The first two British classics of 2016, the Qipco 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas, are scheduled to be run at Newmarket this weekend, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Won last year by Gleneagles and Legatissimo, they will see this year another crop of classically bred sophomores line up in the 1600m classics.
Among the leading 2000 Guineas hopes are:
AIR FORCE BLUE: 3 c War Front – Chatham
The Cartier Champion 2YO Colt of 2015, Air Force Blue has won all but one of his races.
His sire, War Front, is one of the hottest and best sires in the world at the moment –his 40 odd stakes winners already include 12 Gr1 winners, and the son of Danzig is currently siring an impressive eight percent stakes winners to foals.
Out of a stakes placed mare by former US Champion, Maria’s Mon, (sire of 2 Kentucky Derby winners), Air Force Blue hails from the family of US champion 2yo filly, Flanders, and the latter’s champion daughter, Surfside (by Seattle Slew).
STORMY ANTARCTIC: 3 c Stormy Atlantic –Bea Remembered
One of over 160 stakes horses sired by Storm Cat’s stakes winning son, Stormy Atlantic, (who is from the same family as Sadler’s Wells and Nureyev), Gr3 Craven Stakes winner, Stormy Antarctic, is out of Bea Remembered, a Gr3 placed daughter of King George winner, Doyen (by Sadler’s Wells).
He is bidding to give his sire, a former champion 2yo sire in the US, his first British Group One winner.
BURATINO: 3 c Exceed And Excel – Bergamask
Buratino bids to give former champion Australian sire, Exceed And Excel, (Danehill) his first British classic winner. Winner of the Gr2 Coventry Stakes last year (when beating Air Force Blue), the colt is out of the stakes placed Bergamask, whose sire, Kingmambo, sired past 2000 Guineas winners, King’s Best and Henrythenavigator. This is the family of dual Gr1 winning champion sire, Danehill Dancer, who shares his sire with Exceed And Excel.
HERALD THE DAWN: 3 c New Approach – Hymn Of The Dawn
A full brother to 2013 2000 Guineas winner, Dawn Approach, Gr2 Futurity Stakes winner Herald The Dawn will be bidding to atone for his sire’s narrow defeat in the Guineas back in 2008. Out of a mare by the once defeated US sprinter, Phone Trick, Herald The Dawn has in his fourth dam the great mare, Kittiwake, (Sea Bird), a Gr2 winner of 18 races, and ancestress of such top horses as Gr1 Prix Jean Prat hero, Kitwood, triple Canadian International hero, Joshua Tree, and recent Gr1 Empress Club Stakes winner, Inara (Trippi).
MARCEL: 3 c Lawman – Mauresmo
Last season’s Gr1 Racing Post Trophy winner, Marcel is one of four major European Gr1 winners for Invincible Spirit’s French Derby winning son, Lawman. His dam, Mauresmo, is by St James Palace Stakes winner, Marju (damsire of the great miler Canford Cliffs) and this is the family of Melbourne Cup hero, At Talaq and multiple G1 winner, Annoconnor, as well as SA sire, Way West and current useful 3yo, Prospect Strike.
MASSAAT: 3 c Teofilo – Madany
Runner up, to Air Force Blue, in the Gr1 Dewhurst Stakes, Massaat is by Galileo’s unbeaten champion 2yo Teofilo, whose 10 Gr1 winners include the classic winners Palentino, Pleascach, Sonntag and Trading Leather. Out of a winning daughter of top sprinter Acclamation, Massaat is a three parts brother to G2 Geoffrey Freer winner Royal Empire (by Teofilo).
The Girls
Members of the fairer sex will line up in the 1000 Guineas, where a number of well bred fillies seek to pick up a priceless classic success.
MINDING: 3 f Galileo –Lillie Langtry
Europe’s top 2yo filly of 2015, when victorious in both the Gr1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Fillies’ Mile, Minding is bred to be anything. She is by the world’s top sire, Galileo, whose numerous top class daughters include Igugu, Was, Found, Misty For Me, Together Forever, Ballydoyle and Mahbooba, and is out of Danehill Dancer’s G1 Coronation Stakes winner, Lillie Langtry. This is the family of Arc winner and outstanding sire, Vaguely Noble, local stars Arabian Lass and Arabian Beat, as well as SA’s record breaking yearling, Silver Coin.
LUMIERE: 3 f Shamardal –Screen Star
Beaten just once in three starts at two, the Gr1 Cheveley Park winning, Lumiere is a daughter of French Derby winner, Shamardal, (by Giant’s Causeway), whose runners include 16 individual Gr1 winners. Lumiere’s dam, by dual Gr1 winning 2yo, Tobougg, is a direct descendant of US Champion 2YO Filly and Breeder’s Cup winner, Outstandingly, and this is the famed La Troienne line, the same family as leading sire, Bernstein, sire of the last 2 Breeders’ Cup Mile winners, Karakontie and Tepin.
BALLYDOYLE: 3 f Galileo –Butterfly Cove
A full sister to champion and four time Gr1 winner, Misty For Me, last season’s Gr1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner is one of over 50 Gr1 winners for dual Derby winner, Galileo. Her dam, by outstanding sire, Storm Cat, (also damsire of Galileo’s classic winner, Gleneagles and local Galileo son, Global View), is a half sister to unbeaten champion 2yo, Fasliyev, and the third dam is former Broodmare Of The Year, Anne Campbell.
NATHRA: 3 f Iffraaj – Rada
Winner of the Gr3 Nell Gwyn Stakes and runner up in the Gr1 Fillies Mile, Nathra is by Gr2 Park Stakes/Lennox Stakes winner, Iffraaj, a son of Zafonic, whose top previous runners include New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner, Turn Me Loose, and ill-fated Breeders’ Cup winner, Chriselliam, both of whom are, like Nathra, out of Danehill mares. She is out of a three parts sister to Gr1 July Cup winner, Owington, while her dam is a full sister to the dam of G1 Phoenix Stakes hero, Dick Whittington.