The Craven Crew
With none of today’s protagonists for Newmarket’s G3 Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven S. quoted at less than 14-1 in the ante-post lists for the upcoming G1 2000 Guineas, it is fair to say that the latest renewal of this time-honored trial is lacking some gravity. Nonetheless, with the mile Classic looking at present to be wide-open and missing a star turn, the way is open for some of the darker prospects to state their case over the same course and distance. ‘TDN Rising Star’ White Lake (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) looked every bit a genuine Guineas hope when accounting for the smart Secret Brief (Ire) (Shamardal) on debut over seven furlongs in York’s Convivial Maiden at the Ebor meeting in August before running below expectations when fourth in the Listed Flying Scotsman S. over that trip at Doncaster’s St Leger festival the next month. With a winter’s rest to renew him, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s still-promising bay remains one of the intriguing outsiders in the Classic picture, and Luca Cumani is keeping an open mind.
“White Lake has wintered well and looks our chief Classic hope among the colts at this point, but it’s difficult beyond that to say too much right now,” he explained. “He has been very pleasing at home and had a racecourse gallop last week, so we go to Newmarket hopeful that the boy can turn into a man.”
Heading the opposition is his Flying Scotsman conqueror Nafaqa (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}), who bids to stack up Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s collection of Guineas contenders. Having mastered the subsequent impressive G2 Mill Reef S. winner Toocoolforschool (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and the smart Hannon trainee Peacock (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) as well as White Lake at Doncaster, he ran into Elm Park (GB) (Phoenix Reach {Ire}) when a length second to that eventual G1 Racing Post Trophy scorer in the G2 Royal Lodge S. over this track and trip in September.
“We think a lot of Nafaqa and everyone has been very pleased with how has done over the winter,” jockey Paul Hanagan said. “This will be the first time I have sat on him this year. He was still a big baby last year, although he did have some very good form. Hopefully the penny has dropped with him this year.”
Richard Hannon relies on a duo with contrasting backgrounds, and the unexposed ‘TDN Rising Star’ Moheet (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) is the most interesting following his seven-length success over this trip at Salisbury at the start of October. Al Shaqab Racing’s racing manager Harry Herbert commented, “He’s come on really well and is a magnificent horse to look at. Physically, he’s really thrived since that run last season and his work coming into this has been extremely good. I saw him work at the weekend with Richard’s best 3-year-olds and he was certainly well up there with them. This will tell us a lot more about whether he’ll handle the track and we just thought it was sensible to come here and see what we’ve got. We hope the bubble doesn’t burst and we can head on to the Guineas.”
Aidan O’Brien, who currently houses the ante-post Guineas favorite Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), sends across a reliable yardstick in War Envoy (War Front), and Susan Magnier’s bay will provide an accurate measure of his rivals’ merit, having contested some of the better juvenile events in 2014. He also has race-fitness to help, having run second on his return in the Listed Patton S. over seven furlongs on Dundalk’s Polytrack at the beginning of the month.