Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s RIP VAN WINKLE (Galileo
[Ire]), who was found to have bruised a front foot in advance of Saturday’s
English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1), continues to move closer to making the
line up for the one-mile classic as he recovers from the late injury scare.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is hopeful continued treatment on last term’s Tyros S.
(Ire-G3) winner has improved prospects of participation and will leave it as
late as possible before making a final decision.
“We poulticed Rip van Winkle’s foot again Wednesday night and not as much pus
came out as had been the case the previous night,” the O’Brien told Racing
Post. “He’s 95 percent sound and, hopefully, will be perfect on Thursday
morning and able to run. Obviously when such things happen you have to miss a
bit of work, but we were happy with him before he got the bruise and, hopefully,
everything will be OK on Thursday.”
Cheveley Park Stud’s EVASIVE (Elusive Quality) enjoyed an away day at Ascot
on Wednesday as Sir Michael Stoute sought alternative methods to perk up last
term’s Horris Hill S. (Eng-G3) hero in advance of the Guineas. The chestnut
homebred was boxed south from Newmarket and was led around the paddock with
big-race jockey Ryan Moore in the saddle.
“He is walking well and he looks very well,” Stoute told PA Sport. “His
homework has not been spectacular. It has been annoying because he has been
having little stoppages, which you don’t ideally want, but he has done enough
fast work despite the interruptions. His weight is good and you can only hope he
wants to get back to the racecourse and get fired up. He has not run since (the
Horris Hill in) October and we thought we would bring him here and if he gets
excited, you would rather he did it here than on Saturday. We were going to take
him to work at Newbury on Greenham day, but the ground was too bad. There’s no
magic to it.”
Trainer John Oxx will leave making a decision as late as possible before
nominating either His Highness The Aga Khan’s Futurity S. (Ire-G2) hero ARAZAN
(Anabaa) or Christopher Tsui’s Beresford S. (Ire-G2) winner SEA THE STARS (Cape
Cross [Ire]) to the big race.
“There is no white smoke yet about plans,” the trainer told Racing Post,
making reference to the Papal election process, adding, “We hear that the ground
at Newmarket is fast with no jar, but we still have to decide whether to risk
Arazan, who likes ease, on such ground first time out this year. We’ll wait
until (Thursday) morning before deciding whether to take a chance or wait a bit
longer with him. Sea the Stars will do an easy bit of exercise (Thursday)
morning and a decision about him running will be made before declaration stage.”
Last term’s Criterium International (Fr-G1) hero ZAFISIO (Efisio) is an
almost certain non-starter after trainer Roger Curtis expressed fears the Rowley
Mile surface will be too quick for his stable star.
“He’ll be a little short and he won’t get his ground at Newmarket, as he
needs a decent cut,” Curtis told PA Sport. “He missed a couple of pieces of
work, which is very annoying. He just had a dirty scope about two or three weeks
ago, so we had to back off him at the wrong time. He’s back and flying now, but
he’d be unlikely to go to Newmarket unless we get some decent juice in the
ground. They’ve got it down as good to firm, so it’s not looking very likely.
“He’d be more likely to go for the (May 10) German Two Thousand Guineas
([Ger-G2] at Cologne) as it gives us an extra week. He’s matured into a lovely
three-year-old now and he’ll give them all a fright on soft ground. He’s
definitely lost none of the talent he showed as a two-year-old.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s retained rider Richard Hills is still
undecided on his mount for Britain’s first classic of the year. The jockey has
yet to choose between Dewhurst S. (Eng-G1) third FINJAAN (Royal Applause [GB])
or impressive European Free H. victor OUQBA (Red Ransom), who was supplemented
for the race Monday.
“It was the Sheikh’s plan to put (Ouqba) in, but I am pretty relaxed about
running him,” trainer Barry Hills told PA Sport. “He came out of Newmarket well
and he didn’t do too much Wednesday morning, but he worked well and would
improve. The more I get to know the horse, the more I feel stamina is not an
issue, but after this I would say he will go for the (seven-furlong) Jersey S.
(at Royal Ascot on June 17). I am sure he will be thereabouts, but I don’t know
who is going to ride him yet as Richard has the choice between him and Marcus
Tregoning’s horse Finjaan.”
In other Guineas Festival news, Godolphin’s Alcibiades S. (G1) third DEVOTEE
(Elusive Quality) will make her first turf start in Sunday’s English One
Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and the operation’s Simon Crisford is hoping the new
terrain will not be her undoing. She was reported to have suffered a cardiac
arrhythmia after finishing last in her Nad Al Sheba bow on February 6, but
rebounded to claim the UAE Oaks back on the Dubai dirt last out on February 26.
“She seems to have chilled out quite a lot over the last three weeks,”
Crisford told PA Sport. “She’s never been on grass, which we hope won’t work
against her. We are aware of the (heart) problem, but she didn’t need to be
treated for it and we are hoping that is behind her now. We are being very
ambitious asking her to run in this race, but there are lots of options for her
later in the year if it doesn’t work out.”
The going on the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket remains good to firm ahead
of the upcoming Guineas Festival. Wednesday saw irrigation commence, with eight
millimeters of water applied to the whole course.
“The going remains good to firm with a GoingStick reading of 9.0,” Director
of Racing Michael Prosser reported after walking the course. “We are on the good
side of good to firm, which is exactly where we want to be. The forecast for the
next five days is for largely dry weather. We could see some rain (Thursday),
but this is only forecast to be a negligible amount of around one millimeter.
With that in mind, it is highly likely that we will have to irrigate the course
again on Friday to maintain the status quo.”