Larkspur looks at the prime three-year-old action.
QIPCO GUINEAS FESTIVAL REVIEW
At the five-day declaration stage we were set for the smallest 2,000 Guineas field in a generation as only 12 colts had stood their ground. The field would be further reduced to ten runners on the big day. Missing were both Best Of Days and Thunder Snow from my ante-post selections.
The former was entered in both the Dante and the Derby, while the latter was heading for the Kentucky Derby and the run for the roses as expected. Unfortunately, the Godolphin colt put in one of the most bizarre performances you will see at Churchill Downs when he exited the stalls and did a remarkable impression of a bucking bronco mule, jockey Christophe Soumillon having to pull him up immediately. There would be no ‘Godolphin blue moon shining over Kentucky’ dream for another year.
That just left us with Al Wukair and Andre Fabre’s stable was in a rich vein of form, leading his trainer to confidently predict that his colt would be in the first three but concerned that he did not have Group 1 winning form.
If the 27 times French champion trainer had read Andy Newton’s column in the last month’s Racing Ahead he would have seen the ‘standout trends’ were that a horse had to have won over 7 furlongs and won a Group race – not necessarily a Group 1 event. Al Wukair, who had run twice as a juvenile, had opened his threeyear-old campaign with a win in the Group 3 Prix Djebel over 7f at Maisons Laffitte on 10 April. He scored 23 points according to Racing Ahead and was ticking the all the right boxes.
この記事は Racing Ahead の June 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Racing Ahead の June 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
LION ROARS TO TOP SPOT
John Anthony is right up with the pace as the speed horses kick on again
JUST STAY IT AGAIN SAM!
Paul Jacobs relishes a grand October climax with final Flat season flourish
TROY JOY OPENS THE FLOODGATES
lan Heitman recounts a month of stunning track highlights
FINEST LAP OF HONOUR
Graham Buddry tells the dramatic tale of Australia's brilliant Southern star
DOWN LAMBOURN WAY
Richard Eagle brings news from the Valley, Epsom and beyond
BOY WILL STEP UP IN THE WET
Ben Morgan sticks to his guns with 10 top tips to follow in the coming weeks
CUTTING BACK TO THE OLD DEBATE
Rolf Johnson weighs up one of racing's perennial chestnuts
FROM BOOK TO BOOKIES
The former Sky frontman turns detective in hunt for Arc clues
FUM-ING BUT NO DISGARCE
Jeremy Grayson picks it up in the sticks after a late summer jumps break
MEMORIES OF SIR MICHAEL'S EARLY DAYS RUN SO DEEP
Dave Youngman looks back at Michael Stoute's road to success