runner-up in those other runs that has commanded his position at the top of the market. Prior to Roscommon, he’d run second to Mac Swiney, the subsequent winner of the Vertem Futurity. After Roscommon he ran second to Joseph O’Brien’s Thunder Moon in the National and then was runner-up in the Dewhurst. In both, he came off the pace having been held up in rear.
It was Aidan O’Brien’s other runner Battleground who’d held sway in the ante-post market through the winter. Runner up at Keenland in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf he’d won the Chesham at Royal Ascot and The Vintage at Goodwood. It was a tardy start that possibly cost him in America.
Ballydoyle also sends Van Gogh, a G1 winner on heavy ground on his final start as a juvenile in France in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.
The springer in the market has been the Charlie Hills trained Mutasaabeg, twice raced, a winner of a Novice Stakes last year and a Conditions stakes this year, both here at Newmarket over 7 F, he’ll carry the famous blue and whites silks of Hamden Al Maktoum under the Shadwell banner.
Speaking of blue, Godolphin relies on a trio of Charlie Appleby inmates, One Ruler, Master Of The Seas and Naval Crown. One Ruler might be the pick of them on the back of his Autumn Stakes win here over Van Gogh and his second to Mac Swiney in the Vertem Futurity. Master Of The Seas was unexpectedly turned over by Naval Crown in the Meydan Classic but he did right the ship when winning the Craven here a few weeks ago however Naval Crown somewhat blotted the copybook in the European Free Handicap when second to Tactical.
Irish Interest in this is not confined to the O’Brien’s.
Jessica Harrington sends her Phoenix winner Lucky Vega, sharp as a tack over the 6F, he’d a miserable passage when stepped up to 7F in the National when fourth to Thunder Moon, checked not once but twice, he then ran second in the Middle Park to Supremacy back at 6F. It remains to be seen if he’s a sprinter.
Jim Bolger sends Poetic Flare, a winner of the first juvenile race of the season last March at the Curragh. He then didn’t see a racecourse again until October when Jim sent him to the Dewhurst. He acquitted himself well after a 201-day layoff to finish tenth, then a week later he took the Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown looking a smart horse and he continued where he left off when making a very pleasing return to take the 2000 Guineas Trial back at Leopardstown a few weeks ago.
Chindit for Richard Hannon bounced back to win the Greenham after flopping in the Dewhurst and also makes appeal.
An open 2000 Guineas.
Aidan O’Brien, as most trainers will say, had difficulty last year in preparing his string, particularly the two-year-old’s as a result of Covid. He’s expressed himself much happier this year with preparations and results at home point to him having them far more forward than normal. The ones that have travelled to England so far this year have not exactly shone, though none are of the caliber of what he sends here.
Charlie Appleby would seem to have a nice bunch of three year old’s but there are holes in the mile division.
There’s a lot to like about Charlie Hills Mutasaabeg who falls into the category, “could be anything” but we’ll go with Jim Bolger to repeat what he did with Dawn Approach.
Dawn Approach was a winner of Ireland’s first two-year-old race in March of his juvenile year and then went on to take the Guineas the following year. Poetic Flare by Dawn Approach has the opportunity to match his father’s feat.
Recommendation: Poetic Flare 12/1 ew