Newmarket’s G1 2000 Guineas Attracts a Field of Ten
Churchill | Racing Post
By Sean Cronin
THE SHAPING OF AN ICON?
Heavy is the head that wears the crown and come Saturday, Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will face the age-old test of the champion juvenile returning to extend his influence in the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. If successful, Churchill will become only the fifth juvenile champion to win this Classic in the last 20 years, proof that it is no gimme for the previous season’s leader. The likes of Celtic Swing (GB), Alhaarth (Ire), Xaar (GB), St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) and Air Force Blue were all rated higher in the international classifications, but were unable to clinch this prize. His immortal human namesake once proclaimed that “history will be kind to me for I intend to write it” and that reflects Aidan O’Brien’s training career thus far as the leader of his era continues to turn the implausible into the everyday. On the back of a peak season that witnessed a previously unimaginable one-two-three in the Arc, the man at the helm of the supreme outfit in Co. Tipperary unleashes Churchill at the meeting that traditionally acts as the end of the beginning as his stable changes gear.
Despite more-than-satisfactory performances in winning the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. at The Curragh and this track’s G1 Dewhurst S. on his record, it is probable that he will have to raise that standard against a trio of unbeaten colts on the upgrade, but there was always a sense that his juvenile form was merely the tip of an iceberg. O’Brien is never demonstrative in pre-race comment, preferring to let his horses do the talking, as was the case with his predecessor at Ballydoyle. In his simple statement to the Telegraph there is, however, a subtle confidence that Churchill is primed to the minute. “I’ve been very happy with him over the winter and we think he is well ready to start,” he told the daily. “Everything has gone well. He was a very mature 2-year-old, big and strong with plenty of scope. He travels very smoothly through his races and has a lot of pace.”
With just 10 runners engaged, the draw was unlikely to be a factor this year and it will only be apparent how the race will pan out when it is underway on a track that is prone to splits. Even the G3 Craven S. 16 days ago, with just seven runners, resulted in two groups with the one towards the far side seemingly at a disadvantage throughout and that may influence tactics here. Churchill, a relative of the jet-propelled Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}), lacks for nothing in the speed department and it may be that stablemate Lancaster Bomber (War Front) will not be required to set a demanding pace despite leading when second in the Dewhurst. A closer when runner-up in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and when fourth in the G2 UAE Derby at Meydan on Mar. 25, he is drawn next to the favourite in four, with the third Ballydoyle representative Spirit of Valor (War Front), who was eighth in the UAE Derby, in eight.
One who could have been helped by a kinder post position is Godolphin’s free-running Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is drawn 10 of 10 fitted with a first-time hood. Saeed bin Suroor was keen to try the Guineas despite the homebred appearing to fade late on in the seven-furlong G3 Greenham S. at Newbury a fortnight ago, but he will need to gain cover from the outset to avoid another burn-out. He has Top Score (GB) (Hard Spun) alongside in nine and despite that stablemate possessing ability, as he showed when winning the Feb. 23 Listed Meydan Classic, he will need to break better than he has of late if his duty is to guide Dream Castle through the early stages. Only introduced on Apr. 2 in a Doncaster maiden also over seven, Dream Castle would be bucking a major trend if prevailing with no juvenile form.
The most notable withdrawal on Thursday, as expected, was last year’s G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Rivet (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was runner-up to Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the Craven. “I thought the winner was impressive, so I can’t see the point of taking Churchill and others on at a track like Newmarket,” trainer William Haggas said. “I’m not saying [the track] doesn’t suit, but I think Deauville will suit him better [for the May 14 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains].”
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain, post time: 3:35 p.m.
QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £500,000, 3yo, c/f, 8fT
SC PP HORSE SIRE
1 7 Al Wukair (Ire) Dream Ahead
(200,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT)
O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Gregory Benoist. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, £68,012.
Last Start: WON Apr. 10 G3 Prix Djebel
2 5 Barney Roy (GB) Excelebration (Ire)
(30,000gns Wlg ’14 TATFOA; £70,000 Ylg ’15 DNPRM)
O-Godolphin; B-Eliza Park International Pty Ltd (GB); T-Richard Hannon; J-James Doyle. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, £38,296.
Last Start: WON Apr. 22 G3 Greenham S.
3 3 Churchill (Ire) Galileo (Ire)
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Liberty Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-1, £559,194.
Last Start: WON Oct. 8 G1 Dewhurst S.
4 10 Dream Castle (GB) Frankel (GB)
O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Silvestre de Sousa. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, £16,135.
Last Start: 2nd Apr. 22 G3 Greenham S.
5 2 Eminent (Ire) Frankel (GB)
(150,000gns Ylg ’15 TATOCT)
O-Sir Peter Vela; B-Premier Bloodstock (IRE); T-Martyn Meade; J-Jim Crowley. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, £39,201.
Last Start: WON Apr. 20 G3 Craven S.
6 4 Lancaster Bomber War Front
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Sun Shower Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Donnacha O’Brien. Lifetime Record: 7-1-2-0, £320,879.
Last Start: 4th Mar. 25 G2 UAE Derby
7 6 Larchmont Lad (Ire) Footstepsinthesand (GB)
(€110,000 Ylg ’15 TISEP)
O-Michael Geoghegan; B-Domenico Fonzo (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-William Buick. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, £37,078.
Last Start: 5th Apr. 20 G3 Craven S.
8 1 Law and Order (Ire) Lawman (Fr)
(40,000gns Ylg ’15 TATOCT)
O-Saeed Manana; B-Mr & Mrs Clive Martin (IRE); T-James Tate; J-Martin Harley. Lifetime Record: 7-2-0-3, £37,535.
Last Start: 3rd Apr. 18 Listed Feilden S.
9 8 Spirit of Valor War Front
($850,000 Wlg ’14 KEENOV)
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Stonestreet Stables; B-Nursery Place (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. Lifetime Record: 4-1-1-1, £16,483.
Last Start: 8th Mar. 25 G2 UAE Derby
10 9 Top Score Hard Spun
O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Joe Fanning. Lifetime Record: 11-3-2-4, £173,839.
Last Start: 11th Mar. 25 G2 UAE Derby
All carry 126 pounds.
fonte : TDN
GOFFS: The Leading Store Sale For Cheltenham Winners – Land Rover Catalogue Now Online |
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The catalogue for Goffs Land Rover Sale, the only store sale to sell winners at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, is now online. 508 lots will go under the hammer across the two day sale which takes place on Tuesday 13 June (Part 1) and Wednesday 14 June (Part 2). All horses offered for sale are eligible for the €100,000 Land Rover Bumper at Punchestown in 2018.
The Land Rover Sale was the leading store sale at the Cheltenham Festival for the fourth year in a row, headed in 2017 by Altior and Willoughby Court in the Grade 1 Racing Post Arkle Novice Chase and Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novice Hurdle respectively, while fellow Land Rover graduates Champagne Classic and Tully East were also victorious at the Festival. Grade 1 success continued at Aintree and Punchestown with The World’s End and Champagne Classic, and Altior sealed the UK trainer’s championship for Nicky Henderson with a masterful display in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown.
Petit Mouchoir proved to be another fine example of the calibre of Land Rover Bumper winners in the race’s 21 year history, winning two Grade 1s this season including the Irish Champion Hurdle. Vision Des Flos triumphed in great style in this year’s Land Rover Bumper, providing trainer Robert Tyner with back to back wins and prompting euphoric scenes in the winner’s enclosure as he celebrated with Paurick O’Connor who purchased the gelding from Oak Tree Farm at last year’s sale for €25,000.
Vision Des Flos is an excellent example of how profitable the Land Rover Sale has been this year at the point to point sales, as he went on to top the Goffs Punchestown Sale two days later, selling for €270,000 to Tom Malone on behalf of Alan & Ann Potts.
There are numerous stand out lots in this year’s sale and among them are horses by Al Namix, Balko, Blue Bresil, Califet, Doyen, Fame And Glory, Flemensfirth, Getaway, Gold Well, Great Pretender, High Chaparral, Jeremy, Kalanisi, Kayf Tara, Mahler, Malinas, Martaline, Midnight Legend, Milan, Network, Oscar, Poliglote, Presenting, Robin Des Champs, Saddler Maker, Saint Des Saints, Shantou, Sholokhov, Soldier Of Fortune, Stowaway, Voix Du Nord, Walk In The Park, and Westerner amongst many others. Some of the catalogue highlights may include:
Commenting on the publication of this year’s Land Rover catalogue, Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said:
“We have reverted to the Land Rover’s most successful format of two days, catalogued alphabetically by dam each day, with the sole aim of providing buyers with consistently high quality from start to finish. The sale has been tremendously supported by vendors who have worked with our National Hunt inspectors to produce a catalogue of some of the best jumpers to be found anywhere this year, a suitable match for a sale that has topped the winner’s table at the Cheltenham Festival for the past four years”. The sale will commence at 10.00am each day. |
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#Newmarket: Tutto pronto per le #Qipco 2000 #Guineas: #Churchill contro tutti sul Rowley Mile
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, diceva William Shakespeare. Il peso della corona questo sabato sarà tutto su Churchill (Galileo) che affronterà un serio esame come quello delle Qipco 2000 Guineas sabato pomeriggio a Newmarket, sul Rowley Mile. Parliamo di peso della corona perchè Churchill non è ancora rientrato questa stagione e resta sulle vittorie nelle Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes G1 al Curragh e nelle Dewhurst Stakes G1 a Newmarket, dunque sarà interessante capire quale sarà la sua condizione e soprattutto le potenzialità di un presunto campione. Alla fine saranno in 10 al via e lo steccato sarà un fattore relativamente, dipende da come tirerà il gruppo, se da una parte o da un’altra, ma senza che questo possa essere determinante.
Churchill è a 6/4, e tra gli altri affronterà Barney Roy (Excelebration) che è imbattuto in 2 uscite e resta su una impressionante affermazione nelle Greenham G3 di Newbury qualche giorno dopo che Newmarket Eminent (Frankel) ha piazzato una bordata nelle Craven Stakes G3.
America: Tutto pronto per il 143° Kentucky Derby! Ecco i magnifici 20, i più attesi, gli steccati e le loro storie
In America sabato è tempo di Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, i 2 minuti più eccitanti dello sport americano. Tutto pronto perchè nelle scorse ore sono stati diramati i partenti ufficiali con relativi steccati per la rincorsa alle rose da Churchill Downs dove sono attesi 150,000 e più spettatori, mentre lo scorso anno sono stati 167,227, il secondo dato più alto di sempre. Ovviamente ampio coverage da tutte le televisioni del mondo per una corsa che ferma una nazione e con in palio $2,395,800, dei quali $1,635,800 andranno al vincitore. Più che il premio, la gloria eterna. La corsa verrà trasmessa sabato notte su At The Races alle 11.46pm, poi vi daremo i link per vederla.
Il favorito è Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), di proprietà di John Oxley ed allenato da Mark Casse, vincitore della Breeders Juvenile G1 a Santa Anita ed atteso sin dai 2 anni. Rientrato con un terzo posto a Gulfstream Park prima di vincere la propria preparazione per il Derby ad Oaklawn Park nell’Arkansas Derby G1 a metà Aprile. Classic Empire partirà dalla gabbia 14. Ma ce ne sarebbero tantissime di storie da raccontare, come in ogni Kentucky Derby che si rispetti.
Il mercoledì pomeriggio che abbiamo vissuto non è stato affatto ordinario, in giro per l’Europa e non solo. Ad Ascot sono andate in scena tre corse Stakes di cui riferiamo. La prima che menzioniamo sono le Paradise Stakes Lr sul miglio in pista dritta dove si rivedeva all’opera l’italian bred Kaspersky (Footstepsinthesand), alla prima uscita per Jane Chapple Hyam ed i colori di Ernest Clarke & Mrs Ronda Clarke, ma il champion miler italiano non è andato oltre ad un quinto posto, risucchiato dal gruppo dopo aver comandato dall’inizio della corsa. Kaspersky, ex Nuova Sbarra, aveva il rating più alto della corsa insieme con Mondialiste (Galileo), giunto sesto, ed è arrivato a quattro lunghezze e mezzo da Tabarrak (Acclamation) che era rientrato bene dopo la sosta di un anno e la castrazione. IL VIDEO QUI.
Sicuramente interessanti sono state le Pavilion Stakes Lr sui 1200 metri dove a vincere è stato il 3 anni Blue Point (Shamardal) che spinge dunque così la forma di Churchill (Galileo) sabato prossimo nelle 2000 Ghinee. Blue Point ha realizzato il record della pista in 1m 11.05s (fast by 1.55s) battendo Harry Angel (Dark Angel) e si candida così ad un ruolo di primo piano nella Commonwealth Cup G1 del Royal Ascot per soli 3 anni su tracciato e distanza. Blue Point lo scorso anno aveva vinto le Gimcrack Stakes G2 ed era stato secondo nelle Middle Park G1 e terzo nelle Dewhurst Stakes G1 di Churchill, appunto. Possiede iscrizioni alle 2000 Ghinee irlandesi, ma come detto punterà al tema della velocità. VIDEO QUI.
