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Considering St. Nicholas Abbey’s finsihing speed, and how easily he travels during his races, I will be quite surprised if Aidan O’Brien does not have a crack at the 2,000 Guineas.
I have a feeling that Aidan may go down a similar route with St. Nicholas Abbey as John Oxx did with Sea The Stars.
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I think SNA should miss the guineas. John Oxx knew STS would get the eight furlongs, but had a question mark over 12. SNA is the reverse of this, which leaves me to believe they should leave the guineas out. Could be a bad move sending him.
If that question was for me Andy then it’s just my opinion about him missing the guineas.
After all the hype about Crowded House and Rainbow View, I [as a new recruit to flat racing] shall wait and see what happens next year. SNA looked quite a small horse to me [although it’s difficult to see properly on the telly] and won’t have the temperament of STS. Still looking forward to seeing him next year, though.
The difference between those horses and SNA is the trainer you expect this monster of a horse to train on for next year.While RV and CH had trainers who ok but those horses did not progress.
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Considering St. Nicholas Abbey’s finsihing speed, and how easily he travels during his races, I will be quite surprised if Aidan O’Brien does not have a crack at the 2,000 Guineas.
I have a feeling that Aidan may go down a similar route with St. Nicholas Abbey as John Oxx did with Sea The Stars.
Absolutely agree here,
There is no 2yo out there bar Arcano who could give SNA a race over the mile and its worth taking the horse on next year.
The commentator took pains to explain how the race was run at a moderate pace, not fast. So apparently SNA had the speed to take off when asked. How about the others? People complain when Aidan runs a pacemaker to avoid such situations,ei. a slow run mile race turning into a sprint finish.However yesterday pointed the speed of SNA .Elusive Pimpernel came storming through in his last two races but had no chance to do that yesterday so the winner must be very fast, I believe he will have the pace to sit back in the Guineas like he did yesterday and still have the speed to take the race at the end.However only time will tell.Very few really good milers around any more.
If Aidan swerves Newmarket with SNA and sends him the Ballysax/Derrinstown route instead, we can take it as given that Coolmore expect Steinbeck (or one of the other 3yos) to be good enough to win the Guineas.
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If Aidan swerves Newmarket with SNA and sends him the Ballysax/Derrinstown route instead, we can take it as given that Coolmore expect Steinbeck (or one of the other 3yos) to be good enough to win the Guineas.
Fair call, I would go English Guineas with SNA just because this horse could potentially be another superstar and I think Aiden would love a chance to emulate that of STS and try Irish/French with Steinbeck
The difference between those horses and SNA is the trainer you expect this monster of a horse to train on for next year.While RV and CH had trainers who ok but those horses did not progress.
Gosden is as good a trainer as O’Brien. He just doesn’t have the ammunition. And Rainbow View hasn’t been as disappointing as Fame and Glory.
If you race them often enough, sooner or later a horse with good legs will win someplace for you. Rainbow View finally won in Ireland after 5 tries in the Autumn of her 3yo career. For the owners perhaps a little disappointing I would say. However whether more disappointing than F&G is hard to judge.
.Neither RV nor F&G’s failure can in all honestly be laid at the door of the trainer.(Each horses probably took on too much, if you don’t take on the best how do you find out how good you are?)Both are wonderful trainers and people.I would say that there is probably more pressure on Aidan since his is strictly a business operation.You know bottom line and all that. No horses are in his yard just for the fun of it!And I could be wrong.
St Nicholas Abbey looks, every inch, a Derby horse to me. He appears to have the speed to win a guineas but, with Canford Cliffs lurking in the shadows, I suspect he could hit a brick wall.
You should never write any horse off after one ‘below-par’ effort, but it’s very interesting that so many still believe in Canford Cliffs.
His Prix Morny third was a fine display, which merely lowered his status to ‘very good juvenile’ from ‘superstar’.
Royal Ascot 2YO races are a funny thing. A bunch of inexperienced animals performing in front of a huge crowd for the first time. Some more forward than others.
Is it quite possible that Canford Cliffs, whilst justifying immense hype, was slightly flattered. A horse who simply knew his job and held a distinct physical advantage?
Xtension looked like a horse who didn’t really know what was expected from him that day and his recent defeat in the Dewhurst highlighted his lack of strength at the business end of a top class race, despite travelling better than anything.
Maybe, as Chris Cook reported in The Guardian after his Deauville defeat, Canford Cliffs is an example of the fast, precocious 2YOs that the stable specialize in.
There was still no explanation to his unexpected loss. The winner was maintaining his unbeaten record and the second is clearly a very special talent who bolted up in the Cheveley Park.
Is it quite possible he was simply beaten by better, more progressive horses?
What I like about Arcano, is that he holds the best juvenile six furlong form in Europe, but he will clearly, not only stay a mile, but improve for it.
Awzaan is a horse that should stay on breeding, but you have to hold some doubt based on what we’ve seen thus far.
I hope St Nicholas Abbey takes his chance at Newmarket, but Aiden has some mighty talent at his disposal for the mile Classics next year, including Steinbeck, Beethoven and, not forgetting, Fencing Master, and others.
Of course, it all depends on how they winter, but Arcano has show all the right attributes and Xtension has a touch of class and looks progressive.
The return of Canford Cliffs will be very interesting. Straight to Newmarket?
Hi Bosranic,
Hughes was unequivocal in his assessment of Canford Cliffs. He believes the colt to be the best he has ever sat on. You heard him, I heard him. I’ll never forget his post-Coventry interview. Remember, Hughes rode Oasis Dream and Three Valleys, plus numerous other Prince Khalid bluebloods: That was some statement.
Hughes was devastated after Deauville, a result which I put down to the swamp draw as much as anything, and it is notable that Canford was immediately roughed off for the winter, leaving the overmatched sprinter Dick Turpin to take the limelight.
Throughout all the bold statements, in May and June, the wily Hannon never once contradicted Hughes in his exuberance.
Hannon has got plenty of previous: Mon Fils, Tirol, Lucky Lindy and Redback are just four horses who have won or run monster races in the 2000 Guineas for the yard so he would know the type necessary to make an impression. He also trained flying juveniles like Lyric Fantasy, Risky, Rock City and Niche so he would know the difference between a fast, precocious type and a Guineas prospect. Canford has been campaigned like the latter.
Natter about Steinbeck makes me smile. Canford hacked all over Xtension at Ascot – Cox’s colt and the rest were in a different time zone – and Xtension only just got beat in an unremarkable Dewhurst, beating Steinbeck comfortably. I know who I would plunge on.
Canford Cliffs came back from France with nothing wrong with him, scoped clean and had no injury.
I guess he needs cover which Richard Hughes said, he was pretty isolated on the rail that day, short runner fields may not be his thing but maybe he just ran into some very good horses on the day.
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