On the face of it, Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has it all going for him as he heads to post for Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Hailing from Aidan O'Brien's stable, which with six wins in the famed Classic is just one shy of equaling John Scott's record, Michael Tabor's handsome bay is partnered by one of the very best jockeys that Britain has produced in recent times in Ryan Moore, and he even has the ideal fast-but-safe ground conditions that this heathland is renowned for producing. To top it all, he has an ivy league pedigree, being from the immediate family of the millennium edition's runner-up and subsequent champion Giant's Causeway, and also the form in the book. At times flashy but mostly professional and solid at two, he dealt with all his pattern-race demands without stress, and a major ante-post gamble which took shape in late March suggests he has made great strides for his winter break. Like one of his Guineas-winning predecessors at Rosegreen, Rock of Gibraltar (Ire), Gleneagles brings a string of group-race successes to bear on this race. They include the G1 National S. at The Curragh in September, and although he was stripped of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere by the Longchamp stewards on Arc day, he was clearly the best colt in the race. Ryan Moore is looking for the first of potentially several renewals and blogged on betfair, “He was just about the best 2-year-old around last year; he turned up at every race and he kept on winning. He won the [G3] Tyros S., the [G2] Futurity S. and the National S. in Ireland, then he went to France and he won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Okay, so he lost that race in the stewards' room, but he was the winner on merit; he was the best horse in it. He is a horse I am looking forward to a lot.”
Stars of Shadwell…
If there is a weakness in the Ballydoyle arsenal, it could be one of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's pair of Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Intilaaq (Dynaformer) who expose it. Like chalk and cheese, the Richard Hannon and Roger Varian runners represent the opposite ends of the experience spectrum entering this test. Estidhkaar, whose half-brother Toormore (Ire) (Arakan) began to unravel when strongly fancied for this race 12 months ago, danced many of the traditional English dances in 2014 as he built his reputation in the style of one of his owner's past luminaries Alhaarth (Ire). Dealing with the subsequent G3 Solario S. winner Aktabantay (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) with impressive aggression in the G2 Superlative S. at the July meeting here before defying a penalty in more workmanlike fashion in Doncaster's G2 Champagne S. in September, he was apparently feeling an injury when a disappointing fourth in the G1 Dewhurst S. at this track the following month. Returning to put all the speed merchants to the sword bar Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury Apr. 18, he bids to emulate his stable companion Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in stepping up from a second in that seven-furlong prep with victory here.
“He would have needed that first run and he will definitely improve for going up to a mile,” commented Hannon, who is looking to annex the race for the second time in only his second season since succeeding his three-times winning father. “I was really pleased how well he was staying on at the finish in the trial.”
Intilaaq had just the one start at two, when third in a seven-furlong Ascot maiden in September, but returned to put up one of the most impressive performances of the current season on the Greenham undercard. On the clock and to the eye, the supplemented 'TDN Rising Star', who is the son of a European Classic winner in the 2004 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Torrestrella (Ire) (Orpen), is a match for any of these rivals, but a win would mark him out as exceptional as he lacks the vital conditioning of many.
“Intilaaq has been in great form since winning at Newbury,” Roger Varian commented. “He is a colt we have always held in very high regard and his win at Newbury was in the style of a high-class horse. This is obviously a huge step up in grade, but we felt that he warranted to take his chance in what looks an open 2000 Guineas on paper.”
More Four Hannon…
Given that last year's winner Night of Thunder started at 40-1, it is folly to write off any of Richard Hannon's quartet, especially as they all hold sound claims. Prior to the Greenham, last year's G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. winnerIvawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) was the clear stable number one for this, but he was found wanting as he trailed Muhaarar and Estidhkaar when 4 3/4-lengths back in third. That represented his second eclipse, having been edged out of the G1 Middle Park S. when second here in October and his previous air of supremacy has dissipated. Kool Kompany (Ire) (Jeremy) bids to become the first since Haafhd (GB) to complete the G3 Craven S.-Guineas double, having made all to land the stable another renewal of the course-and-distance trial Apr. 16. He was the winner of the G2 Railway S. and finished runner-up in the G1 Phoenix S. at The Curragh last summer and also captured the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte, so he has the underlying strength to capitalize on any weaknesses among the better-fancied runners. Completing the foursome is Al Shaqab Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Moheet (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who had no obvious excuses when third in the Craven, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by his barnmate.
“Ivawood, who was third at Newbury, will also improve plenty for that comeback run,” Hannon said. “He is a big horse who carries a bit of weight and he has probably made more progress than any of them this past fortnight. We thought he was ready for it, but maybe it came a bit soon and his work since has been very good. Kool Kompany never gets the credit he deserved, and even when he won the Craven they said it was only because he got a soft lead in front. He is very tough and he, too, has improved since the trial, so if any of the big names have cracks in them he will find them out. He enjoys bowling along in front, but he doesn't have to lead. Finally, Moheet finished only third in the Craven, but it was only the second race of his career and he was still immature, having won his maiden so easily at Salisbury last year. He did not really handle the undulations at Newmarket, but now he has the experience he will know what to expect, and it would not surprise me if he, too, ran well.”
Bravery Rewarded?…
Hugo Palmer saddles his first Classic runner in Home of the Brave (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who would be the first since Mystiko (GB) in 1991 to win this having garnered the seven-furlong prep, the Listed European Free H. Making all to upset the much-vaunted Faydhan (War Front) Apr. 15, Flemington Bloodstock Partnership's free-running chestnut will face a stiffer test being taken on by more efficient closers here.
“He's the sort of horse that needs to get into a rhythm and provided there was a good gallop, he could settle in behind one, but he is a fast horse,” he said. “My hope is that having had a run, the gassiness might have been taken out of him and he might grow up. There is no reason why he shouldn't get a mile, but on running style we'll have to see. He is 33-1, but it is enormously exciting and everything I dreamed of doing.”
Ger Lyons is another trainer on the rise and he puts forward Cappella Sansevero (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), the G3 Round Tower S. and G2 Coventry S. runner-up who has outside claims on form lines through Kool Kompany and Ivawood. “Cappella Sansevero had a busy 2-year-old campaign with a lot of traveling, so it was always the intention to start him back in the Guineas,” his trainer told PA Sport. “He has had a couple of racecourse gallops and won first time out last season. He should have run in the Dewhurst rather than the Middle Park–when Andrea [Atzeni] got off him after the Middle Park he said that he was only really getting going at the winning post–and I have no doubt that he will get a mile. I am happy with him; he has done well physically and his work has been good.”
Others who have a shot in an open year are the G1 Racing Post Trophy third Celestial Path (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Olivier Thomas' Ride Like the Wind (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). The latter hails from the Freddy Head stable and he comes here on the back of a win in the France's prep for this, the G3 Prix Djebel over seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 2. “I'm very happy with him and can't wait to run him,” Head told PA Sport. “It was soft when he won the Djebel but I don't think he needs soft ground, he's got form on faster ground. This time last year no one over there had really heard of Charm Spirit, he went on to finish fifth and was very unlucky as he was drawn on the wrong side. This one is a similar sort of horse and is he goes on to achieve what Charm Spirit did, I'll be very happy.”
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