2000 Guineas 2016

Big? Yes I guess it’s possible. Just checked the video again and when he went by Muntazah, now that horse has some size on him and is a big beast, bigger than the Gosden horse but Foundation left him for dead.

Deauville was gaining on the line, but looking at it yes Foundation possibly does have more sixe and scope to him to the O’Brien horse, contrary to what I was saying. A lovely looking chestnut that’s for sure.

So I was probably talking rubbish, not for the first time

I didn’t realise Recorder was out for the season thanks for that info, wondered why he didn’t turn up in the National stakes.

thejudge1 wrote:

Recorder, Tashweeq and Very Talented are others to throw into the mix as far as the racing post trophy is concerned, it’s a bit early to be writing it off as a betting contest since we have no idea what the final declarations might be. My worry with Foundation is that he’s a bit on the small side; possibly a concern that he won’t develop much from two till three.

I just looked at the video of that Royal lodge again and I’m not convinced Foundation had much left in the locker, eased or not, the second was gaining rapidly at the finish and I think Foundation might struggle to fend him off if they met again, I also think this Deauville strikes me as having the more scope of the two. Two smart colts though.

I don’t think there’s a stand out derby horse yet. The Beresford today should tell us more, True Solitaire is rock solid on the form line with Sanus Per Aqqam/ Deauville/ Johannes Vermeer so I’ve backed him, although Stellar mass is interesting at a big price.

Of course you have to respect O’Brien’s record in the game although I notice all of his three are wearing headgear, I must admit I have an in-built dislike of any horse that is sporting any kind of apparatus

I like Tashweeq but I doubt Gosden will run him against Foundation in the Racing Post Trophy. Recorder was injured as stated earlier, about 30 seconds after I selected him at 50/1 for the Derby along with Foundation at 33/1 it seems. Very Talented is promising and won his maiden well, for now he sits quite a bit behind the level required for a Group 1 but he is progressive and a course and distance winner.

Gosden said the following about Foundation after the Royal Lodge:-

“He’s come between horses, picked up well and handled the Dip well, which isn’t easy for a big, gangly two-year-old.”

I am not worried about him not training on but the ability to get the Derby trip is not assured, hence the reason he was 33/1 for that race. Gosden has described him as a Guineas/10f horse but I can’t see him as a type for the first classic of the season.

Big, gangly two year olds tend to become big, gangly three year olds and it is one thing holding off Deauville and another thing having 6f horses from this season stalking you and quickening. I reckon if Air Force Blue and Foundation met at 7f the O’Brien horse would be a warm order.

The Racing Post Trophy may show us more but I just have this concern as to why Gosden felt he had to start Foundation off at a mile, if a mile is likely to be his best distance at 3?

Bobby Bluebell wrote:

Steve, Gosden may have said he’s a Guineas/10 furlong horse but he seems to have told Harry Herbert something a little different;

Trainer John Gosden was delighted with the performance, and said: “He’s a grand horse but he’s still learning.

“Frankie (Dettori, Foundation’s jockey) tried to teach him as much as he could as he didn’t learn a great deal at Haydock last time, and I’m pleased that he was able to cope with the speed of this test so early in his career.”

There may be doubts whether he would get the Derby trip, but Harry Herbert, racing manager for owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: “It’s a tricky one given his pedigree but team Gosden seem to think he will stay, and the Derby has been mentioned in dispatches, although it is a bit premature at this stage.”

Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/John-Gosden-pair-Shalaa-Foundation-plenty-promise/story-27877952-detail/story.html#ixzz3n9WS6EZ5
Follow us: @CambridgeNewsUK on Twitter | cambridgenews on Facebook

Thanks for the link Bobby.

Opinions will always vary but I have my own methods and when I see a horse of Gosden’s start at a mile I assume he’s probably going to need further at three. Similarly, when they go the Royal Lodge and Racing Post Trophy route the same thinking applies, particularly the latter race.

Sometimes they defy their pedigree, not often maybe, but sometimes they do. If a horse looks like he will stay I won’t let the pedigree stop me.

We saw with Golden Horn that the only way the pedigree would have stopped him was if they fashioned the document into a paper plane, loaded it with a poison dart and thrown it at the colt coming round Tattenham Corner.

Recorder out of guineas and at least the first six months of year.Could well be out for the whole season.

Shalaa is very interesting Jac.Gosden seems intent on running him in the Commonwealth at ascot.
Only prep (for guineas purposes) would be the Greenham at newbury imo .I wouldn’t be surprised if he went for the Pavilion at ascot over six in april.(a race Limato won last season) even with the penalty .

Cant wait all bubbling along nicely.Whats your thoughts on another Gosden inmate Wajeez?

thanks for that steve,do you believe he will be ground dependent?

the problem with Hit the Bomb is Air Force Blue(although AOB has mutli ran in the past)i like HRB as well but i think it maybe best till wait till the day

Kentucky Spring wrote:

Hi, any thoughts of Hit It A Bomb; will he go for the 2000 Guinneas and why woudn’t he be a Guinneas horse?
Today I bet him 16/1 with WHill, thinking he’s unbeaten, beat Birchwood, who’s a good measure horse, because he has shown good form in all runnings and been close to the 2 AIR stablemates from O’Brien. I believe this horse will come on and improve for 2016.

Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf

2008 Donativum (only won one race, listed class, in seven runs after)
2009 Pounced (never ran again)
2010 Pluck (Only ran once, well beaten fav)
2011 Wrote (Five runs after, beaten fav twice and form tailed off totally)
2012 George Vancouver (Three runs after, never troubled the judge, form tailed off)
2013 Outstrip (Six runs after, stone last in 2000 Guineas and pretty useless after that)
2014 Hootenanny (Won a 5 and a half furlong race at 1/10f in spring, tailed off at Royal Ascot, never seen again)
2015 Hit It A Bomb ?

nwalton wrote:

Shalaa is very interesting Jac.Gosden seems intent on running him in the Commonwealth at ascot.
Only prep (for guineas purposes) would be the Greenham at newbury imo .I wouldn’t be surprised if he went for the Pavilion at ascot over six in april.(a race Limato won last season) even with the penalty .

Cant wait all bubbling along nicely.Whats your thoughts on another Gosden inmate Wajeez?

Sorry I’ve only just picked this up, I don’t usually come over to this thread until around middle of March when there is more info available on how the 3yo’s are progressing.
Watching Steve’s video you have to be impressed by Wajeez’s attitude, I don’t think Graham Lee used the whip on him at all and I loved the way he grabbed the ground and he handled the bend very well. His knee action isn’t to high so looks as though he would handle good ground as well as good/soft. Another exciting prospect for John Gosden with the Derby pencilled in.
His reminds me very much of Dawn Approach at this stage and can’t wait to see him in action again.

I still can’t believe that Gosden is 100% about Shalaa taking a sprinting route and the Commonwealth at Ascot is well into the season. He has Shalaa declared in the Tattersalls 3yo Sprint at the Craven Meeting and
the 1m2f Tattersalls 3yo trophy along with the 2000 Guineas.
That doesn’t sound like a man who is thinking that Shalaa is going to take the sprinting route.
Looking at his form, apart from his maiden, in all his 6 furlong races he has either been running on at the finish or eased which just shouts out that Shalaa will stay at least 1 mile and should go for the 2000 Guineas.
This is how he finished his last 5 races…
Beating…
Buratino – Eased at finish
Guitaifan – well on top
Tasleet – Easily
Steady Pace – Comfortably
Fang – Ran on well at finish

I’m taking up the campaign to lobby John Gosden to let Shalaa take his chances in 2000 Guineas
Whatever happens sprint or middle distance this horse is going to be one of the big players this season.
Roll on the Flat.. Jac