By Tom Frary
Ryan Moore has opted to ride 'TDN Rising Star' Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, which will see 19 go to post in the biggest field since 2010. Theoretically, the G1 Middle Park S. winner's draw in five should be no hindrance and Ballydoyle's other runner Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is on the other side in 17 with last year's winning rider Donnacha O'Brien up on the G1 Futurity Trophy hero. If the field splits, as it did in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2014 and 2015 and which is entirely possible given its open nature, the Coolmore duo will be wide apart as Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) and Hawk Wing were in 2002. Aidan O'Brien took out The Irish Rover (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Van Beethoven (Scat Daddy), while the other withdrawals were Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Raakib Alhawa (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Walkinthesand (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}).
Abdulla Al Khalifa's homebred Skardu (GB) (Shamardal) returns to the scene of his course-and-distance G3 Craven S. success on Apr. 17 and is drawn near Ten Sovereigns and next to a potential front-runner in Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) in three. James Doyle will be on board and he said, “I haven't won it, but I've ridden in it plenty of times and been second. William [Haggas] seems very happy with him and it's a very open race. My fellow is pretty solid, acts on the track and stays the trip very well. Whether he's quite good enough we'll see.”
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Emaraaty Ana, the only May foal in the line-up, will be having his first start of 2019 but the surprisingly precocious G2 Gimcrack S. winner is reported to be approaching the race in top order by trainer Kevin Ryan. “I think the step up in trip will really suit and he likes fast ground, so that won't be a problem if it came up quick,” he said. “He's developed really well from two to three. He always looked a little bit on the weak side as a 2-year-old, even Frankie [Dettori] said that after he rode him in the Gimcrack.”
Like Emaraaty Ana, Abdulla Al Mansoori's Sporting Chance (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has gone forward in his races and last year's G3 Prix Eclipse winner has been in Dubai for the carnival. Last seen taking the Listed Meydan Classic over a mile on Feb. 28, he is a tough customer from the family of Poet's Voice (GB) and pleased trainer Simon Crisford in a racecourse gallop with the Middle Park runner-up Jash (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) on Wednesday.
“The gallop went super well and I'm delighted with Sporting Chance,” he explained. “He's a stuffy type of horse and needs a fair bit of work, so I'm really pleased with how he finished that piece of work. He's a massive price and very much deserves to be in the mix. He was very impressive when he won at Meydan and he's a very likeable, tough, hard and willing type of colt.
“Realistically, it's a wide-open, extremely tough renewal and he's going to have to run better than he ever has before to be in contention but he's in a good spot at the moment.”
Twenty years on from winning the Guineas with Island Sands (Ire) (Turtle Island {Ire}) on the July Course, Saeed bin Suroor is applying a hood to last year's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven's Pass) as he bids to unlock what was missing in the Craven. Only fourth there, Godolphin's homebred is expected to improve off that prep run. “Royal Marine is better than what he showed in the Craven S.,” his trainer said. “He was too keen that day, then was stuck in behind horses and couldn't find any room. He has come back from the run very well, did his last piece of work on Monday, and will run in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas equipped with a hood for the first time which should help him relax. I am sure that there will be a strong pace, which will suit him and any rain that we happen to get over the next couple of days should also be in his favour.
“Winning the Guineas again would mean a lot. The Classics are the five best races of the year, they are great races to be involved in, and very few trainers get the chance to win them.”
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain, post time: 3.35 p.m.
QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £523,750, 3yo, c/f, 8fT
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 8 Advertise (GB) Showcasing (GB) Dettori Meade 126
2 12 Al Hilalee (GB) Dubawi (Ire) Buick Appleby 126
3 15 Azano (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) Havlin Gosden 126
4 16 Dark Vision (Ire) Dream Ahead Fanning Johnston 126
5 2 Emaraaty Ana (GB) Shamardal D Egan K Ryan 126
6 6 Great Scot (GB) Requinto (Ire) Kingscote Dascombe 126
7 9 Kick On (GB) Charm Spirit (Ire) Murphy Gosden 126
8 19 King of Change (GB) Farhh (GB) Levey Hannon 126
9 1 Madhmoon (Ire) Dawn Approach (Ire) Hayes K Prendergast 126
10 17 Magna Grecia (Ire) Invincible Spirit (Ire) D O'Brien A O'Brien 126
11 7 Momkin (Ire) Bated Breath (GB) Heffernan Charlton 126
12 13 Name The Wind (GB) Toronado (Ire) McDonald Tate 126
13 11 Royal Marine (Ire) Raven's Pass Soumillon bin Suroor 126
14 4 Set Piece (GB) Dansili (GB) Crowley Palmer 126
15 18 Shine So Bright (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) de Sousa Balding 126
16 3 Skardu (GB) Shamardal J Doyle Haggas 126
17 14 Sporting Chance (GB) Kodiac (GB) Cosgrave Crisford 126
18 5 Ten Sovereigns (Ire) No Nay Never Moore A O'Brien 126
19 10 Urban Icon (GB) Cityscape (GB) Marquand Hannon 126
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