The selection’s defeat of Royal Scotsman in the Dewhurst in October is as strong as any form on offer for the first ClassicIf nothing else, the fact that the normally ultra-cautious Aidan O’Brien was happy to discuss Auguste Rodin as a potential Triple Crown prospect earlier this week suggests that the son of Deep Impact is his No 1 contender for next month’s Derby at Epsom by some distance.Whether he has the speed to beat the specialist milers in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, however, is another question entirely, as O’Brien also acknowledged. Continue reading...
The doughty campaigner begins his fifth Flat season and can deliver victory despite a 337-day absenceJumping fans often complain that Flat horses are rushed off to stud much too quickly, but Stradivarius was a winner last weekend and Benbatl (3.35), another seven-year-old “entire”, is back to start a fifth season on the level in the Group Two Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Saturday.Saeed bin-Suroor’s doughty campaigner finished fifth behind Wings Of Eagles in the 2017 Derby, has three Group One wins to his name and while he has not run for 337 days, he won off an almost identical break in September 2019. Continue reading...
The doughty campaigner begins his fifth Flat season and can deliver victory despite a 337-day absenceJumping fans often complain that Flat horses are rushed off to stud much too quickly, but Stradivarius was a winner last weekend and Benbatl (3.35), another seven-year-old “entire”, is back to start a fifth season on the level in the Group Two Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Saturday.Saeed bin-Suroor’s doughty campaigner finished fifth behind Wings Of Eagles in the 2017 Derby, has three Group One wins to his name and while he has not run for 337 days, he won off an almost identical break in September 2019. Related: Talking Horses: Goodwood and York crowds offer hope for racing recovery Goodwood 1.15 Willoughby Bay 1.50 Clitheroe...
Charles Hills’s colt lacks experience but stormed clear of a small field in a lightning-fast time at the Craven meetingAidan O’Brien has a record 10 wins in the 2,000 Guineas to his name already and has enough confidence in a three-strong team for this year’s Newmarket Classic to keep St Mark’s Basilica, the Dewhurst winner, at Ballydoyle while he waits for the French equivalent.That feels ominous for the home team but while Battleground, Wembley and Van Gogh all have solid claims, there is no sense of a standout colt in the O’Brien squad, or in the race as a whole for that matter. Related: Talking Horses: Energumene takes Novice Chase to set up Shishkin rivalry Goodwood 1.00 Master Milliner 1.30...
Trainer given Classics boost in early-season trials after pair triumph at NewburyFew trainers’ dreams of Classic success survive the early-season trials largely unscathed, but Richard Hannon came closer than most here on Sunday as wins for Snow Lantern and Chindit left him with credible contenders for both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket next month.Snow Lantern’s success came in a maiden at the top of the card, but she won it so readily that she was cut to around 8-1 to emulate her mother, Sky Lantern, who won the Classic for Hannon’s father, also Richard, in 2013. Related: Jockey Lorna Brooke dies after fall at Taunton racecourse early in April Pontefract Continue reading...