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Saturday 18 April 2009

Last year's Molecomb winner and Dewhurst third Finjaan is to head straight to the 2000 Guineas after being withdrawn from today's Greenham Stakes after the going description was changed to soft.

Owner George Strawbridge has decided that his star fillies Rainbow View and Fantasia will not clash in the 1000 Guineas, with the Luca Cumani-trained Fantasia, the thrilling winner of the Nell Gwyn stakes on Wednesday, heading to the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp instead.

In the 2000 Guineas market Rip Van Winkle has been backed into second favouritism while his Ballydoyle stablemate Mastercraftsman has drifted to 7-1. Delegator is the favourite for the race after his stunning Craven Stakes win.

Jim Bolger has decided that Goffs Millions second Gan Amhras will bypass Sunday's P.W.McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown because of the sodt ground, and is likely to run in the Dante Stakes at York or the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh instead.

Jeremy Noseda plans to step Craven Stakes second Sans Frontieres up to 10f. Owner Sir Robert Ogden's racing Manager Barry Simpson told PA Sport: "For only his second run in his life he has run well over a distance that is a bit on the short side for him.

"We will be encouraged by what we saw yesterday and we will look at the options available for him. It is very unlikely he will run in the Guineas. He wants further so we will look at the some of the races over a mile and a quarter next time and take a view from there.

"The Dante is a possible, there's the Lingfield trial and the Goodwood trial - there are plenty of options. I don't want to nail my colours to the mast.

"The Dante would be nice but I see Crowded House is likely to go there. A lot will depend on what happens in the next two or three weeks. One thing he has done is shown that he has improved over the winter and that's a good sign, a positive sign."

Friday 17 April 2009

Michael Bell is to campaign Art Connoisseur in sprint races following the colt's unplaced run in the Free Handicap at Newmarket on Wednesday. The first target will be the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot as Bell is keen to avoid running under a penalty before then.

Last year's Gimcrack winner Shaweel has transferred to Godolphin and is reported to be in good order ahead of tomorrow's Greenham Stakes at Newbury. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor told PA Sport: "He's been working well and we're really happy with him. The bit of work he did on the Limekilns the other day was quite impressive, and I'm sure he'll go well in the Greenham."

Godolphin have a Derby possible in the shape of Autumn Stakes winner Kite Wood, formerly with Michael Jarvis. Suroor continued: "He's working nicely and doing well, having been on the weak side early on for us. If he could win the Dante he'd be a very good candidate for Epsom."

Bin Suroor added that he has yet to map out a programme for Dubai Duty Free winner Gladiatorus, the highest-rated horse in training, who will arrive from Dubai at the end of next week.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Doctor Fremantle could return at Chester next month at the meeting where he entered last year's Derby equation with victory in the Chester Vase.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, said: "He's on the go, and though I haven't discussed it with Michael yet, I guess races such as the Huxley Stakes or the Ormonde could come into the equation."

Grimthorpe added that Ladbrokes Sprint Cup winner African Rose is in good order, saying: "She has a variety of options including the Chartwell Stakes at Lingfield and the Prix du Palais Royal, a Group Three over seven furlongs at Longchamp. Royal Ascot, the Newmarket July meeting and Deauville will hopefully form the main part of her programme."

Wednesday 15 April 2009

The Clive Brittain-trained Diktat filly Wadaat was a front-running winner of the freebets.co.uk Free Bets Median Auction Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Yarmouth on Tuesday and will take in a Classic trial next.

Brittain said after the race: "She finished second to a nice colt of John Gosden's at Lingfield last time and she was coming back at him all the time so that was a good run.

"My fillies this season seem a nice bunch, and that helps them bring each other on.

"This filly's next run will either be in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket or one of the Classic trials at Lingfield or Chester. She'll go on improving and she certainly has a future ahead of her."

The Queen's Chesham Stales winner Free Agent will make his seasonal debut in either the bet365 Sandown Classic Trial or the totesport Dante Stakes at York.

Trainer Richard Hannon told PA Sport: "He was buzzy when he came back in but I am now very happy with him. He will either go to Sandown or to the Dante as we need to run him over a mile and a quarter to see where we are going.

"Epsom is there for him, but the French Derby is another option if he doesn't stay. He has got plenty of speed and you do need that at Epsom, to act round the track and to get a position.

"His pedigree says he should stay but we will have to see, as he has so much speed. They all tell us on the track, in the end."

Hannon plans to campaign Group One winner Paco Boy in the top seven furlong and mile contests this season. The four-year-old will run in the Juddmonte Lockinge on May 16 before taking in races such as the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Hannon said: "He could be a hard horse to beat this year, unless something comes from the three-year-old crop."

Hannon has decided to run last year's Goffs Millions winner Soul City in the Irish 2000 Guineas in prefernece to the Newmarket version after the colt was slow to come to hand.