Native Trial is the hot-favourite to bag the 2000 Guineas for Charlie Appleby and William Buick; Appleby also saddles Coroebus to be ridden by James Doyle; Tenebrism is the likely favourite for the 1000 Guineas
Friday 29 April 2022 17:30, UK
Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond has been over at Punchestown but still had time to provide her picks for the 1000 and 2000 Guineas this weekend.
I'm writing to you from the plush surroundings of a fancy hotel in Ireland having paid my first visit to the Punchestown festival.
There's a relaxed vibe and an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd, and of course some of the best horses in jump racing in action on the track.
We focus initially on action a bit further afield from my current location this weekend, as the first Classics of the season get under way at Newmarket.
It's Qipco 2000 Guineas day on Saturday where Native Trail is hot favourite and understandably so. Charlie Appleby's colt is unbeaten, and the yard are in invincible form.
The trainer also runs Coroebus, but William Buick has stuck with the favourite. Aidan O'Brien runs Vertem Futurity winner Luxembourg and Point Lonsdale who would be unbeaten were it not for meeting Native Trail on his last start in the National Stakes.
Richard Fahey was agonising over whether to run Greenham winner Perfect Power and he's decided to roll the dice. Good luck to the team, it would be great for Yorkshire if he were to win, but he's keen and it'll be interesting to see if Christophe Soumillon can get him to settle.
I know it would be an unusual route for a Classic winner, but Checkandchallenge could be overpriced. He impressed me when winning the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on All Weather Finals Day and is unbeaten in two starts, both on an artificial surface.
I'm not saying he'll win, but at the likely prices he could run into a place. Native Trail will be hard to beat, particularly given the form of his stable and William Buick who will be looking to keep up his incredible strike rate.
On Sunday it's the turn of the fillies in the 1000 Guineas. The usual characters are involved with Aidan O'Brien bidding to win this race for the eighth time.
He runs Cheveley Park winner Tenebrism (Ryan Moore) and recent Naas maiden winner, Tuesday (Frankie Dettori), whose sister Minding won the 1000 Guineas. Also for Ireland is Jessie Harrington's Discoveries who is a Group One winner at two and is bred to be an outstanding miler.
The two French trained fillies are worth a second look. Francis-Henri Graffard's Malavath beat Zellie on their reappearance, but Zellie should improve for that run. I guess the ground is an unknown factor for Andre Fabre's filly whereas Malavath is proven on quick turf as we saw when she was runner up at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November.
It would be momentous for up-and-coming trainer George Boughey to win the race with Cachet. She won the Nell Gwyn last time out and whilst she has a bit to find, her trainer thinks she has improved for that run.
I'm off to Punchestown again on Saturday and declare an interest (albeit a very small one) in one of the runners. I'm part of the Closutton Racing Club who run Shewearsitwell in the Mares Champion Hurdle.
The fact that's she's here is a credit to everyone who is involved in her preparation. She took a heavy fall at Leopardstown over Christmas and looked a nasty injury in the immediate aftermath, but it healed well thanks to the love and care she was given.
She's 100% now and comes here in top form but there's no doubt it's a tough task. Nicky Henderson bypassed a clash with Honeysuckle on Friday with Epatante and runs here instead.
She was exhilarating to watch at Aintree on her first try at this sort of trip and providing that hasn't left its mark, she'll be a formidable opponent.
Epatante is the class act, but other than her it's pretty open, so let's hope we see a bold show from Shewearsitwell. Her trainer Willie Mullins has four of the runners and is having a great week.
Let's hope we get some of the luck of the Irish!
