Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Air Force Blue (War Front) will face 12 rivals as he bids to provide Aidan O'Brien with a record eighth renewal–eclipsing the mid-19th century tally of John Scott–of the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday. According to reports, the imposing bay has come through his spring preparations without a hitch and, despite the current unseasonal cold snap producing slightly easier ground than is customary for the year's first Classic, he is set to start the shortest-priced favourite since Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) five years ago.
“Obviously, this will be the acid test as it's his first run over a mile, we'll probably learn a lot about him,” said O'Brien of the favourite. “Those seven-furlong 2-year-old races are like enhanced sprints, and it is a tough searching mile at Newmarket, but you'd have to be hopeful that he will get it; however, you can never be sure until they do it on the day.”
The G1 Phoenix S., G1 National S. and G1 Dewhurst S. winner is drawn in five and will be joined by stablemate Air Vice Marshal (War Front), who has been absent since finishing runner-up in the G2 Superlative S. at the July meeting here. O'Brien withdrew his two other entries Bravery (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Shogun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), while Michael O'Callaghan was forced to accept he had lost the race against time to get Blue de Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) to the race. The other to be taken out was Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Taqdeer (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), from the John Gosden stable.
Frankie Dettori will be on Al Shaqab Racing's G2 Vintage S. winner Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}), who was third in Longchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere when last seen on Arc day and who has been drawn in one. Trainer Hugo Palmer, who had considered him initially for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, is in positive mood about his change of plan. “He is strong, fit, healthy and sound and all that could change in the blink of eye. He could stand on a stone, or catch a cold, so it makes sense for us to strike now,” he told Betfair. “Touch wood, the horse hasn't caused us a concern all winter and the stars are aligning for him to take his chance. The horse is in exceptionally good form and, while he obviously needs to improve to win, I don't subscribe to the theory that Air Force Blue is unbeatable. And for every Frankel, there is a One Cool Cat. I went through the results of the Guineas the other night and 14 out of the last 20 favourites have been beaten.”
Godolphin, who lost 'TDN Rising Star' Emotionless (Ire) (Shamardal) from the picture, will rely on the Mark Johnston-trained Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) who is in stall two; the Richard Fahey-trained Ribchester (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) next door in three; and Jim Bolger's Herald the Dawn (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) who is in 11.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain, post time: 3:45 p.m.
QIPCO 208TH 2000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £500,000, 3yo, c/f, 8fT
SC PP HORSE SIRE
1 5 Air Force Blue War Front
($490,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP)
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Stone Farm; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, £566,265.
Last Start: WON Oct. 10 G1 Dewhurst S.
2 13 Air Vice Marshal War Front
($2,200,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP)
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Joseph Allen LLC; B-Cherry Valley Farm LLC; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, £26,386.
Last Start: 2nd July 11 G2 Superlative S.
3 2 Buratino (Ire) Exceed and Excel (Aus)
O-Godolphin; B-Darley; T-Mark Johnston; J-James Doyle. Lifetime Record: 8-4-2-2, £165,417.
Last Start: 2nd Sept. 26 G1 Middle Park S.
4 10 First Selection (Spa) Diktat (GB)
(£42,000 2yo '15 BBASC2)
O-Abdulla Al Mansoori; B-D Gonzalo Ussia Figueroa; T-Simon Crisford; J-Jim Crowley. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-0, £69,949.
Last Start: 6th Mar. 3 Listed Meydan Classic
5 1 Galileo Gold (GB) Paco Boy (Ire)
(7,500gns RNA Wlg '13 TATFOA; €33,000 Ylg '14 TISEP)
O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Brian O'Rourke; T-Hugo Palmer; J-Frankie Dettori. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, £154,732.
Last Start: 3rd Oct. 4 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
6 11 Herald the Dawn (Ire) New Approach (Ire)
O-Godolphin; B/T-Jim Bolger; J-Kevin Manning. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, £114,864.
Last Start: 7th Oct. 4 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
7 4 Kentuckyconnection Include
($22,000 Wlg '13 KEENOV; $19,000 RNA Ylg '14 FTKOCT; 60,000gns 2yo '15 TATHIT)
O-Woodcock Electrical Ltd; B-Turner Breeders LLC; T-Bryan Smart; J-Connor Beasley. Lifetime Record: 5-1-0-0, £9,520.
Last Start: 5th Apr. 2 Kempton conditions
8 7 Marcel (Ire) Lawman (Fr)
(€50,000 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; 26,000gns Ylg '14 TAOCT)
O-Paul Makin; B-David Hyland; T-Peter Chapple-Hyam; J-Pat Smullen. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, £117,495.
Last Start: WON Oct. 24 G1 Racing Post Trophy
9 8 Massaat (Ire) Teofilo (Ire)
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; T-Owen Burrows; J-Paul Hanagan. Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, £115,124.
Last Start: 2nd Oct. 10 G1 Dewhurst S.
10 3 Ribchester (Ire) Iffraaj (GB)
(€78,000 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; €105,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB)
O-Godolphin; B-A Thompson & M O'Brien; T-Richard Fahey; J-William Buick. Lifetime Record: 4-1-2-0, £93,736.
Last Start: 5th (DQ'd from 2nd) Apr. 7 G3 Prix Djebel
11 9 Stormy Antarctic (GB) Stormy Atlantic
(68,000gns Wlg '13 TATFOA; 200,000gns 2yo '15 TATBRE)
O-P K Siu; B-East Bloodstock Ltd; T-Ed Walker; J-George Baker. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-2, £93,949.
Last Start: WON Apr. 14 G3 Craven S.
12 6 Zhui Feng (Ire) Invincible Spirit (Ire)
(235,000gns Wlg '13 TATFOA; 340,000gns Ylg '14 TATOCT)
O-John Connolly & Odile Griffith; B-Es Que Syndicate & Irish National Stud; T-Amanda Perrett; J-Tom Queally. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2, £162,031.
Last Start: 3rd Apr.12 Newmarket conditions
13 12 Zonderland (GB) Dutch Art (GB)
(70,000gns Ylg '14 TATOCT)
O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd; T-Clive Cox; J-Adam Kirby. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-0, £7,737.
Last Start: 5th Oct. 24 G3 Horris Hill S.
All carry 126 pounds.
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