Major race entries 2008: 2000 Guineas | 1000 Guineas | Derby | Oaks | Coronation Cup

Classic countdown, w/c: 7 April | 14 April | 21 April | 28 April | 5 May | 12 May | 19 May | 26 May

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Saturday 3 May 2008

The 2000 Guineas saw Henrythenavigator win for the O'Brien yard, which finally hit form last weekend. Favourite New Approach ran a splendid race in defeat, fighting abck once headed and only going down by a nose. The pair are due to reoppose in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Raven's Pass is likely henceforth to drop in trip withthe July Cup in mind.

Henry Cecil's Feilden Stakes second Kandahar Run showed the benefit of that run when running away with the Listed Newmarket Stakes, taking the lead going into the dip and powering clear to beat long-time leader Meeriss by two and a three-quarters of a length.

The Rock Of Gibraltar colt has been cut to 14-1 from 33's for the Derby. Cecil said: "He stays well and quickened up nicely. He just thought he'd done enough at the end. There are no immediate plans and he has a lot of entries."

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Friday 2 May 2008

John Dunlop's unbeaten Fred Darling Stakes winner Muthabara has pulled up sore after working on Friday ahead of her tilt at the 1000 Guineas on Sunday, for which she is one of the market leaders.

In a statement, Dunlop said: "Muthabara pulled up slightly sore after exercise this morning and it proved that she has a small bruise under the shoe on her near-fore foot.

"We are tubbing and poulticing during today and I am hopeful that she will make a recovery prior to Sunday's 1000 Guineas."

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Thursday 1 May 2008

New Approach is drawn in stall 2, and heads 15 entries in Saturday's 2000 Guineas - click on the link above for declarations.

Sir Michael Stoute's Perfect Stride is amongst the 15, with owner Rabbah Bloodstock's racing director, Bruce Raymond saying: "Perfect Stride is on course to run in the Guineas. He banged a hock just before the Craven but there was only a minor strain. Sir Michael and his team seem to have sorted it out very well."

Nayef colt Alfathaa represtents Sheikh Hamdan and William Haggas. Jockey Richard Hills told At The Races: "We wanted to run him in the Craven but he had a little bit of a foot problem. He needs to get out and run as there aren't many races for these types of horses, so I imagine if Sheikh Hamdan and William are both happy he will turn up. He worked extremely well before the Craven and then we had to wait a bit with him, but we need to find out.

Group One winner Scintillo ran poorly on his seasonal reappearance, but connections are expecting a bold show after an impressive piece of work on Wednesday.

Aidan O'Brien's Jupiter Pluvius is not a definite starter in the 2000 Guineas after scoping poorly on Wednesday. "It's very marginal," O'Brien told the Racing Post. "His scope was not 100 per cent clean, but nothing will be decided until the morning. It's just that it might not be quite good enough to be running in a Classic first time out. If it clears up, we might still be able to declare him. Or we might leave it and run him in the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh on Monday."

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Wednesday 30 April 2008

The Rowley Mile official going description has changed to good, good-to-soft in places (from good-to-firm on Tuesday morning) after the course was hit by significant rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Director of Racing Michael Prosser said: “We have had 22 millimetres of rainfall in the last 36 hours, of which 5mms had fallen between 8am and 4pm today. The showers for today are due to peter out by the early evening and it is forecast to be dry overnight and tomorrow morning.

“Further showers are forecast for Thursday afternoon: however, these are likely to be less prevalent than in the past 36 hours. There is the possibility of further showers on Friday but they are likely to more localised. Indeed, there is every chance that we could be dry from Friday through to the end of the meeting on Sunday."

Prix Morny winner Myboycharlie is to run in Monday's Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh. Fozzy Stack, son and assistant to trainer Tommy, said: "We plan to run him and he's had a good winter, he's got really strong. He's done all the things you would like to see him do and he's been working well so we're very happy with him.

"We were thinking about Newmarket but he'll start off on Monday and then we'll see whether we go for the Greenlands over six furlongs or for the Irish 2000 Guineas after that.

Rosaleen, fourth behind Infallible in the Nell Gwyn, boosted the form with victory in the X Factor Stakes at Ascot, perhaps showing that better times lie ahead for the winning trainer Brian Meehan's yard.

Meehan said: "The horses are not quite firing and are just getting there. I was pleased with her there. She improved from Newmarket and I will now look at what was the Lupe at Goodwood next month. That will give me about four weeks with her and with the way she was finishing there, I think a step up in trip will suit."

Meehan has Royal Lodge winner and Racing Post Trophy runner-up City Leader on the easy list, saying: "City Leader was coughing when he came back from the Craven. He needs to step up to a mile and a quarter and I don't think he will be ready for the Dante at York.

"It's not a major problem - the horses are just not there yet and we need to wait a couple of weeks."

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Tuesday 29 April 2008

Fast Company will not run in Saturday's 2000 Guineas due to an unsatisfactory blood count.

John Oxx is to run a well-regarded pair of the Aga Khan's homebreds to determine their Classic participation. Tipperary winner Kargali (Invincible Spirit) is to run in the Group Three Aussie Rules Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh on Monday. Oxx said: "He won really well, but he probably hasn't beaten a lot and we are keen to give him a tougher test before deciding whether he is good enough to go for the Irish Guineas. The plan is to go for the Tetrarch Stakes and hopefully the rain sticks around as he does need some cut in the ground."

Of the once-raced Katiyra (Peintre Celebre) Oxx said: "She won her maiden well and the form looks good. However, it was still only a maiden and she will step up in class for either the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on May 11 or the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas a few days later.

"She is a filly we like a lot and if she comes through her trial race well, races like the Oaks will have to come into consideration. We think she will be more effective over middle distances."

Andrew Balding has nominated his Dream Eater as having an outside chance in the 2000 Guineas. He told Attheraces: "He had very solid form last year, although we perhaps only saw the best of him at Doncaster. Last year he was a bit of a handful in the preliminaries, but he has matured throughout the winter which will stand him in good stead.

"He's done physically well but mentally he has matured which is the most important thing with him. He's an outsider, but a lively outsider and I'm expecting him to run well."

Paul Cole is considering running River Proud, who tired late on in the Craven after leading for most of the way, in the Prix d'Essai des Poulains next month.

Christophe Lemaire is confident of Natagora's chances in the 1000 Guineas, telling the Racing Post: "Matagora showed she was the best filly last year and this year she made a very good reappearance over seven furlongs, a trip she never ran over last year.

"The way she ran was very good, because she was relaxed and behind another horse. She quickened very well to make the difference over the last one and a half furlongs.

"She knows the track, which is a very good point. I hope the ground will be good, because she seems better on good ground. There is no problem at all with the filly. We are very confident. All we need is a little bit of luck and she will do the rest."

Cheveley Park Stud has two runners in the race, and stud manager Chris Richardson said: "Spacious is in good form and has wintered well. She hung on to her winter coat a bit longer than the other filly, but she's in good heart and has come on physically.

"We'll see what happens and it could depend on the ground. They are both going to run at this point, but Infallible would prefer some ease in the going while Spacious likes top of the ground.

"Spacious was the one who told us she wasn't really ready for a prep run. James has brought her on very gradually and whatever she does she will come on for it.

"Infallible gave an eye-catching performance in the Nell Gwyn. I think a lot of people are concerned about her stamina, but I think she'll stay though I know she has a fair bit of speed. She's done all that's been asked of her."

Godolphin's 2000 Guineas bid is to be spearheaded by Racing Post Trophy winner Ibn Khaldun. Racing manager Simon Crisford told the Racing Post:: "He is an intended runner at Newmarket while the forecast rain will be in Fast Company's favour so we expect him to take his chance as well. He wouldn't want the ground too fast.

"Rio De La Plata is still more likely to go to France.

"They are all in good form. They have done all their work in Dubai, travelled in good shape and are ready to run," he told the Racing Post.

LATEST STAN JAMES PRICES, 2000 GUINEAS: New Approach 2/1, Raven's Pass 4/1, Ibn Khaldun 6/1, Jupiter Pluvius 8/1, Fast Company 12/1, Henrythenavigat' 16/1, Fireside 16/1, Perfect Stride 20/1, Rio De La Plata 20/1, Stimulation 20/1, Plan 25/1, Moynahan 40/1, One Great Cat 40/1, Scintillo 66/1, Dream Eater 66/1, Strike The Deal 66/1, Alfathaa 100/1, Stubbs Art 200/1, Bahamian Kid 500/1

LATEST STAN JAMES PRICES, 1000 GUINEAS: Infallible 7/2, Muthabara 4/1, Natagora 4/1, Spacious 11/2, Kitty Matcham 14/1, Savethisdanceforme 14/1, Laureldean Gale 16/1, Psalm 16/1, Nahoodh 20/1, Lush Lashes 25/1, Halfway To Heaven 33/1, Saoirse Abu 33/1, Max One Two Three 33/1, Lady Deauville 40/1, Royal Confidence 50/1, Francesca D'Gorgio 50/1, Nijoom Dubai 50/1, Spinning Lucy 100/1