By Daithi Harvey
Initial entries for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas have been revealed and trainers of the contenders are beginning to count down the days to May 5 and outline work schedules for their respective charges. One trainer who says he is very happy with his main Classic contender is Mark Johnston, who has both Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}) among the 69 entrants for the £500,000 race. 'TDN Rising Star' Elarqam, a son of the great Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) who Johnston trained to win five Group 1 races including the 1000 Guineas over the same Rowley Mile course at Newmarket, certainly has sound credentials to emulate his sire, who won the 2000 Guineas in 2011.
“Elarqam appears to have done very, very well over the winter and will have his first piece of fast work over the next couple of days,” Johnston said.
“He is being aimed at the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and everything is on target at the moment for him to go there without another race. The plan is for him to have a racecourse gallop at Redcar or Pontefract on either Apr. 2 or 3 and if everything goes well we might take him down to Newmarket during the Craven Meeting [Apr. 17 to 19] for another racecourse gallop, when [his owner] Sheikh Hamdan should be able to watch.”
Elarqam, purchased by Shadwell for 1.6-million gns at Tattersalls as a yearling, was unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile, following up his York maiden win in September with a clear-cut success over Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G3 Tattersalls S. at Newmarket later that month. The runner up on that occasion has done his bit to uphold that form by registering two valuable wins in Qatar since then. While Elarqam has a lot to live up to on pedigree, his trainer said he is thrilled to have been given the opportunity to train him. “As a son of Attraction he holds a special place in my heart and from my point of view he couldn't have a better pedigree, being by Frankel out of Attraction. I was over the moon to be sent him as a yearling and thus far things couldn't have worked out any better.”
As expected the majority of last season's leading juveniles are still in the mix at this early stage for the 2000 Guineas; Aidan O'Brien has 11 to choose from including US Navy Flag (War Front), who won two Group 1s during a busy 11-race juvenile campaign last year.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
