Eye On The Prize

Expert Eye | Racing Post Photo

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Reputation tarnished after a flop in the G1 Dewhurst S., Khalid Abdullah's Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) returns to the fray with a G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas tilt still on the cards in Saturday's G3 Al Basti Equiworld Supporting Greatwood Greenham S. at Newbury. Last of nine when 4-7 favourite for that Newmarket feature in October, the homebred had previously been the season's main talking point after powering to an emphatic success in the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood in August. Sir Michael Stoute has had all winter to retrieve his spark and as he proved with King's Best in 2000 he is the master at sending excitable colts in the right direction. “We had huge expectations going into the Dewhurst and there was no getting away from it, it was very disappointing,” the owner-breeder's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented. “That having been said, I hope we've got on top of his issues. Sir Michael has worked hard and the horse himself is in very good shape. It's an important race for him to get back on track, we know he has the talent–it's a question of channelling that correctly.”

The Gredleys's James Garfield (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was over five-lengths fourth behind Expert Eye in the Vintage prior to winning the G2 Mill Reef S. here in September. Last seen finishing 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November, he offers a real measurement of where his Juddmonte rival is now compared to where he was last summer. “This race has been the plan since the Breeders' Cup and I'm very much looking forward to getting him started,” trainer George Scott said. “He has form at the track, obviously, having broken the track record over six furlongs for two-year-olds when he won the Mill Reef. I'm very happy with my horse and this is a trial that will hopefully answer a lot of questions. I would have preferred it if the ground had dried out a bit more, but he does have some very good form with cut in the ground, so I'm fairly relaxed about it, to be honest.”

Sultan Ali's Hey Gaman (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) captured the Listed Washington Singer S. over this course and distance on his favoured soft ground in August before running second in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster the next month. “This has been his target since last year and it looks like we're going to get some give in the ground, which he will appreciate,” trainer James Tate commented. “He's flying at home. He weighs 560 kilos–he's a huge horse–and I have little doubt that he's improved from two to three. He obviously likes the track and the conditions should suit, so we're expecting a big run.”

Daniel Macauliffe and Anoj Don's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Fighting Irish (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is another trying his hand with the Classics in mind and trainer Harry Dunlop is hopeful of a bold show. “He has wintered well, he has strengthened and he seems really well,” he said. “He won well over six furlongs at Maisons-Lafitte in October and we are running him in the Greenham to see if he stays seven furlongs. We'll see how he runs on Saturday, but if he seems to stay the trip, we are thinking about races including the French and German Guineas with him, so we'll see what happens.”

 

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