The 2026 2,000 Guineas

[archipenko]

Obrien doesnt take this race seriously any more, his horses will be "just ready to start" in early May, and the talk about trying to keep a lid on Albert Einstein doesnt bode well for him. We dont really know how good he is any case, by all accounts he was insanely precocious and others may have caught up with him. Wasnt interested at 10s, definitely not interested at 5s.

Bow Echo was another precocious one, he was sharp from day 1 and im not sure how much he improves this year. His tactical speed won the race at Haydock but Publish dwarfed him physically, and I was always of the opinion that the form would be revered this season. I also think that form, for all that it was exceptionally strong for the grade, is probably a little bit below the top level.

Publish has always looked more of a 3yo, he has been well touted for the Guineas since his unlucky debut defeat and was a bit under the radar at 20/1 over the winter. Hes a different type to Field Of Gold and might end up best at 10f, tho Kingmans have a great record over 8f at Newmarket, and he has a fair chance of breaking the Gosden hex. Not my top choice but he is my saver.

Gewan and Gstaad set the standard on the Dewhurst form, but neither looked to be in need of another furlong last season. Gstaad won over a mile in America, but round the bend at Del Mar on rattling ground is a long way from Newmarket and that looked a poor renewal. The Coventry and Morny are sprinter specialist races these days and the dam has produced nothing but sprinters so id maybe take a chance on the 14s for the Commonwealth.

Distant Storm is my pick for the race, he won a red hot maiden first time out, then ran with the choke out in the Acomb, and only got back into the Dewhurst picture as an afterthought given how impressive he was in the Somerville. They said all along he was one for next season and I do think hes crying out for the trip, they were just going a half stride too fast for him at 7f.

Appleby has won 3 of the last 4, their big hype job Talk Of New York had his bubble burst a little in Meydan, and Wootton Basset has a poor record over 8f at Newmarket (2 from 33), so I think Distant Storm will end up their number 1. He has very little to find with the top 2yos and all things considered I think hes excellent value at 16/1.

I also believe its encoded in the matrix. Date With Destiny, the only foal of George Washington, with her last and by far her best colt, turning up in the Guineas 20 years on from his iconic win. If you remember conditions at that Breeders Cup were the worst on record, strong winds and torrential rain. Now this colt by Night Of Thunder comes along, and Distant Storm is proper Guineas winners name.

 

[Ian_Davies]

Archipenko's posts are well worth waiting for imo - agree or not, always a cracking read.

I was there when Night Of Thunder won the 2,000 Guineas (having seen Kingman win the Greenham the previous month) and again when he won the Lockinge - I went racing more in those days.

I also had money on Ruling Court ante-post last year - Distant Storm's profile isn't entirely dissimilar, a decent 2yo just short of top-class, but bred to do better at three.

The only thing I'd take issue with is Gstaad and a mile.

Both times recorded historically over the Rowley Mile, relative to mile times at other venues, and walking the Rowley Mile personally have left me eternally convinced it's an indisputable FACT that all talk of it being a stiff mile is a MYTH.

It's gently downhill the first 7f and the uphill finish after the dip fails to much mitigate that.

I'd say it's no more of a stamina test than the Del Mar mile - tight track and freeway surface notwithstanding.

I'd wonder more how much Gstaad will improve from two to three and whether he's simply quite good enough.

All fascinating stuff.

 

[WandererSkyLight]

Oh I’m now at Veolia in Wycombe, my dad works there, only had 1 day of unemployment

I first went in 1982 and arrived at Newmarket on the Wednesday night in the pitch dark.

Woke up to find me, my long-suffering friend Mike and his tent were on someone's drive.

Went in 1983 and again Mike pitched (I have never done manual labour) his tent in pitch dark, but this time fairly adjacent the Rowley Mile.

Was woken at dawn to be told I was on a gallop and there were 70 horses coming through in five minutes.

Slept in a laundrette the rest of the meeting.

And in 1984 I just roughed it entirely - no tent at all - but it was worth it because I got to see El Gran Senor win the then best renewal since Brigadier Gerard beat Mill Reef and My Swallow.

Look it up, respect the past (I researched Tudor Minstrel at your age).

Anyway, I expect even better stories from our resident former environmental services executive - I shall be gravely disappointed if you fail to attend and deliver them.