Some say that the less you hear about horses from Aidan O’Brien’s stable, the stronger their chances are. So, without much noise coming out of the great Ballydoyle stable, one must suspect quiet confidence behind Magna Grecia and Ten Sovereigns in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
It is an extraordinary fact that none of O’Brien’s previous nine winners of this 1600m British Classic had competed earlier as a three-year-old and this pair fit that profile exactly.
The record-breaking trainer has his own way of doing things and the tendency of his horses to annually hit their early season summit in the first week of May is no fluke. That may well happen again this weekend especially as the grass gallops at Ballydoyle – plagued by bad weather in early 2018 – have been contrastingly beneficial this year.
Both colts were G1 winners at two – Magna Grecia capturing Doncaster’s Futurity Trophy over a straight mile in October and Ten Sovereigns having landed the Middle Park Stakes over 1200m at Newmarket the previous month.
With stamina assured, Magna Grecia is perhaps the more obvious of the two – who were both ridden by O’Brien’s son Donnacha in those big race conquests last year, with Ryan Moore sure to partner one in Saturday’s spectacular.
Ten Sovereigns’ three wins were all at only 1200m, and, though his dam Seeking Solace stayed 2000m, his sire No Nay Never was an outright sprinter and some observers reckon Ten Sovereigns looked to be in his sire’s mould when winning the Middle Park.
However, O’Brien made this observation of the unbeaten colt: “He’s quick away, relaxes and then finishes well. He hasn’t shown us anything to suggest that he won’t get the mile at Newmarket. Of course, we’ll only know for sure when we try it.”
Like Ten Sovereigns, Frankie Dettori’s mount Advertise has only won over 1200m but any stamina worries for the winner of the G1 Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh last August don’t seem to be troubling trainer Martyn Meade: “His preparation has gone smoothly and we’re raring to go. He’s had a racecourse gallop and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Meade added: “When he was beaten in the G2 Coventry Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot last June he didn’t realise Calyx was on the other side of the track and we just got outpaced at a crucial stage by Too Darn Hot in the G1 Dewhurst (1400m) here in October.”
Other intriguing contenders include the unbeaten Al Hilalee, supplemented for the Guineas after delighting trainer Charlie Appleby in a racecourse gallop at Meydan last week, and fellow Godolphin-owned colt Royal Marine (Christophe Soumillon) – winner of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1600m) at Longchamp last October. The latter’s trainer Saeed bin Suroor – who will probably fit the colt with a hood – is hoping the forecast rain will ease ground conditions by Saturday.
Other intriguing contests on Saturday’s seven race simulcast programme from the hub of British racing at Newmarket include the G2 Jockey Club Stakes (2400m) which is expected to feature a clash between O’Brien’s strong G1 classic-winning stayer Kew Gardens and the John Gosden-trained Dettori-ridden Coronet.
This super talented and wonderfully consistent mare has run good races in 10 G1 events – including competing against the likes of superstar Enable – without quite managing to win one but to her credit she is unbeaten outside the very highest company.
