With just over three weeks to go to the first British Classics, trainers with Guineas horses are beginning to turn the screw on their final preparations. Former champion trainer Richard Hannon is considering giving his G1 1000 Guineas hopeful Illuminate (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) a prep run at Newbury on Saturday week. The G3 Dubai Duty Free S. is an option for the filly who was last seen finishing sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Previous to that though she had just been outgunned by Lumiere (GB) (Shamardal) in the G1 Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park S. having previously bagged a brace of stakes victories in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. at Newmarket and the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot.”Illuminate is in great form and I've been very pleased with her,” said Hannon.
“She will probably go for the Newbury race, but she won't run in it if it is soft ground. I like to give mine a trial run as often they need that. If she didn't do that she would certainly have a racecourse gallop.” Being out of a Green Desert (Danzig) mare (Queen Of Stars) doesn't guarantee Illuminate will shine at a mile, nevertheless Hannon is keen to find out. “She is a lovely mare, with lots of speed. I think the mile is an issue and we have got to ride her to get a mile and ride her like we did at Royal Ascot by dropping her out a little bit. If she doesn't get the trip we can always come back, that's what is so good about the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot,” added the trainer.
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