Scorthy can be crowned the Champ in 2000 Guineas
IN THE blink of an eye the British Jumps season has concluded and we’re straight into the first Classics of the Flat season this weekend at Newmarket.
The 2000 Guineas (3.35pm) comes up first on Saturday and this year’s renewal for the colts looks an open affair.
The best horse doesn’t always win the first Classic of the year, with race fitness often counting for plenty at this time of year and it’s impossible to tell how fully wound-up horses returning from an absence are.
A case in point was last year’s race, when City Of Troy, who went on to carry all before him later in the season, trailed home in ninth, while Notable Speech took the honours at 16/1.
This year’s favourite, Field Of Gold, has had the benefit of a run this season, when an impressive winner of the Craven over this course and distance.
I do think he is by some way the most likely winner, and his task looks to have got easier with the news that main Ballydoyle hope Twain is now likely to miss the race.
However, there is no value in his price, and I’d rather look outside the top of the market for something at an each-way price.
SCORTHY CHAMP proved himself to be a high-class two-year-old in his three starts last season.
He made a winning debut at Leopardstown, then finished third behind Henri Matisse at the Curragh before gaining his revenge on that rival when landing the Group One National Stakes on his final outing.
The way he finished strongly last time over seven furlongs suggests that he should benefit from this step up to a mile.
Joseph O’Brien has his string in good form and is more than capable of readying one to run a big race first time out.
At around 8/1, I’d rather side with him than take a short price about the favourite.
On the supporting card on Saturday, I like the look of the Charlie Hills-trained GALERON in the Suffolk Stakes (2.20pm).
This five-year-old finished fourth in the 2000 Guineas two years ago when trained by Hills, showing that he has plenty of ability.
Following that season, he was sent to Australia, where he had a year with Annabel Neasham, but has since returned to the Hills yard.
He ran a taking race first time up in the Lincoln, beaten only two lengths in fifth, and if that run has brought him forward, he should be bang there in this at 10/1.
Another worth close attention is BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND in the Group Three Palace House Stakes (2.55pm).
Trainer Karl Burke has mentioned how this daughter of Twilight Son has filled out and strengthened over the winter and she could make into a classy sprinter this season.
This race looks to lack strength in depth and Beautiful Diamond could well prove best of these for a trainer that does very well in the sprint division.
On Sunday it’s the turn of the three-year-old fillies in the 1000 Guineas (3.35pm), a race that has seen plenty of shocks in recent years.
Only one favourite has won in the last 10 years and last year saw Elmalka triumph at 28/1.
This year’s renewal does look to feature two exceptional fillies in Desert Flower and Lake Victoria, who are both unbeaten and already have four Group One wins between them.
However, picking between them is just too difficult and instead I’d rather stick with a filly we know is race fit in Archie Watson’s DUTY FIRST.
She sprung a surprise when winning the Fred Darling at Newbury a few weeks ago, when racing prominently and staying on strongly at the finish.
While she may lack the class of the front two, I don’t think her rivals would be wise to give her too much rope on the lead and she could run a big race at 16/1.
POINTERS SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Galeron e/w 2.20pm Newmarket (Saturday)
Beautiful Diamond 2.55pm Newmarket (Saturday)
Scorthy Champ e/w 3.35pm Newmarket (Saturday)
Duty First e/w 3.35pm Newmarket (Sunday)