IT WAS only last weekend at Sandown that we witnessed Willie Mullins become the first Irish trainer since the great Vincent O’Brien to win the UK Jump Trainers’ Championship, but focus now turns to Newmarket’s Rowley Mile with the first two Classics of the Flat season upcoming.
Vincent O’Brien won the 2000 Guineas (3.35pm) four times between 1968 and 1984, but Aidan O’Brien, his successor at Ballydoyle, has won this opening Classic a record 10 times.
The current master of Ballydoyle has saddled six of the last 10 favourites in this contest – with two winning – and his City Of Troy, at his current 4/6, is set to be the shortest priced 2000 Guineas favourite since Frankel.
Reports are that he is in flying form at home and on his two-year-old performances he looks set to become the superstar to match the hype he has created.
You never quite know how reappearing three-year-olds have trained on until you see them on the track though, and while he may well win this easily, his price is hard to get excited about.
O’Brien’s runners often need their first run of the season, and with rain forecast ahead of Saturday it could put extra emphasis on race fitness if the going gets really testing.
With that in mind, I’ve got my eye on a couple at huge prices that will be fine in the likely conditions and have race fitness on their side.
Richard Hannon hasn’t hidden his admiration for second favourite Rosallion, but I have worries about him on soft ground and the yard’s other runner HAATEM looks overpriced.
Rosallion is probably the superior horse, and Haatem was well beaten behind City Of Troy in the Dewhurst last season, but he reemerged with a taking win in Group Three company over this course and distance a few weeks ago and could be an improved horse this season.
That run should have left him spot on for this race and we know he’ll handle the ground if it turns soft.
The Hannon yard have a precedent of winning this contest with one of their lesser-fancied runners, as Night Of Thunder won at 40/1 in 2014, and Haatem is an each-way play at a slightly shorter 33/1.
At similar odds, Kevin Ryan’s INISHERIN makes appeal too.
He chased home recent Blue Riband Derby Trial winner Bellum Justum on debut over this course and distance last September, showing plenty of ability despite his inexperience.
Another horse that has already had a run this season, he trounced a potentially useful rival, who has won easily since, at Newcastle last month and looks set to improve further.
He’ll need to, but we know he handles the track, and with stamina in his pedigree he shouldn’t be worried by any easing of the ground.
Those things count for a lot in a race like this and I can see him outrunning his odds.
The Palace House (2.25pm), over five furlongs, provides a brief appetiser to the 2000 Guineas.
Last year’s winner VADREAM is back to defend her crown and looks to have been primed for this by trainer Charlie Fellowes, after putting in a good performance to finish third in a Bath Listed race a few weeks ago.
She is a mare that really relishes any cut in the ground, so if the rain comes, I can see the current 8/1 on offer quickly disappearing.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Vadream e/w 2.55pm Newmarket
Haatem e/w 3.35pm Newmarket
Inisherin e/w 3.35pm Newmarket