The first of the English Classics are a little over a fortnight away, with Coronation Saturday 6 May the date for the 2000 Guineas.
62 colts are currently declared for the Newmarket Group 1 run on the Rowley Mile course.
Group 1 winning Irish juveniles Augustin Rodin and Little Big Bear head the ante-post market, both stabled with Aiden O’Brien. The Ballydoyle trainer was happy with their work at the Curragh a fortnight ago and declared that if both colts run, they will head straight to the Guineas without a prep.
Aidan O’Brien – another big season ahead
This week, British opposition gears up for the Guineas with two trials – the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday and Saturday’s Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
A traditional trial, the Craven Stakes sees eight colts contest the Group 3 contest over the same course and distance as they are all declared to run in next month.
The Godolphin-owned Mysterious Night brings red-hot form to the table, having landed the Gr3 Prix Francois Boutin in Deauville before running out an impressive winner of the Gr1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in September. The Dark Angel colt is a narrow favourite (7/4) with James Doyle taking the ride. William Buick interestingly has opted to ride the stablemate Naval Power, currently second favourite at around 3/1.
Biggest threat to the ‘boys in blue’ looks to be Mostabshir, an impressive four-length debut winner at Kempton in November. He runs for Roger Varian in the Shadwell silks, while Andrew Balding has a strong contender as Gr2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes hero The Foxes is entered.
On Saturday, Streets Of Gold will be out to maintain his unbeaten record in the Gr3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s unbeaten son of Havana Gold is bidding for a sixth consecutive victory and is one of 12 entered in Newbury’s feature race who also hold entries in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas.
Johnson Houghton commented: “He is really well; he has wintered well so I’m very happy with him. He’s not the biggest horse and he hasn’t grown, but he’s filled out and muscled up. He seems in great form.”
“The Greenham is a great starting point for him, I love Newbury as a racecourse, it is just down the road from us.”
After handling sticky ground conditions at The Curragh, connections have no real concerns regarding ground for Streets of Gold who will once again be partnered by Charlie Bishop.
Entries for the Newbury Group 3 are headed by another locally trained contender in Chaldean.
By Frankel, the Juddmonte owned colt is trained by the inform Andrew Balding. He won the Gr1 Dewhurst at Newmarket on his final start last October and looks a leading contender on Saturday and if victorious, again next month.
