Racehorse TALK

Frankel odds-on for the 2000 Guineas as 14 line up to face Cecil's unbeaten colt

By Simon Milham Last updated at 2:24 PM on 25th April 2011

Frankel will face a maximum of 14 rivals in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday. Set to go off the shortest priced favourite for the Classic in over 30 years, Totesport have Henry Cecil's unbeaten colt as a 1-2 chance.

Jessica Harrington's Pathfork is another unbeaten youngster heading to Headquarters and is expected, by the bookmakers at least, to give the market leader most to do. He is 5-1 with the same firm.

Odds-on: Frankel will be a warm order to give Henry Cecil a 25th English Classic

The leading Aidan O'Brien representative this year is Roderic O'Connor, second to Frankel in the Dewhurst and a Group One winner in France as a juvenile.

Though 6-1 with Totesport, he was on the drift and available at 13.0 on the Betdaq betting exchange at 2pm on Monday.

O'Brien has also left in Master Of Hounds and Alexander Pope.

Native Khan, the winner of the Craven Stakes, and William Haggas' unbeaten Fury are others who could give the favourite something to think about.

Godolphin have left in Saeed bin Suroor's Saamidd and Casamento, trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Dubai Prince was intended to be Al Zarooni's Guineas horse but he misses the race through injury.

'The main Classic horse I have is Casamento and a decision will be made soon on whether he goes to the 2000 Guineas on Saturday or waits for the Dante,' Al Zarooni told www.godolphin.com.

'Casamento is a good horse who is doing well. He wants further than a mile and although the Guineas is a great Classic it is always a good trial for the Derby.'

Broox, Dubawi Gold, Happy Today, Loving Spirit, Rerouted and Slim Shadey complete the possibles.

Dream Ahead was among the four withdrawals, with trainer David Simcock admitting defeat that he is not going to get his favoured ground.

'With Dream Ahead now missing the Guineas as expected, Frankel is all set to go off one of the shortest-priced favourites for the colts' classic in recent memory,' said totesport spokesman George Primarolo.

Late decision: Godolphin may allow Casamento to take his chance

Memory and Moonlight Cloud are the 9-2 joint-favourites with totesport for the Qipco 1000 Guineas after 23 fillies were left in at the latest declaration stage.

Richard Fahey has supplemented Barefoot Lady – a 20-1 shot with totesport – after her victory in the Nell Gwyn Stakes but Paul Cole has decided to wait for the French equivalent with Rimth after her impressive win in the Fred Darling at Newbury.

Havant has been nibbled to 5-1 (from 11-2) by totesport whilst Cheveley Park winner Hooray has also been cut to 9-1 (from 10-1).

Qipco 2000 Guineas betting (totesport): 1-2 Frankel, 5 Pathfork, 6 Roderic O'Connor, 12 Native Khan, 16 Casamento, 16 Fury, 25 Master Of Hounds, Saamidd, 50 Dubawi Gold, 66 Alexander Pope, Broox, Happy Today, Loving Spirit, Rerouted, 100 Slim Shadey.

Corner

28 April 2011

I don't really do pressure as every ride is important to me whatever the occasion, but with expectations of Frankel riding so high, I will be going through Saturday's Qipco 2,000 Guineas with even more care than usual.

Don't get me wrong, I have no doubts whatsoever about Frankel's abilities, it's just that it takes so much hard work to get a horse ready to run in a Classic, let alone to go and win it.

Care and attention to detail is needed every step of the way and being over confident is never a good idea as everyone knows there's no such thing as a racing certainty.

Unbeaten in five races, he goes into the race the shortest-priced Guineas favourite for over 30 years, but he's still has plenty to prove.

There's a lot of talent in the race and he will be racing on ground faster than he's ever run on before, but there are also plenty of positives, not the least of which is that he has won over the course and will have the benefit of a pacemaker in Rerouted.

He wasn't fully tuned up when he won at Newbury a couple of weeks ago, but the race has brought him on and he is a much better horse now than he was then. He did his last piece of work on Tuesday and will be spot on Saturday.

He has an extraordinary long stride and, if we get a sensible pace, I hope I'll be celebrating my first English Classic winner.

I am not surprised by the interest World Domination as a possible Investec Derby horse. He was impressive when winning at Newbury and is bred to get the mile and a half trip being out of an Oaks winner, but lacks experience and it will be interesting to see how he handles Lingfield's tight turns if allowed to run in the trial there on Saturday week.

Henry Cecil is brilliant with fillies and I reckon he's got another good one in Arizona Jewel who won for me at Sandown last Sunday. 

A fine big leggy filly with plenty of potential, she was to have run at Newbury's trials meeting, but bruised a foot and had to miss some of her work so her win was all the more impressive.

It was a good race on paper, and although we got an easy time of things in front, she did well to stay up the Sandown hill considering her relative inexperience and I was very impressed with her.

She could be bound for York and a run in the Musidora next month and that will tell us what we need to know and whether she could be is a serious Oaks prospect. 

I'm off to Leicester tomorrow (Friday) where I've got three rides Tiberius Claudius in the opener, Dark Ages in the fillies' maiden and Rowan Lodge in the mile and a quarter handicap.

They’ve all got chances, but I watched Dark Ages run a lovely race to finish fourth at Newmarket and am looking forward to riding her. Noel Quinlan knows how to ready a two-year-old and I'm hopeful she will be able to get her head in front at the finish.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Native Ruler back on the racecourse at Newmarket on Saturday. He's a very good work horse and is held in high regard. I hope he can get it all together and fulfil his early promise.

It's a tough ask with James Given going into the race double handed with Indian Days, whom  I won on at Newbury, and Dandino who also comes off the back of a good win.

Right after my ride on Frankel I'll be getting the leg up on Tim Easterby's four-year-old Mister Hughie in the Palace House Stakes. He's won five of his 22 starts, including a win over the course last spring, an experience I hope he'll be able to put to good use again.

Finally, I've been reluctant to join the debate on whips as I don't wish to fuel the controversy, but I do think some people are making more of it than they should.

Some of the comments are made by people who would not know how to put a head collar on a horse let alone ride one, and I find that very frustrating.

Most of the top 20 jockeys are seldom in breach of the whip rules. I cannot remember the last time I was banned for an offence with the whip.

Today's whip is a lot different to those used 20 years ago. They are air-cushioned and are used mostly as an aid.

Ban it and you would be left asking, where will it all end?

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