By Emma Berry
It has been done before: victory at Southwell in November, third in the Fred Darling, win the 1,000 Guineas. That was the route taken by the Roger Varian-trained Elmalka (Kingman) two years ago when she won the fillies' Classic at 28/1 on just her third start, and with that in mind it is perhaps worth paying closer scrutiny to Amo Racing's Domina Ignis, who is currently around 66/1 for the Betfred 1,000 Guineas on Sunday.
The lightly raced Pinatubo filly was out on the Rowley Mile with Kevin Philippart de Foy and David Egan on Tuesday morning, not for a serious piece of work as such, more for a familiarisation exercise alongside a stable-mate.
Sporting a hood, Domina Ignis stretched out easily during the first fleeting rain shower to fall on Newmarket in some weeks, leaving both trainer and jockey satisfied with another key step in her education.
“It was just more about the experience. Fitness-wise, she's there, we didn't have to do anything hard,” said Philippart de Foy.
“It was just getting her used to the course. It was lovely ground there this morning. If anything, it was on the slower side of good, so we were delighted with that.
“She took it well, she moved well, she handled the course. She is a long shot, but she stayed on very well at Newbury last time, she has improved coat-wise and weight-wise, so she's entitled to improve from the run.”
Bred in France by Langlais Bloodstock and Fabienne Fiquet, Domina Ignis was breezed last May by Roger Marley's Church View Stables at Arqana, where she was bought by Amo Racing for €300,000.
The trainer continued, “She came from a breeze-up and she won first time out over six furlongs. We applied the hood, and actually she relaxed very well over seven furlongs [in the Fred Darling]. We very much used it as a trial.
“I think she will stay the mile if she relaxes well and if they go a decent gallop. It seems like it will be a big field so it will be a bit of a lottery and everything has to go right. It's worth taking a chance with a filly like that.”
Domina Ignis, who was two lengths behind the winner Sukanya (Havana Grey) in the Fred Darling and just three-quarters of a length adrift of runner-up Touleen (Lope de Vega), was not the only Classic hopeful taking in a racecourse gallop on Tuesday. Ismail Mohammed, who has already sent out a winner at the course this season in the form of two-year-old debutante Magic Effort (Good Effort), has outsider Lord Britain (Universal) for the same owner-breeder Abdulla Al Mansoori in the Betfred 2,000 Guineas.
Lord Britain and stable-mate Brave Hunter | Emma Berry
If it was simply a beauty contest, the 84-rated Lord Britain would be much shorter in the betting than his current price of 150/1 for he is a tall and powerfully built colt who moved well over the easier ground of the Rowley Mile under Benoit de la Sayette. His long odds reflect the fact that he has won one of his five starts, over seven furlongs last August at Kempton, when ridden by the late Tommie Jakes.
Lord Britain has had just one start this year when fourth behind Godolphin's King's Trail (Sea the Stars) in a conditions stakes back at Kempton. Ismail Mohammed and assistant trainer Jose Santos both watched the colt in action on Tuesday morning, with Santos acknowledging that it was a “big dream”.
He added, “But you don't win races standing in your stable.”
Abdulla Al Mansoori also raced the sires of both Magic Effort and Lord Britain, and stands Good Effort and Universal at Eric Cantillon's Plumton Hall Stud near Bury St Edmunds.
Rolling Back to Business
Along with the three-year-olds, Bay City Roller (New Bay) was given a leg-stretch on the Rowley Mile by trainer George Scott ahead of his return to action in Friday's G2 Jockey Club Stakes.
Bay City Roller and Billy Loughnane | Emma Berry
Partnered for the first time by Billy Loughnane, last season's G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern winner looks to have developed further over the winter and has some Group 1 targets pencilled in following his seasonal debut, for which he is currently favourite.
“We were very pleased with him this morning, he moved well on the track and it's the first time Billy had had a sit on him,” Scott said of Victorious Forever's four-year-old. “He was quite impressed with him.
“We're very keen to get a run into him before the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Coronation [Cup] and this looks a good opportunity to get his season started. He's a horse who obviously has a high level of form and improved throughout last season, and we feel like physically he has come forward again.”
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