Straight From The Trainers Mouth - Guineas Special

Toronado goes head to head with Dawn Approach

Straight From The Trainers Mouth

2000 Guineas

Garswood - "It's fantastic for everybody and we're all excited. A few of the lads in the yard have backed him at 200-1. It's great for us to have a live outsider in a Classic. Ricahrd Fahey

Cristoforo Colombo - "The fast ground will help him and I think he will improve for the step up in trip. He ran a massive race in Ascot last year when he was drawn on the wrong side of the track, I was on my own and the first two were on the stands side so I'm hoping for a good run. He has cheekpieces on as he can be a little bit lazy in his races and they will help him to travel a bit sweeter.
He's never had his ground and I think everything is right for him. The nicest ground he had was at Ascot and he was only beaten a length by Dawn Approach. He is stepping up in trip and on better ground, I can see him hopefully make up a little bit of that” Joseph O’Brien
Mars - "Mars has only ever had one run a maiden in Dundalk and made all. It's a massive ask coming on the back of that to Newmarket.
He has been working very well and is a lovely horse. He has plenty of class and he has plenty of speed, but Cristoforo has plenty of experience. His work is good, he's a great mover. I think fast ground will be essential for him. He has plenty of pace in his family and he's working nicely, but he has had only the one run and I would have liked him to have had a little more experience going to Newmarket." Joseph O’Brien
George Vancouver - "He had a great run in America, he loved the fast ground and got the trip. He's a horse who relaxes and has a great turn of foot on fast ground. On his run in America, he'd have a massive chance," Jospeh O’Brien
Toronado – “Toronado did his last proper piece of work last Sunday and goes to Newmarket in the form of his life.
“We always felt that he was more one for the Derby than the Guineas, but this spring he has been showing much speed in the mornings than he did last year, so, while Dawn Approach is obviously a very good horse, we feel that we have a solid chance of beating him.
“You had to be impressed with Toronado’s dress-rehearsal in the Craven as he did it the hard way, and it takes a good horse to win like that from the front, repeatedly quickening.” Richard Hannon Snr
“I have been so impressed with Toronado this season and put him right up there with Canford Cliffs – and maybe even in front. He is much more the straight-forward of the two and you can ride him any way in a race, and I think he will handle the dips and ridges at Newmarket better than did Canford Cliffs. Dawn Approach is a very good horse, but he invariably hits a flat spot and I think we will win.” Richard Hughes
Van Der Neer – “Van der Neer would not have the speed of Toronado and may eventually prove a 10-furlong horse, but his form is solid – he was second to Kingsbarns in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, where he hated the soft ground – and his preparation this spring could not have gone better.
Lingfield would not have been his track, but he won his trial there in spectacular fashion considering that he was only 80% straight, and he did not take the home turn well and was still last straightening up.
Like Toronado, Van der Neer is very laid-back and uncomplicated, and I can easily see him finishing in the four.” Richard Hughes
Dawn Approach - "Dawn Approach did his final piece of work on Tuesday and it all went very well.
I have been very happy with his preparation. I could not have wished for a smoother passage through the winter and into the spring. He is a very hardy horse and has a great constitution.
He is great form at the moment and I expect him to be fine on good to firm ground.
I am never confident but I am hopeful that he will run up to his very best form." Jim Bolger

Moohaajim - "We were hoping to win the Greenham last time but I wasn't too disappointed because the ground was on the dead side which didn't suit him. We were on the stands side which was where the worst ground was. He travelled like the winner for a long way but couldn't find the extra gear on the ground. He's done well since the race and I hope the ground is good for the Guineas. The thing that really pleased me at Newbury was that he was much more relaxed than last season when he could get on his toes. The Newbury race has relaxed him and he's training well." Marco Botti

1000 Guineas

Hot Snap - "The mile will suit her better and hopefully the experience of the Nell Gwyn will have brought her on.
She is coming in her coat but will always be a very tall filly with plenty of bone (and) not over-robust.” Sir Henry Cecil
Moth - "She's a lovely filly. I really fancied her first time out last year but she only finished fifth and I was terribly disappointed," the jockey told At The Races.
She came back and ran over six in a maiden and I got to the front too soon and she got a bit tired and was nailed by horses late on. She went to the Curragh and she showed on the track for the first time what she had been showing at home and she goes there with a live chance in an open-enough Guineas.
Her pedigree suggests she will stay much further, at least a mile and a half. To do that over seven was very special and we're hoping she will progress with racing." – Joseph O’Brien
Snow Queen – “Snow Queen has a lot of ability and might be a bit better on a straight track. On her run this year she might struggle, but I wouldn't be surprised if she ran a big race.” Joseph O’Brien

Magical Dream – “I wouldn't be 100% sure Magical Dream would run. We'll see how she is but I would think it's probably 50-50 with her at the moment." Joseph O’Brien

Roz - "She's in good form and I'm very pleased with the way she has wintered. She needs to improve on her second in the Fillies' Mile, but the ground was a little tacky that day. She wants good or faster ground, which hopefully she will get on Sunday.
Jim Crowley, who partnered her to both her wins last year, rode her in a racecourse gallop at Kempton recently and she went well. She already has Group 1 form and, while she could be better over further in time - she has a middle-distance pedigree - there is no reason why she can't go very well in the Guineas." Harry Dunlop
Agent Allison – “Peter Chapple-Hyam came on for me quite early to ride AGENT ALLISON (3.50) in the Qipco 1000 Guineas on Sunday and I think we’ll see a better performance than her comeback at Newbury when she was second to Maureen in the Fred Darling.
She got an unfortunate passage that day, getting bumped at the stalls and then coming to the stands side where the ground was slowest.
She couldn’t quite get to Maureen who was on the better ground up the centre but still kept on well.
This is a filly I’ve always thought a bit of ever since we scooted up on her debut at Pontefract last June and she beat everything bar Newfangled in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot on her next start.
She likes good ground and is in very good order since Newbury so in a race where, in my opinion, there doesn’t look a stand out filly I think we are certainly an each-way chance.”William Buick

Rasmeyaa – “"Like everybody they've had a tricky spring. I think trainer and jockey both feel in a perfect world they'd have another 10 days just to get her to blossom, but we don't have that perfect world, She worked well on Tuesday and they are perfectly happy to let her take her chance.
She's got her whole season in front of her and I'm sure she'll be better for the run. We don't have the benefit of time on our side, but we'll give it a go." Angus Gold
Winning Express – “"I probably got her as fit as I could, but we rode her to get the seven furlongs and we got into a bit of a squashing match about two out. She's come out of the race very well.
I think everything will be right for her on Sunday. The ground will suit, but I think it's an open Guineas.
We're going to ride her slightly different. I won't give her the ground to make up."Ed McMahon

Other runners for the weekend

1:50 Goodwood – Expert – “Expert is a Mastercraftsman newcomer who is ready for a run. He has been a bit of a boy, but he has undoubted talent and we hope that a run will quiet him down.”Richard Hannon

2:55 Goodwood – Democretes & Shamaal Nibras - “We run both Democretes and Shamaal Nibras in the seven furlong handicap. Democretes will definitely appreciate stepping back up in trip, having finished well over six at Windsor last time, while Shamaal Nibras gets no respite from the handicapper so the fact that Willy Twiston-Davies claims the 5lb will be a big help. He is better than he looked on the Polytrack at Kempton last time.”Richard Hannon

5:00 Newmarket – Unsinkable – “Unsinkable is a horse I really like and he's very tough. He goes up to a mile and a quarter here and I think it should bring about some improvement. If it does then I think he'll run a big race. He's very tough and I was very pleased with his last run at Lingfield”. Richard Fahey

4:35 Thirsk – Lord Aeryn – “I was thrilled with Lord Aeryn's run the other day and I think he'll have a good season. The worry here is that we are coming back a bit quickly here but there's a decent bit of prize money on offer and he's got a nice-looking draw.” Richard Fahey

2:05 Newmarket - Dance And Dance – “The last time he won was when we teamed up for a relatively soft conditions race at Doncaster in July and I haven’t managed to ride him since.
He was rated 110 there and having disappointed in two runs this season is now down to 100, his lowest for nearly two years.
If he’s back to anything like his best on this faster surface then he should be a contender over a trip that’s ok for him.” William Buick
2:35 Newmarket – My Propeller - I’m hopeful that her narrow defeat in a fillies’ listed race at Bath last month will have put an edge on her because she’ll need it against these speedballs.
She’s got nearly a stone to find on the one we’ve all got to beat, Sole Power, and I’d have plenty of respect for Spirit Quartz and Heeraat who looked a nice sprinter in the making at Newbury last month.” William Buick
3:10 Newmarket – Agerzam – “He won the middle of two starts last backend despite taking a pretty strong hold and looked a horse with a future if his enthusiasm could be channelled the right way.
I don’t think you should be under any illusions about how hard it will be to find the winner of this race because you’ve got some horse that are in winning form, fit and are improving plus others like mine that have the potential to go on in their second season.
But the feedback is sound so I’m expecting a good performance from Agerzam”.William Buick
5:00 Newmarket – Hoarding – “I’m assuming that this more galloping track is going to bring improvement on his comeback at Epsom  a couple of weeks back when he never got his act together on those twists and turns.
However, this is a spicy race even though there are only six runners and I don’t think we have seen the best of Windhoek who has won both his outings by a short head. On his reappearance at the Craven meeting he held on to beat a very nice horse in Greatwood, trained by Luca Cumani.” William Buick
5:35 Newmarket – Red Avenger – “If he’s back to the form he showed when we went under by a head at Doncaster last September then he could be competitive but that’s the only time I’ve ridden him and he needs to up his game from his debut at Sandown a week ago when he was a well-beaten last.
It is possible Country Western has improved enough to make it a hatrick.” William Buick