As Saturday’s Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas draws near, attention is already
turning toward the Epsom Derby Festival on June 1-2.
On the Guineas undercard at Newmarket, Noble Mission, Frankel’s full brother,
will line up in the listed Newmarket Stakes over 10 furlongs. The race hasn’t
had that much of a bearing on the Group 1 Derby in recent years, but the
highly-regarded colt, who is trained by Sir Henry Cecil, made a winning
reappearance at Newbury over a mile on April 21 and looks a smart prospect. He
is a 25-1 chance for the Derby with William Hill, the official betting partner
of the 2012 Derby Festival.
“If Noble Mission runs well in the Newmarket Stakes, the Derby is a race we
will consider,” said Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager to Noble Mission’s owner
Khalid Abdulla. “The Derby is in everyone’s plans until they are proven
otherwise.
“He has been fine since Newbury. He is in real good nick and has come out of
the race really well. We were hoping he would win like he did as he has always
been very talented. Everyone wants to compare him to his brother (Frankel) which
is a bit unfortunate, but he doesn’t know that and is quite happy.
“I would think the step up to 10 furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday will be in
his favor as he settles well and goes quite nicely. I think he is a different
horse to Frankel in regards to the type of horse he is and the trip he wants.
“He is by Galileo and if you go far enough back in the family, it does
suggest he could stay a mile and a half, but we will we have to see. However,
the step up in trip at Newmarket will give us a little bit of a clue and it
should be a good test of where we are with him.”
Noble Mission is likely to face stiff competition from one of Mahmood al
Zarooni’s Derby contenders, Swedish Sailor, who made a pleasing debut at
Yarmouth last year when routing the opposition to score by five lengths, with
Noble Mission back in second.
In the Two Thousand Guineas, four of the 18 declared runners also hold
entries in the Derby — last year’s joint-champion two-year-old Camelot, Born to
Sea, Fencing and Top Offer. A total of 36 horses have won the two Classics, the
most recent being Born to Sea’s half-sibling Sea the Stars in 2009.
Leading French hope Kesampour will put his Derby credentials on the line in
the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on Saturday. The unbeaten Mikel
Delzangles-trained colt will attempt to follow in the footsteps of last season’s
Derby hero Pour Moi, who was an emphatic winner of the 10-furlong event prior to
a scintillating victory at Epsom Downs.
On Sunday, the fillies are the center of attention at Newmarket in the Group1
One Thousand Guineas, but the Pretty Polly Stakes over 10 furlongs also features
some Oaks prospects, including the Charlie Hills-trained Hazel Lavery. The
listed event may also feature the unbeaten Godolphin duo Kailani and Lacily,
plus Cubanita (Ralph Beckett).
The Cheshire Oaks at Chester on Wednesday has also received a strong entry
including Aidan O’Brien’s Betterbetterbetter, who won nicely at Dundalk on April
18. Last year’s winner Wonder of Wonders, trained by Aidan O’Brien, went on to
finish second in the Oaks.
On Thursday, the Chester Vase takes center stage. Last year it was won by
subsequent Derby runner-up Treasure Beach, who went on to annex the Irish
equivalent and the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes in America, while the runner-up
Nathaniel went on to win the Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at
Ascot.
The Dee Stakes, run over 1 1/4 miles at Chester on Friday, has been a good
guide to the Derby in the past and the most recent colt to complete the double
was Kris Kin in 2003.
On May 12, Lingfield Park hosts a Flat turf card featuring a Derby trial and
an Oaks trial, but on May 13 the Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial will be
the main focus.
The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is often the most informative Irish trial
and has been won in the past by subsequent Derby heroes Sinndar, Galileo and
High Chaparral. This year’s entries include Jim Bolger’s Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes
winner Parish Hall and stablemate Light Heavy, who won the Group 3 Ballysax
Stakes over the course and distance in April, while John Oxx could saddle Derby
second entry Akeed Mofeed, who has been popular in the antepost market.
Last weekend Aidan O’Brien’s Imperial Monarch staked his Derby claims under
an enterprising ride from Joseph O’Brien in the Group 3 Classic Trial at Sandown
Park. Taken wide throughout, Imperial Monarch quickened stylishly in the heavy
ground to deny John Gosden’s Derby entry Thought Worthy by 1 3/4 lengths.