Thursday April 10, 2008
The Guardian
Between them, Sir Michael Stoute, Aidan O'Brien and Godolphin have been responsible for nine of the last dozen 2,000 Guineas winners. As the countdown to the 200th running of the Newmarket Classic got under way with a preview lunch at the Rowley Mile yesterday, it was clear that the powerful trio would provide serious opposition to the Jim Bolger-trained favourite, New Approach, on May 3.
A bout of flu kept O'Brien at his Ballydoyle base, but the four-times Guineas-winning trainer delivered an upbeat bulletin by phone about his main hope for the Classic, Jupiter Pluvius, and hinted at an unraced colt who could yet work his way into contention.
"Jupiter Pluvius is on target at the moment. He worked this morning and went well," said O'Brien. "Last year a lot of our two-year-olds weren't good enough in the top races. We had a lull in mid-season and had to back off them. By the end of the season we had run out of time, but it was important we didn't do them any damage."
Jupiter Pluvius, a 10-1 shot with the Guineas sponsors Stan James, won his only two starts, beating Famous Name in a Group 3 event at Leopardstown in October. Famous Name did that form no harm when running away with last Sunday's 2,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown.
Plan, a Leopardstown maiden winner, could enter calculations and, intriguingly, O'Brien singled out the unraced Zulu Chief for special mention. "He will run in a maiden race at the Craven meeting next week," said the trainer.
Although Listen has been ruled out of the 1,000 Guineas - "she should be fine for the second half of the season" - O'Brien is hopeful that either Savethisdanceforme or Kitty Matcham will measure up to the required standard on May 4.
Speaking from Dubai, Simon Crisford said that Godolphin's "big guns" were on course to arrive in Newmarket on April 24 or 25. Ibn Khaldun, currently third-favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, is the standard bearer. "He is really pleasing us," said Crisford. "But Fast Company doesn't show very much. We hope it is just laziness, as we know he is a very good horse." Second to New Approach in last season's Dewhurst, Fast Company would not want the ground too fast on Guineas day, Crisford added.
Sir Michael Stoute, sharing a table with fellow Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani, nominated Shadeed in 1985 as his most memorable Guineas winner: "Because Lester [Piggott, who partnered Shadeed] would not ride Bairn [who finished second] and that really pissed Luca off."
Stoute, who later admitted that King's Best, the 2000 winner, was his top Guineas horse - "he and Zilzal were the best milers I've trained" - will rely on Confront next month, with a run at next week's Craven meeting or at Newbury planned beforehand. However Tartan Bearer, a full brother to Stoute's 2001 Guineas winner Golan, is expected to miss the race.
It is 32 years since Henry Cecil last won the 2,000 Guineas and yesterday he was not making any wild predictions about his entrants, Twice Over and Kandahar Run. "Both have to prove themselves," he said. "Twice Over is by a sire [Observatory] no one wants to know, so we'll see. But I quite believe he has the speed for a mile."
Sir Mark Prescott, who sent out Confidential Lady to finish second in the 1,000 Guineas two years ago, will be a spectator next month but he reckons Newmarket has the winner of the fillies' Classic in James Fanshawe's Spacious. "She looks very well and I think her form is good," was the verdict of one of the shrewdest brains in the business.
