How much do the connections of your 1000 and 2000 Guineas fancies rate their mount? In our feature ‘Straight From The Horse’s Mouth’ we aim to collate, in one article, the best of the quotes concerning a selection of entrants ahead of both Saturday’s and Sunday’s Newmarket feature races.
Gleneagles (2000 Guineas) and Found/ Together Forever/ Qualify (1000 Guineas)
Trainer Aidan O’Brien: ‘Gleneagles is in good form and this is his trip. We took him to the Curragh for a canter and he’s been in grand form since then.
‘We’re still not 100 per cent about Found. She worked this morning and we were happy with her, but she’s on her way back from a setback so we’ll give her a few more days before we decide. It’s not crucial we run her though obviously the 1000 Guineas is a Classic.
‘Together Forever is in good form and worked well this morning, but it depends on what happens with Found – whether she runs or not. On the other hand Qualify is a definite runner and has no issues with the likely fast ground. She’s one Joseph [O’Brien] could possibly ride.’ [Racing Post, 30th April]
Territories (2000 Guineas)
Trainer Andre Fabre: ‘Territories has come out of his trial very well and has come on for the run.
‘We will monitor the weather forecast and going conditions as he is a horse that prefers genuinely good ground. He is more likely to get his favoured ground conditions at Newmarket than at Longchamp a week later.’ [Godolphin.com, 22nd April]
Intilaaq (2000 Guineas)
Trainer Roger Varian: ‘Intilaaq won at Newbury like a very good horse and he has trained beautifully since.
‘He has natural speed to be comfortable at a mile but also has the stamina to stay further, which should stand him in good stead in a 2000 Guineas.
‘He is a colt we have always held in high regard and we feel he deserves to take his chance in an open-looking race.’ [Sporting Life, 27th April]
Lucida (1000 Guineas)
Trainer Jim Bolger: ‘Lucida is very well and is on target for the 1000 Guineas. I am very pleased with her.
‘We have decided to send her there without another run as I wanted to follow the same route as I did with Finsceal Beo [2007 winner].
‘It’s been difficult to compare the two as they are different types of filly and Finsceal Beo had already won a Group One in Paris by this stage, but Lucida’s performance was good when she won the Rockfel.’ [Sporting Life, 22nd April]
Osaila (1000 Guineas)
Trainer Richard Hannon [Speaking after the horse’s victory in the Nell Gwyn Stakes]: ‘She’s not there in her coat and might have needed the run so there’s another three to five pounds [of improvement] there, probably.
‘Sky Lantern was beaten in this race [Nell Gwyn Stakes] two years ago and went on and won the Guineas, and this filly is hopefully as good as her. She is rated 109 and Sky Lantern was 111 so there’s not a lot of difference between them and she will improve a lot for it.’ [The Guardian, 15th April]
Ivawood (2000 Guineas)
Jockey Richard Hughes: ‘We thought we had him fit enough to do himself justice [In Newbury’s Greenham, finished 3rd] but in hindsight he looked pretty big in the paddock and I’m of the assumption that, because he’s pretty good, he was doing his work too easy.
‘ It’s a little bit like me going for a run with Richard Hannon. He would get tired quicker than me.’ [The Guardian, 27th April]
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