Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who ran second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in the wake of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in May, will contest the 1 1/4-mile $500,000 Qatar Derby over the Doha turf course during the Qatar International Derby Festival on Dec. 22. Trained by Robert Teal for breeder Mrs. Anne Cowley, the grey colt won the Listed Flying Scotsman S. last September and ran second in the G3 Tattersalls S. later that month before a pair of victories in Qatar, including the Feb. 24 Listed Al Biddah Mile (Qat-G2) to open his sophomore account prior to his miss in the Guineas. A solid fourth in Royal Ascot's G1 St James's Palace S. in June, Tip Two Win was unplaced versus elders in the July 31 G2 Qatar Lennox S.
“Tip Two Win had a racecourse gallop at Kempton Park on Tuesday morning and put a big smile on my face,” Teal said. “He went so well that I'm starting to get nervous already ahead of the Qatar Derby. David [Probert] rode him and he went one circuit, which is a mile and a quarter, in the company of High Acclaim, who is a very good work horse. They went a nice strong pace all the way. David was delighted with him and thought that he had really strengthened up since he last ran back in July.”
Added Teal, “Al Rayyan is a nice level track and he will be able to bounce off the fast surface there so if he's going to get a mile and a quarter anywhere it will be in Doha. It's great prize money and they looked after us so well last year that we have to give it another go. His plane leaves in the early hours of Saturday morning and he's a good traveller–nothing fazes him.”
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