Wood Burner
Saturday’s G3 Aon Greenham S. at Newbury offers a middle ground for last year’s sprinting juveniles attempting eventually to stretch out to the mile of the G1 2000 Guineas, which is where Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) is headed if he can prove his stamina here. Westward Bloodstock’s bay looked to have more than a fair share of star quality when capturing the G2 July S. at Newmarket and Goodwood’s G2 Richmond S. over six furlongs last summer before surrendering his perfect record when nosed out by Charming Thought (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G1 Middle Park S., also over that trip back at Newmarket in October. “We are very hopeful,” trainer Richard Hannon commented. “We didn’t go to Newmarket, because we wanted to run over seven before we went over a mile in the Guineas and he doesn’t have a penalty. He’ll definitely stay seven, but has an awful lot of speed so [the mile] is a concern. We won’t know until tomorrow or possibly not even until the afternoon of the Guineas.” Jockey Richard Hughes added, “He’s moving absolutely wonderful and although he’s not much bigger than last year, he was big enough then. There is a bit of improvement left in him and I’d like to think that the run at Newbury will bring him on. I’d be disappointed if he got beat, as he’s a very clear-winded horse and if he wins it’s all systems go for the Guineas.”
In what looks a much stronger trial than Thursday’s Craven, Godolphin and Prince Faisal’s Belardo (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) looks to uphold the impression he created when a clear-cut winner of Newmarket’s G1 Dewhurst S. in October. Trainer Roger Varian commented, “I have been happy with Belardo throughout the winter and he has trained well this spring. I have always had it in my mind to run him in the Greenham as his prep race for the 2000 Guineas and I think it will put him just right for Newmarket in two weeks’ time. He showed in the Dewhurst that he is a very high-class colt and this looks like the ideal spot to launch his 3-year-old campaign.”
Only fourth in the Dewhurst, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was notably slowly away and seemed to underperform after his taking wins in the G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket in July and the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster in September.
“I’ve been particularly pleased with Estidhkaar,” Richard Hannon said. “When he came back from Newmarket he had a tiny hairline fracture and didn’t run his race. Physically, he’s done probably the best of all of them. Ivawood seems to have a taller reputation, but I’m very happy with both of them.”
Also in the Shadwell silks are Fannaan (Speightstown) and Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and racing manager Angus Gold said of that pair, “Fannaan has won both his starts very nicely. He’s from quite a speedy family and, physically to look at, it wouldn’t surprise me if he turned out to be a sprinter, but as with all the horses at this time of year you have to give them the opportunity to see if they can stay further. It’s a similar thing with Muhaarar, who showed a lot of speed last year to win the [G2] Gimcrack and we’ll see if he can stay a bit further this year or not.”