A fascinating renewal of the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) is in prospect
following the final declaration stage for the opening classic of the season run
over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Saturday.
In total, 17 horses have been declared for the £426,000 Group 1 event,
including four trained in Ireland. Jointly heading the market at 7-2 with Stan
James is DELEGATOR (Dansili [GB]), the impressive winner of the Craven S.
(Eng-G3) at Newmarket on April 16.
Delegator’s trainer Brian Meehan revealed on his website
www.brianmeehanmanton.com Thursday that he is happy with the colt’s final
preparation.
“We are more than happy with the draw (15) he has been given. He
has some fancied horses drawn around him and that was just what we were
looking for.
“He went five furlongs (Thursday) in what was an easy piece and he went every
bit
as well as we had hoped. Everything has gone according to plan so far and the
horse must have a great chance.”
RIP VAN WINKLE (Galileo [Ire]), winner of his first two starts last season before finishing
seventh in the Dewhurst S. (Eng-G1) at Newmarket on October 18, is the other 7-2 joint-favorite with Stan James. His trainer, Aidan O’Brien, is
seeking a sixth success in the Guineas following on from King of Kings (Ire)
(1998), Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (2002), Footstepsinthesand (GB) (2005), George
Washington (Ire) (2006) and Henrythenavigator (2008). Rip Van Winkle will be
partnered by Ballydoyle’s number one jockey, Johnny Murtagh, who was aboard
both Rock of Gibraltar and Henrythenavigator.
O’Brien will also be represented by 9-2 chance MASTERCRAFTSMAN (Danehill
Dancer), the mount of
Pat Smullen and a dual Group 1 winner last season, while the two other Irish-trained contenders are Jim Bolger’s
GAN AMHRAS (Galileo [Ire]) and the John Oxx-trained SEA THE STARS (Cape Cross
[Ire]), a half-brother to Derby (Eng-G1) winner Galileo and last seen out when
successful in the Beresford S. (Ire-G2) at the Curragh in September.
Several horses will be making their seasonal debuts in
Guineas, including EVASIVE (Elusive Quality), trained by Sir Michael Stoute and successful in two
of his three starts last season including the Horris Hill S. (Eng-G3) at
Newbury. Stoute is also pursuing a sixth success in the Guineas after
scoring with Shadeed (1985), Doyoun (1988), Entrepreneur (1997), King’s Best
(2000) and Golan (Ire) (2001).
LORD SHANAKILL (Speightstown) and FINJAAN (Royal Applause [GB]) finished second and third respectively in the
Dewhurst last season, when two noses separated the first three horses
home.
Trained by Karl Burke, 20-1 chance Lord Shanakill was forced to miss his
intended seasonal debut in the Greenham S. (Eng-G3) at Newbury due to a high
temperature but his trainer is very happy with the colt’s
condition ahead of Saturday’s classic.
“I am totally happy with his draw (10) – I
would
rather be there than either very wide or right down stuck on the fence,” the Leyburn handler said
Thursday. “Middle
to
low was my preference, so I am happy enough with 10.
“The horse looks tremendous,” Burke continued. “He had his last pipe-opener this morning and
will
have a light canter tomorrow morning and then travel down.
“I would have liked to have had a prep run but that wasn’t to be. I am very,
very
happy with him and the ground should be perfect for him — there will be no
excuses on that score. I just hope they go a nice, even gallop and that we will get a good run.
“This will be my first classic runner. It’s just great to have these horses
around
and whatever he does on Saturday I am sure he will be competing in all the good
races throughout the year.”
Godolphin, successful with Mark of Esteem (Ire) (1996) and Island Sands (1999), is
represented by ASHRAM (Indian Haven), who finished a close sixth in the Dewhurst having previously landed the Somerville Tattersall
S. (Eng-G3) at
Newmarket on October 2.
OUQBA (Red Ransom), trained by Barry Hills, was supplemented at a cost of £30,000 on
Monday, having recorded an impressive success on his seasonal debut in the
listed European Free H. at Newmarket on April 15. Other horses to have
run the trial races include the Roger Charlton-trained CITYSCAPE (Selkirk), who finished
the length runner-up in the Greenham and PURE POETRY (Tagula), from the Richard Hannon stable, who was third behind Delegator in the Craven, having previously triumphed in the
listed Easter S. at Kempton.
Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam enjoyed a famous success in this contest with
Rodrigo de Triano 17 years ago and is represented this year by MONITOR CLOSELY
(Oasis Dream [GB]), who ran well when finishing a head runner-up on his first appearance of
2009 in the inaugural running of the 10-furlong, £400,000 Tattersalls Timeform
Three-Year-Old Trophy at Newmarket on April 15.
Henry Cecil trained back-to-back winners of this classic with Bolkonski
(1975)
and Wollow (1976), and the master of Warren Place has one runner this year in ON
OUR WAY (Oasis Dream [GB]), successful over the course and distance in the Houghton
conditions event in October.
Completing the field are OCEAN’S MINSTREL (Pivotal), winner of the listed International
Trial S. at Lingfield on April 4 and a first classic runner for Newmarket
trainer John Ryan, the George Margarson-trained IMPERIAL GUEST (Imperial
Dancer), and ZAFISIO (Efisio), who enjoyed the biggest success of his career in
the Criterium International (Fr-G1) at Saint-Cloud last season.