Greenham The Focus On Exciting Day of Action

Newbury takes centre stage on Europe's first busy weekend day of 2019, where Guineas candidates of both sexes are put through the rigours of time-honoured trials on Saturday.

Without Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the G3 Watership Down Stud Greenham S. has debatable significance as a serious trial for the 2000 Guineas, but the seven-furlong prep has a far more competitive feel in the absence of the sponsors' star. Gerard Augustin-Normand and Middleham Park Racing share the ownership of Boitron (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who has winning course-and-distance form having taken the Listed Washington Singer S. in August. Fourth in the G1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere on Arc day at ParisLongchamp, he is one of only two along with Great Scot (GB) (Requinto {Ire}) to have tasted racing at the highest level.

“The Lagardere form was given a boost by Broome winning the Ballysax last weekend and the fifth horse, Shaman, came out and won the Prix la Force recently,” Middleham Park Racing's racing manager Tim Palin said of Boitron. “It was a bit of a strange race, they seemed to keep the same order throughout, on the pace was the place to be and we found ourselves with too much to do. That was his first run in a Group 1, but he was far from disgraced.”

Fifth and beaten less than 1 1/2 lengths in Doncaster's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy in October, the bargain buy revelation Great Scot had previously turned over the subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a novice contest over this trip at Haydock in July and annexed the Listed Ascendant S. at a mile on testing ground back there the following month.

“Richard Hannon's horse Boitron looks quite good, but we are not going there without a strong chance,” Dascombe said of Great Scot. “He is entered in the 2000 Guineas and Saturday is about where do we go next. It will be quite informative for us and I am looking forward to it with a certain amount of nervous excitement.”

Jaber Abdullah's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte scorer Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) has stamina to prove over this extra furlong, but he looked like a colt who would get further in that authoritative display, while Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) took the G3 Horris Hill S. over this track and trip when last seen in October.

“We've had a good run with him and he seems in good form,” trainer Marcus Tregoning said of the latter. “He is still learning. I think he has more to offer because he was still a bit green [in the Horris Hill]. He definitely has ability and we will see if he has trained on.”

Of the unexposed types, Phoenix Thoroughbred's $950,000 purchase Magic J (Scat Daddy) will continue to warrant close inspection wherever he goes until his bubble is burst. Highly promising when scoring on debut over six furlongs at Yarmouth in September, he needs a quicker surface than was evident in Berkshire on Friday and it may be that trainer Ed Vaughan opts to swerve the race in these testing conditions.

“Obviously with the favourite out it's a bit of a different race, but the ground would still be a concern,” he explained. “On his pedigree and his action, he's a horse that wants better ground so we will see how it is after racing on Friday. We're keen to get him out and see where we are. He's a horse that won his maiden on his only start last year, so it's hard to know how good he is–you only really know when you get racing. He's entered in the Guineas, but we'll see how he goes at the weekend before making plans.”

In the G3 Dubai Duty Free S., registered as the Fred Darling, the form standard is set by Ballydoyle's 'TDN Rising Star' So Perfect (Scat Daddy) who races beyond six furlongs for the first time. Successful in the G3 Grangecon Stud S. at The Curragh in July, she was placed in the G1 Phoenix S. back there the following month, the G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket in September and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in November. If she fails to get an extra furlong, especially in this stamina-demanding ground, the race is thrown open and Waverley Racing's Dancing Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) looks ideally poised to enhance her reputation. Impressive on her sole start in a mile novice race at Doncaster in October, she has to prove she has the speed to cope with peers who showed genuine pace as juveniles. Trainer Ralph Beckett is unconcerned on that score.

“She is coming back a furlong, but I don't think that's a problem. If she is going to get to the 1000 Guineas she has to run somewhere and this gives her her best chance of recovering for it,” he said. “I think that she will benefit from the run. She will like the ground. She has had a pretty good preparation.”

David Elsworth supplies Dandhu (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who was second to the leading Guineas protagonist Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) in Newmarket's G2 Rockfel S. over this trip in September, while Great Scot's similarly cheap stablemate Iconic Choice (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) commands respect after a convincing success over this course and distance in the Listed Radley S. in October.

“She is a very genuine filly who requires soft ground,” Tom Dascombe said of the latter. “It looks like we are going to get that on Saturday. She handles soft ground better than other horses do. She won the Radley S. on soft and won on heavy at Ayr.”

In the G3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise S., the newly-gelded Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) bids to create history by winning this contest, known as the John Porter, on two occasions. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's G2 Jockey Club S. scorer and G1 Grosser Preis Von Baden runner-up has Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) to contend with as he attempts the landmark.

Unbeaten in three starts here, Bernard Kantor's G3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup winner who dead-heated in the G3 St Simon S. will not be compromised by conditions.

“Young Rascal is an interesting horse this year,” trainer William Haggas commented. “I think he might stay a bit further this year. He has run well with cut in the ground and most of his best form is on it, but I'm not convinced he needs it.”

Elsewhere, John Gosden saddles two runners for The Queen as he bids to make an instant impact as a new trainer for the monarch. In the second division of the mile maiden, he puts forward the newcomer Gold Stick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), while in the 11-furlong maiden won last year by Young Rascal he has the Chelmsford runner-up Pianissimo (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). She is double-handed in the latter, with William Haggas saddling the unraced Space Walk (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who is a full-brother to her smart performers Call To Mind (GB) and Recorder (GB).

At Naas, the opening maiden sees royalty of a different kind represented as the great American Pharoah has his first runner in Europe. Aidan O'Brien unleashes Monarch of Egypt, the $750,000 KEESEP graduate who runs in the Peter Brant colours and all eyes will be fixed on the colt who could get his sire off to a flying start.

Ballydoyle also put forward Prince Faisal bin Khaled Al Saud and Michael Tabor's 2017 G3 Jersey S. winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Le Brivido (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G3 Gladness S., where he encounters last year's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The latter's trainer Ken Condon said, “He looks good and has wintered well. I'd say he's about 90% there and he's ready to start. He seems in good form and I think he'll appreciate the ground. It's just on the slow side of good, which is better than it is usually at this time of year, and we're looking forward to getting him started.”

O'Brien is also keen to get the career of Le Brivido back underway after inheriting the 5-year-old from Andre Fabre. “He's in good form. He's a horse that shows plenty of pace, we think, and hope that he will get a mile,” he commented. “We're starting him off at seven and we think it will be a nice start for him, but we'll learn a lot about him when we run him, hopefully.”

The G3 Alleged S. is even deeper, attracting last year's G1 Irish Derby hero Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), his G1 Irish St Leger conqueror Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but it is a far more competitive renewal than the norm and it would be no surprise if the winner came from outside this trio.

Ryan Moore is on Magical and Aidan O'Brien is excited about arguably the stable's leading older horse for the campaign.

“She's obviously back after a break, but we've been happy with her and she's been doing everything nicely at home,” he said. “She's just ready to start, but we're happy with what she's doing. We were delighted with her at the end of last year and she really got it together. Obviously we're looking forward to this year with her.”

Of Flag of Honour, he added, “We're happy with him and he's just ready to start. He's in good form and hopefully he will run a nice race. Obviously we know he stays much further and we'll probably step him up after this.”

Joseph O'Brien is also keen to get Latrobe back in action and commented, “We would have always thought that he would make as good a 4-year-old as he did a 3-year-old. I don't think he is a stayer–he has a big cruising speed and I think a mile and half will be his optimum trip.”