2000 guineas 2015

Nathan Hughes wrote:

Hannon has said Peacock has improved and he did beat Richard Pankhurst on debut, I wouldn’t write him off a chance in a trial but would want a double figure price unless the same lot he despatched at Kempton turned up. I think he would beat The Wow Signal over a mile at a decent clip.

Peacock isn’t in the entries for the Craven Nathan. Estidhkaar is in there, along with Ivawood, Kool Kompany and the once raced Moheet. I think Ivawood will head for the Greenham and I’m not sure if Peacock will join him there, it would seem counter intuitive if they think the mile suits.

Richard Pankhurst is Gosden’s sole entry, and with Faydhan headed for the Free Handicap it would leave the Greenham as the only realistic option for outsider Fannaan, who was talked of as a colt likely to take in a 2000 Guineas trial this season, although Betfair odds suggest he won’t make the field for the Classic (300/1 plus at one stage)

An fascinating week ahead for the Flat and I am interested in an unraced John Gosden colt named Markstein, who is owned by Godolphin and, like Richard Pankhurst, he’s by Ravens Pass. Jocked up with William Buick in the Wood Ditton, he’s also entered in the Alex Scott maiden the previous day but no jockey is given there, so I am assuming the Wood Ditton is the target.

Do you think Faydhan’s lack of experience might come into it Steve?
The whole field is running 1st time out so fitness will play a part and with it being a trial they wont all be fully tuned up to the minute. O’Brien likes his horses to find their own feet unless it’s a group 1 coupled with Gosden’s early season record last year and then the weight difference I would rather side with Faydhan over the O’Brien horse.

raymo61 wrote:

Richard Pankhurst not going to Guineas!!!

I did wonder when I saw his odds drifting. Gutted by that news but luckily only a few quid invested at big odds for that one.

Nathan Hughes wrote:

Do you think Faydhan’s lack of experience might come into it Steve?
The whole field is running 1st time out so fitness will play a part and with it being a trial they wont all be fully tuned up to the minute. O’Brien likes his horses to find their own feet unless it’s a group 1 coupled with Gosden’s early season record last year and then the weight difference I would rather side with Faydhan over the O’Brien horse.

There are only five runners left in Nathan. Jungle Cat carries top weigh on 9st 7lb and has to give Faydhan 8lb on his weight of 8st 13lb.

If Faydhan has progressed at all over the winter I expect him to win this well and he will need to, to justify his place in a Guineas field.

I know Hugo Palmer thinks a lot of Home Of The Brave and he’s on the same rating as Faydhan. Perhaps more likely to be a sprinter and the stable had one last Saturday who there was money for overnight but he drifted on course before finishing behind Fanciful Angel at Lingfield. He’s got a tongue tie on for the first time on Wednesday.

Richard Hannon runs Tupi but his form seemed to tail off last season.

Glenalmond represents Karl Burke and Jungle Cat is in for Charlie Appleby, after seeming exposed after several runs for Mark Johnston last season, some of them at a high level.

As I expected, Faydhan is short. The two early bookies both go 1/2 and 6/1 bar the Gosden horse.

Peacock looks to be running on Wednesday in the Feilden Stakes the race True Story won last year. Disegno the Stoute horse is in there, he hasn’t been seen since finishing 2nd to Kodi Bear in the Winkfield at Ascot where Peacock ran that stinker. Festive Fare has a guineas and Derby entry and for me it will be between him and Peacock who have both had a recent spin so should have a fitness edge.

Forecast: 11/4 Festive Fare, 3/1 Disegno, 7/2 Peacock, 6/1 Algaith, 7/1 Golden Horn, 14/1 Mustadeem, Puissant

A couple of weeks ago the Racing press were keen to advertise that the Craven and Greenham might actually have some meaning this year, after having been something of an irrelevance in recent times. At that time there were a few bigger names in the mix but The Craven has thinned down to a disappointing field of seven runners and there are no Guineas leading lights in there.

Moheet represents Richard Hannon and is shaping as favourite in some books. He’s won his only start and the Hannon followers will ensure he’s popular.

Hannon also fields the more exposed Kool Kompany, who had some nice form last year but he’s had a crazy nine starts as a 2yo and doesn’t appeal as the type to keep improving much.

Luca Cumani has White Lake, who won his first start and then went off a shocking looking odds on next time and could only finish 4th to Nafaqa, who re-opposes here.

Barry Hills Nafaqa then ran second to Elm Park in the Royal Lodge and the winner there went on to land the Racing Post Trophy. Fans of Andrew Balding’s Colt will be hopinf Nafaqa can give a boost to that form.

War Envoy represents the powerhouse O’Brien team and he has a fitness edge with a recent run under his belt. Probably his best run from eight efforts last year was his second to Hannon’s Estidhkaar in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. He was briefly a rather silly priced favourite for The 2000 Guineas on the back of his maiden win at 1/3 but he’s generally been disappointing and was beaten as favourite again, when runner up in Listed class on 1st April. It would be a bit disappointing for this race as a trial to see a horse of that profile win. Perhaps he’s here on a recon mission for Gleneagles but the O’Brien factor sees him as low as 7/2, which does nothing for me.

Charlie Hills’ Aces was just a neck behind War Envoy in the Champagne after a Windsor Maiden win. That represented a big step forward for him and he has a lot less racing under his belt than the Coolmore horse. He’s up there in the ratings after that but confidence is tempered by me not being a big fan of Charlie Hills and the stable have had a quiet sort of month without a winner so far.

Hail The Hero completes the line up and he’s the rank outsider. He was a bit disappointing for the O’Brien team last year but won a maiden on his first start for David O’Meara. Even with the trainer’s record of improving other people’s horses, he has a lot on stepping straight to Gp 3 from maiden company and he could well blow his handicap mark if he gets close here, making it seem an odd decision to line up here, my thinking being that, if he’s a lot better than shown so far, there is a nice pot waiting with his name on it off his current 87 mark.

It’s a tricky race to call but I had Barry Hills Nafaqa favourite on my fag packet book at 3/1. I don’t smoke but it’s unofficially “Benson and Hedges Boomakers” for my own guide. At 4/1 I think he’s a sensible selection. He’s one of three horses Barry Hills thinks he has as realistic classic contenders this season and his second to Elm Park looks sure to see him competitive here.

White Lake was already behind Nafaqa and I just feel he may be shorter than is warranted at 3/1 Fav with Ladbrokes.

Moheet will have folk thinking of Toronado, as another son of High Chapparal with the Hannon team. He could be open to any improvement after strolling home at Salisbury by seven lengths. The form of that race hasn’t amounted to much though and his price here is all about promise and the Hannon name, with ground needed to catch up to win here. In a confused market, he is Fav with Paddy Power and William Hill.

In a race where you could almost open a separate book on who will go off favourite, I am siding with Nafaqa to grind out a win at 4/1. I am not expecting anything other than a big win from Moheet to have much impact on the Guineas betting.

I’ve seen Faydhan at 16/1 after his flop today. No thanks.

very disappointing,like you say,cant see him going back to HQ for the Gns,no spark whatsoever.