Tag Archive for: Qipco 1000 Guineas

O’Brien bidding to continue 1000 Guineas domination

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Aidan O’Brien has won the Qipco 1000 Guineas five times in the last seven years and the master of Ballydoyle will go in search of his eighth victory overall in the Newmarket Classic with Breeders’ Cup heroine Meditate.

A regular in the big races last term, the daughter of No Nay Never won the Albany at Royal Ascot and a Group Two at the Curragh before finishing second behind reopposing duo Tahiyra and Lezoo in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Cheveley Park respectively.

Then came Meditate’s moment of truth at Keeneland when she put herself in the 1000 Guineas picture by triumphing on her first try at a mile.

“We weren’t sure, going to America, whether she would stay or not and it was on a bend. We took our time on her, it was her first time going over a mile and she won very easily,” said O’Brien.

“We ran her over seven (furlongs) at the Curragh on soft ground and we rode her very forward. She ran a very good race, but Dermot’s filly came and got her so we went to America.

“Obviously it was up in trip again, Ryan (Moore) took his time on her and she relaxed lovely, but came home very well. That’s going to be an interesting one, there’s a big difference in the track in America – a flat, round track – and a straight track like Newmarket.

“We’re going to learn a lot about her, she’s a very lazy worker at home who only shows you what she has to. Unless you stoke her up she just stays in second gear really, but we’re very happy with her work.”

One man to briefly halt O’Brien’s recent dominance is Richard Hannon with Billesdon Brook in 2018 and he is double-handed this time with Mammas Girl and Powerdress.

Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes
Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Tim Goode/PA)

Mammas Girl landed the Nell Gwyn last month and although unproven over a mile, is unbeaten in two starts at the track.

“She obviously won the Nell Gwyn and is unbeaten,” said Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager at Amo Racing.

“She goes there having won twice at the track and some experts have said she is not going to get the trip, but I disagree. In her two starts, her last furlong has been her best and she has hit the line strong both times. She’s a relaxed and laid-back filly and I really don’t see the mile being an issue.

“She will be held up and ridden patiently to come with one late run like she has done both times. She’s just ticked over since the Nell Gwyn and Richard is very happy with her.

“To go there with a leading contender is really exciting and she goes there with a good chance.”

Amo also have a useful second string to their bow with Olivia Maralda, who will make her first start for Roger Varian.

“She’s not a bad second string to have and I think she is too big a price if you think she ran Meditate to three-quarters of a length in Ireland last year,” continued Pennington.

“She hasn’t missed a day with Roger and he’s really pleased with her. Whether she is good enough to win, who knows, but she goes there in good form.”

Ralph Beckett hit the crossbar with Prosperous Voyage in this 12 months ago and along with owners Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen will attempt to go one better with Lezoo – who will be a final 1000 Guineas ride for Frankie Dettori.

“We thought about a trial, but she’s pretty experienced and she’s not a filly who needs a race,” said Beckett ahead of the Qipco British Champions Series contest.

Lezoo winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket
Lezoo winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

“We decided it was likely to prove inconclusive with regards to her stamina, and that it made more sense to run her in the Guineas and find out for sure one way or another, then drop her back to sprints if she didn’t stay. She’s had a pretty straightforward preparation and she’s ready for this. She did her last bit on the grass on Tuesday and that went well.”

The handler is also represented by Fred Darling scorer Remarquee, who will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Beckett’s first Classic winner Look Here and land big-race success for owner Julian Richmond-Watson.

He continued: “Remarquee is the obvious one. She didn’t really get the run of the race and Rob (Hornby) dropped his stick with half a furlong to run, yet she still won with one ear pricked, having wandered around. She’ll have learned a lot.

“We’ve been here before, having won a few Fred Darlings, and it can be tough getting a filly back in time for the Guineas, but all of the signs are good. She didn’t have a hard race and I’m very happy with her.”

Hugo Palmer’s Stenton Glider had to settle for the silver medal behind Remarquee at Newbury and will now attempt to turn the tables as the duo move up to a mile.

He said: “She’s in great form. I just flicked through the 21st century winners of the 1000 Guineas and from what I can see, 10 of the winners had trialled and only four of those winners who trialled had actually won their trial.

“More horses have been beaten in their trial than won their trial.

“She was beaten two-foot at Newbury and so we’re going to give it a very good go.”

Also beaten in her trial was Clive Cox’s Nell Gwyn fourth Karsavina.

“I’m really pleased with her and she’s a progressive filly,” said Cox.

“The Nell Gwyn was precisely as it was intended as a trial and I feel she has come back really well from there.

“An extra furlong will be most helpful. She has a lot of class and moved up well through the race in the Nell Gwyn and I’m looking forward to seeing her going another furlong.”

One horse proven over the track and trip is Caernarfon, winner of the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes last autumn.

That victory was the perfect way for Mick Channon to bow out – while it would prove fitting if she kick-started the training career of his son Jack on her very next start.

“She is in great form and trained really well all winter and her work, touch wood, has been perfect. I think we’ve got her exactly where we want her and it will be down to simply whether she is good enough now,” said the West Ilsley handler.

“I always thought she had plenty of experience. It is not like she’s won her maiden and that’s all there is. She had a decent amount of experience as a two-year-old, she won over course and distance last time and she is not a filly who is too hard to get fit.

“She looks to have improved and she is not the most imposing type, but she is very athletic and I could not be any happier with her at this moment in time.”

O’Brien keen to have another crack at Tahiyra with Meditate

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Aidan O’Brien is not shying away from the prospect of Meditate crossing paths with old foe Tahiyra in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.

Meditate won the Albany at Royal Ascot and then took the Group Two Debutante Stakes at the Curragh when stepped up to seven furlongs for the first time.

The first defeat of her career came at the same track the following month when she came home two and a half lengths behind Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Second again in the Cheveley Park Stakes after that, she then set sail for Keeneland, America, where she ended her season with an impressive success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

O’Brien has reflected on her losses and feels there were genuine reasons behind both, leaving the trainer excited to see what she can produce when running in the first fillies’ Classic of the term.

Meditate and Ryan Moore at the Curragh
Meditate and Ryan Moore at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)

“We felt in the Cheveley Park we might have rushed her back a little bit after the Moyglare,” he said.

“We felt in the Moyglare we might have made a little bit too much use of her in the ground.

“They’re what we think are legitimate excuses as to why she got beat, it will be interesting but it is her first run of the year as well.”

Meditate’s run in the Breeders’ Cup allowed connections to test her over an increased trip of a mile and the performance certainly proved her ability to stay, though Keeneland and Newmarket differ greatly in their nature.

“The times she got beat, we felt there were legitimate reasons for it and that’s why we wanted to go to America if she was well and find out about the mile,” O’Brien explained.

Meditate winning the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot
Meditate winning the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“We found out about 90 per cent about the mile by going there on a flat track, but the real test of the mile is at Newmarket.

“There’s no test like the Guineas on the Rowley Mile so we’re going to learn a lot more about her.”

Tahiyra is also due to line up at Newmarket on Sunday, but O’Brien has no trepidation about facing her again and is instead heartened by the idea of the best fillies in the division taking one another on.

He said: “We’re delighted that all the good fillies are there, I think that’s what we all want to see in every good race.

“In any big race you don’t want to see any of the good horses not there, then we can put them all together and have a look and see where we’re going.”

Remarquee bidding to uphold family honour for Richmond-Watson

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Julian Richmond-Watson provided Ralph Beckett with the first Classic winner of his career when Look Here won the Oaks in 2008 and now 15 years on, trainer and owner will combine once more when Remarquee lines-up in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

The daughter of Kingman impressed on her debut at Salisbury as a two-year-old and was a springer in the market for the Newmarket Classic prior to running at Newbury on her reappearance.

That support was justified in style as she accounted for a talented cast of fillies in the Fred Darling and she now heads to the Rowley Mile looking to provide both Beckett and Richmond-Watson with a first Guineas of either description.

“It’s very exciting to have a filly as good as this,” said the owner, who also bred Remarquee at his Northamptonshire-based Lawn Stud.

“I’ve obviously had a couple of nice fillies before and a couple of very good colts, but never one running over a mile.

“I’ve been with Ralph since he started, we get on very well and we’ve enjoyed great success together. It’s very exciting and lets hope she runs well.”

The last of Richmond-Watson’s string to begin her career by beating the colts at Salisbury was Look Here in October 2007, a relative of Remarquee, and he is hoping that proves a good omen following her strong start at the Wiltshire track last autumn.

Remarquee before winning the Fred Darling at Newbury
Remarquee before winning the Fred Darling at Newbury (PA)

“Once she won at Salisbury (beating the Juddmonte-owned Bresson) we were always very hopeful she was well above average,” continued Richmond-Watson.

“The last time I had a two-year-old filly winning a Salisbury maiden and beating a colt was Look Here. And interestingly enough she beat a Juddmonte horse (Doctor Fremantle) as well, so that was all rather auspicious I would say, so lets keep our fingers crossed.”

Although hoping the stars will align once again in Sunday’s Classic, Richmond-Watson – who currently serves as Chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association – says there will be no nerves in the build-up to the big race and simply hopes his filly can do herself credit on the big stage.

“Luckily I don’t get too nervous,” he added. “If you live with them and breed them from our small stud you get used to it. It’s mostly disappointments, so it is also exciting when a good one comes along, but I don’t get too nervous anymore.

“Good fillies are the lifeblood of our industry and if you get a good filly you bring them home and hopefully breed another one.”

Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra heads 1000 Guineas confirmations

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Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra features amongst the 22 confirmations for the Qipco 1000 Guineas, the opening fillies Classic of the season.

The daughter of Siyouni is unbeaten in two outings having followed up an impressive debut victory at Galway by downing Aidan O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup heroine Meditate in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last September and she has held a position towards the top of the ante-post lists ever since.

Tahiyra and Meditate dominate the top of the market for Sunday’s race at Newmarket and Weld has issued an update suggesting the favourite is likely to line up.

“We’ve left her in at the forfeit stage for the 1000 Guineas on Sunday and the present thought is she will run, but we will make a definite decision later in the week and see how she is,” Weld told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast.

“She’s coming all the time, she’s a filly that hasn’t really grown from two to three but I’m happy and I think she has progressed nicely over the last two weeks and the present thought is we will let her take her chance. We will not confirm that till later in the week.”

As well as Meditate O’Brien could saddle Never Ending Story, with Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte, second to Never Ending Story recently, also on course for a raiding mission.

Richard Hannon leads the British charge with his Nell Gwyn winner Mammas Girl and could also be represented by Powerdress, while as well as Mammas Girl, owners Amo Racing could see Olivia Maralda make her debut for Roger Varian in the race.

Mammas Girl winning the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket
Mammas Girl winning the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Mawj got the better of Dream Of Love by a short head on her first run at Meydan before going on to trounce Nell Gwyn runner-up Fairy Cross in the next time out and that trio give Godolphin a strong hand in a race they last won in 2011 with Blue Bunting.

Ralph Beckett could saddle three in search of his first victory in the race with Fred Darling winner Remarquee, last year’s Cheveley Park champion Lezoo and Dick Poole winner Juliet Sierra all poised to step out onto the Rowley Mile.

It will be Lezoo’s first outing since storming to victory at the track last autumn and connections are keen to praise the efforts of the team at Beckett’s Hampshire base for ensuring their star filly makes the line-up.

Lezoo powered to victory in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket
Lezoo powered to victory in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

“Lezoo goes for the 1000 Guineas and it’s a great feat by the team at Kimpton to have both Lezoo ready to run and Prosperous Voyage who will run in the Dahlia Stakes that day. Hopefully Frankie will ride both of them,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owners Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen.

“That’s a fair achievement and so much can go wrong – we’ve had a very cold and wet spring – and we’re really happy to be heading there on Sunday.”

Of those not confirmed, Karl Burke’s Electric Eyes was shortest in the betting, while John Quinn’s Breege and John and Thady Gosden’s Running Lion are other notable names to skip the May 7 contest.

Matilda Picotte to take Classic chance at Newmarket

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Connections of Matilda Picotte are preparing to “roll the dice”, with Kieran Cotter’s filly set to take her chance in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

The daughter of Sioux Nation was a consistent operator over six furlongs as a two-year-old, beaten less than two lengths behind Aidan O’Brien’s 1000 Guineas market leader Meditate and Ballydoyle stablemate Statuette in Group contests, placing in the Lowther Stakes at York and then finishing her campaign by winning the Bosra Sham at Newmarket.

She had a first try at seven furlongs on her return in the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown and her performance at the Dublin track when attempting to make most in heavy ground – only to be reeled in late by O’Brien’s Never Ending Story – was enough to convince both Cotter and owners the Matilda & Kilmichael Racing Partnership to return to Newmarket on May 7.

Matilda Picotte had to settle for second behind Aidan O'Brien's Never Ending Story in the Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown
Matilda Picotte had to settle for second behind Aidan O’Brien’s Never Ending Story in the Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown (Niall Carson/PA)

“We were delighted with her run at Leopardstown and we said we would let her take her chance in the 1000 Guineas,” said Cotter.

“She has proven form on the track and I would say better ground will help her get home, so we’re going to roll the dice.

“She ran with the choke out a bit and she was taken on early at Leopardstown. But she didn’t fold up and she stuck to her guns and would have been a clear winner without Aidan’s filly in there.

“Obviously Aidan’s is a very good filly who will stay further than a mile, but we thought it was a really solid effort from Matilda Picotte and she earned the right to have a go at the Guineas.”

Although a general 40-1 shot for the opening fillies’ Classic of the season, Cotter believes the Rowley Mile suits his charge, with her vast number of travelling fans already booked in for what could be an exciting Bank Holiday weekend in Cambridgeshire.

“When Declan (McDonogh, jockey) won on her in the Bosra Sham, he said the track was tailor-made designed for her. She handles it well and that is a huge plus in her favour,” continued Cotter.

“We are all booked up and there will be a big contingent of owners and supporters coming over. Realistically to even have a runner in the Guineas and take on the superpowers is fantastic and we are really looking forward to it.”

Mammas Girl motors to deeply impressive Neill Gwyn success

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Mammas Girl added her name to the Qipco 1000 Guineas picture with a blistering display in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.

Owned by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing and trained by Richard Hannon, she was an impressive winner of a course-and-distance maiden at the end of last season, but sent off 16-1 for this seven-furlong Group Three event.

However, despite her outsider status, the performance she produced was straight out of the top drawer.

Sean Levey was in no rush in the early stages as he kept the daughter of Havana Grey anchored in rear.

But the duo slowly crept their way into a position to pounce and once Levey asked his mount for maximum effort there was no filly flying home quicker – advertising her electric turn of foot to shoot two and three-quarter lengths clear of Charlie Appleby’s Fairy Cross at the line.

Her price was slashed for the Guineas in the aftermath, with both Paddy Power and Betfair going 8-1 from 50s then further knocked down to 6-1 for the opening fillies’ Classic of the new campaign. And Hannon confirmed a return to the Rowley Mile would come next.

He said: “She won very well here first time, but even so I was slightly worried about the track.

Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes on day two of the bet365 Craven Meeting at Newmarket Racecourse
Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes on day two of the bet365 Craven Meeting at Newmarket Racecourse (Tim Goode/PA)

“She’s very straightforward. She missed the gate today, which I was surprised at, but she’s won extremely well.

“She’s worked very well all spring and I thought she’d run very well today, although I must admit she’s surprised me slightly in the way she’s won.

“What I like about her is she’s gone slightly under the radar, but we’ve always loved her at home.

“She looks a very good filly, but all my Guineas winners were beaten in trials – Sky Lantern, Night Of Thunder and Billesdon Brook. Hopefully she bucks the trend as she’ll be coming back here, for sure.”

Joorabchian added: “It’s amazing – I can’t hold my excitement, to be honest.

“It’s very, very exciting winning a Nell Gwyn here. We’ve competed for the last few years and haven’t quite managed to get through the line.

“She was fantastic today and gave a cracking performance on her debut. We’ve always loved her and we couldn’t believe what price she was today.

“I’ve got a really big weekend (first weekend in May) as I’ve got Affirmative Lady in America and she’s going for the Kentucky Oaks, having won the Gulfstream Oaks quote convincingly.

“That means I’ve got to decide whether to go there or come here, but it’s a good decision to have to make.”

Trial run key to Lezoo’s Classic aspirations

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Lezoo is unlikely to run in the Qipco 1000 Guineas without tuning up in a trial first, with connections keeping their options open for the star filly ahead of the new Flat season.

Somewhat unfortunate not to go through her two-year-old campaign unbeaten, Ralph Beckett’s charge won four of her five starts in 2022 and finished the year by landing the Cheveley Park Stakes in superb fashion at Newmarket in September.

Despite racing over no more than six furlongs so far, that Group One victory opened up the prospect of stepping up to a mile for a crack at the first fillies’ Classic of the season – a race for which she is as short as 12-1.

The likes of the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Newmarket, April 19) and the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Fred Darling, Newbury, April 22) are on the horizon and Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Lezoo’s owner Marc Chan, believes she needs to be tested over a longer trip before a Classic run can be considered.

He said: “If she’s ready to run in a trial, then she could run in a trial, but we wouldn’t run in the Guineas without a run.

“Her form is solid – she never ran a bad race last year and was unlucky not to be unbeaten. But we wouldn’t go and run her straight away in the Guineas without a trial and we are under three weeks away now from those races. We’ll have to see, there’s nothing wrong with her, but we’ll see.

The Cambridgeshire Meeting – Juddmonte Day – Newmarket Racecourse
Lezoo (left) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

“Plans are fairly open with her at this stage. If she wasn’t ready in time for one of those races (a trial), I would be very surprised if we went in the Guineas – we would probably just stay sprinting then, but we will see.”

Balancing the Zoustar filly’s proven quality over sprint distances with the lure of Classic glory is a tough calculation for connections ahead of the new campaign – especially considering Meditate, the horse Lezoo conquered to claim Cheveley Park honours, is currently trading as the second favourite for the mile contest.

“When you have a horse that gives you everything, you don’t really want to make her do something she’s not bred or built to do,” continued McCalmont.

“The Guineas is an open enough race – the Dermot Weld filly (Tahiyra) I think was the really top filly last year. But Lezoo beat Meditate last time and she came back and won at the Breeders’ Cup with ease, so the form is solid.

“With (1000 Guineas runner-up) Prosperous Voyage this time last year, we didn’t really think we would make the Guineas and then all of a sudden she came right. But at least with her we knew she would stay the mile. This filly is by Zoustar who seems to be best at six to seven (furlongs) and then her dam didn’t run beyond six furlongs, so the Guineas is a bit of an ask.

“There looks to be plenty of depth to the sprint division with the three-year-olds. The Commonwealth Cup is a race that is probably a more realistic target than the Guineas, but then that could end up being one of the better races at Ascot this year. It certainly wouldn’t be a weak spot anyway.”