January 7, 2025

Frankel heads Two Thousand Guineas field; Master of Hounds still engaged

Last updated: 4/25/11 7:15 PM


Frankel heads Two Thousand Guineas field; Master of Hounds
still engaged

The unbeaten Henry Cecil-trained Frankel is set to be the hottest favorite
for Saturday’s Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas since Nijinsky II won the Newmarket
classic
at 4-7 odds 41 years ago.
Frankel, plus his pacemaker Rerouted, are the among the 15 horses confirmed at
Monday’s five-day stage for the first British classic of the season over the
Rowley Mile.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has left three horses in the Guineas, including Master
of Hounds, who is reportedly bound for the May 7 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Presumably O’Brien’s principal Guineas contender is Roderic O’Connor, runner-up to Frankel in the
Group 1 Dewhurst at Newmarket last fall
and subsequently victorious in the Group 1 Criterium International. Rounding out
the Ballydoyle eligibles is Alexander Pope.

Frankel, owned and bred by Khalid Abdulla, shared the accolade of being the
champion European two-year-old of 2010 after his excellent Dewhurst win in October.
The colt impressed on his seasonal return in the Group 3 Greenham at Newbury earlier this month and will be his
trainer’s first runner in the classic since 2000. Cecil seeks his third
triumph in the Two Thousand Guineas, following on from Bolkonski (1975) and Wollow
(1976).

In addition to the O’Brien possibles, Frankel’s main challengers are set to be
Pathfork, also unbeaten and trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington, and the Ed
Dunlop-trained Native Khan, who landed the Group 3 Craven over the course and distance at Newmarket on
April 14.

Godolphin could have two runners, Group 1 Racing Post
Trophy hero Casamento, who is handled by in-form Mahmood al Zarooni, and the Saeed
bin Suroor-trained Group 2 Champagne victor Saamidd.

Eoghan O’Neill, who trains in France, has left in Broox, fourth to Dream Ahead
in the Group 1 Prix Morny in August, while Fury is unbeaten in two
starts for trainer William Haggas, the latest of which came in the £500,000
Tattersalls Millions Two-Year-Old Trophy on the Rowley Mile in October.

The Richard Hannon-trained Dubawi Gold has landed a pair of listed races this
year, while the others still engaged are Happy Today, Loving Spirit and Slim
Shadey.

The final field will be set Thursday.


The going at Newmarket was reported good to firm (good in places) Monday,
with watering on tap as necessary.
The stands’ side course will be utilized for the Guineas Festival.

Newmarket’s Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing Michael Prosser
commented on the ground.

“We put 15 millimeters of water on the course during Friday and
Saturday, cut the grass today and will resume watering tomorrow, with another 15
millimeters planned to go down by Wednesday.

“The temperatures will be cooler from tomorrow until Thursday,” Prosser
added, “when some rain is
forecast in the evening, and then there could be a shower or two on Friday.

“Temperatures are set to pick up again for the QIPCO Guineas Festival on
Saturday and Sunday. We will reassess the ground towards the end of the week and
see whether we need to water again.”