Not so long ago just one of a number of trainers looking to scale the ladder, Hugo Palmer now finds himself in the cherished position of saddling Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in an attempt to become the ninth colt to complete the G1 English-Irish 2000 Guineas double in the Tattersalls-sponsored Classic at The Curragh on Saturday. There was a definite air of authority in his 1 1/2-length defeat of Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) at Newmarket three weeks ago, and Al Shaqab's chestnut has barely looked back since, but his handler is wary of being too confident. “You clearly write off any of Aidan's horses at your peril–and he has brought back the likes of Roderic O'Connor and Power to win this race after disappointing at Newmarket–but if Galileo Gold runs the same race as he ran in the Guineas, then the others have to pick up their game to beat him,” he suggested. “Every day since the Newmarket victory I have asked Galileo Gold's work rider, Toby Atkinson, how the horse is, and have received the answer that 'he feels amazing'. As I said immediately after Newmarket, the horse didn't lose much weight and what he did lose he immediately put back on. He has been on his racing weight since, and the only serious piece of work we have done with him since the Guineas was on the Limekilns last Friday, and Toby was very happy with him. Toby actually said that he is more relaxed now, and that the race has settled him down a bit. He has cooled down, rather than got more wound up, and you have to believe that is a positive.”
Al Shaqab's racing manager, Harry Herbert, added, “We would like to think that having won the Guineas on his first run of the year, he is still progressing. This is a Guineas, though, and it is not going to be easy. Air Force Blue (War Front) could have put whatever stopped him running his race at Newmarket behind him and he would be a real rival. Newmarket was too bad to be true and we have the utmost respect for Aidan and his team. We've seen horses of theirs bounce back from bad runs before–Aidan is just a genius. But we can't worry about anyone else, we just have to concentrate on our horse.” Herbert suggested the travel wouldn't be an issue for Galileo Gold. “I can't see the trip to Ireland being a problem,” he said. “He traveled to France last year and ran a great race to be third [in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere], so I don't think that will be anything to worry about. The track should suit him–a stiff mile will be right up his street–and hopefully he can win another Guineas.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) has gone some way towards justifying trainer Kevin Prendergast's high opinion of him with his decisive verdict over Blue de Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the Listed Tetrarch S. over seven furlongs here May 2, and he is a live contender outside of the Newmarket Guineas protagonists. “He's in good form and ready to fire. We're very happy with the horse,” Prendergast commented. “We had a horse beaten less than five lengths in the Irish Guineas last year and this horse would be miles better than him, so we'll see what happens. The ground is perfect and if everything goes well, I'm sure he'll run very well.”
Interestingly, 'TDN Rising Star' Sanus Per Aquam (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who earned such rave reviews from his breeder, owner and trainer Jim Bolger last year, is having his first start of the season, having last been seen finishing third to Air Force Blue in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket in October. After beating the subsequent G2 Beresford S. winner Port Douglas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 4 3/4 lengths in a seven-furlong Leopardstown maiden in July, there was a feeling that he was not quite firing when subsequently runner-up in the G3 Tyros S. over the same course and distance later that month, and when third in the G3 Golden Fleece S. over a mile there in September. Successful in Newmarket's G3 Somerville Tattersall S. reverting to seven 12 days later, the bay was again below-par when six lengths adrift in the Dewhurst, and it does not aid his cause that he has had a setback earlier in the year.
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