Test Of Character

Enduring the differing examinations of the English and Irish 2000 Guineas and Royal Ascot's G1 St James's Palace S. and emerging triumphant requires special material and Tuesday is the day of reckoning for the latest to attempt the unique treble in Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Interestingly, he is re-opposed by the two Godolphin colts he bettered at Newmarket and at The Curragh, Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) and Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) respectively, and the former is a key challenger on this track after a break since the May 6 mile Classic. Three weeks later, the manner in which Churchill dealt with rain-softened ground and Thunder Snow in Kildare suggests he has few weaknesses and he has done nothing in the interim to suggest that he is regressing. Aidan O'Brien, who holds the record of seven successes in the race, achieved the English-Irish 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace treble with Rock of Gibraltar (Ire), Henrythenavigator and Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) but is taking nothing for granted. “We were delighted with him at Newmarket and again when he won at the Curragh,” he said. “Everything has gone fine since then. He's very straightforward and he should be happy on the ground. There are a lot of good horses in the race and we have total respect for them all.”

Barney Roy has just a length to make up on his adversary from the 2000 Guineas, where he was notably keen and all at sea racing down into Newmarket's infamous “dip”, and trainer Richard Hannon is keen to see how he fares on this track. “We pinpointed Royal Ascot after his run in the 2000 Guineas and have never been in a hurry with him,” he said. “He became very unbalanced when he went through the dip at Newmarket and, in the circumstances, Barney Roy did exceptionally well to finish only a length behind Churchill. He stumbled so badly that I thought he had broken a leg. He ducked down and somehow managed to stay upright before finishing so well. Ascot will suit him much better, as you don't have the ups and downs of Newmarket and he was only having the third run of his life there, so we will know more this time. He has come out really well from the Guineas where, with a stronger pace, he would have finished closer. The mile at Ascot is right up his street and I can see him putting it up to Churchill in a big way.”

Thunder Snow went to Churchill Downs instead of Newmarket and his bizarre antics in the Kentucky Derby remain a blip on an otherwise admirably consistent career record. Two lengths behind Churchill in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket in October and 2 1/2 lengths adrift in the May 27 Irish 2000 Guineas, the G1 Criterium International winner is a true proponent of the theory of “try and try again” and it is significant that connections are keen to re-oppose. “Thunder Snow is doing great and working well,” trainer Saeed bin Suroor said. “He is a class horse–a Group One winner already–though he would prefer good-to-soft going, which he is unlikely to get.” Thunder Snow also lost out to Rivet (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) when a head second to that rival in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster in September before finishing behind him when fifth in the Dewhurst. The latter has since won the G1 Racing Post Trophy back at the former venue and finished third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Deauville May 14 and reverts to a mile after pulling away his chance when eighth in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly June 4. “He has a bit to find with the front two, but there's not a lot between him and Thunder Snow on past form,” trained William Haggas commented. “If you eradicate his run in the French Derby, when things went wrong for him, then he's entitled to be there. Whether he can shake up the front two is another matter, but you definitely can't shake them up if you don't take them on, so we'll give it a go.”