Criquette Head-Maarek is certain that Helleborine will run in the 1000 Guineas next year despite a slight setback at Longchamp.
Head-Maarek shrugs off loss at Longchamp
Criquette Head-Maarek is certain that Helleborine will run in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket next year despite losing her unbeaten record on Sunday.
The two-year-old finished second to Aidan O'Brien's Misty For Me in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp after travelling ominously well for much of the race.
But Head-Maarek, who has trained four 1000 Guineas winners, focused on taking the positives out of the loss and still thinks the filly could add to her tally of victories in the Newmarket Classic in 2011.
"She looks very well and she ran a very good race," the French trainer said.
"She came very fast, very quickly and maybe came a little bit too soon going too fast. She's got a tremendous turn of foot, but the winner must be a very good filly also.
"I thought our filly was going to make it but the winner went again - it was nothing to be ashamed of. She won't run again this year but we will enter her in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, that is for sure.
"We will also put her in the French Guineas and then decide where we are going to go, but the English Guineas is a race I like and she is the kind of filly for that race if I can have her in good form. I think she will be better on better ground.
"If we go for the Guineas she will have a prep race in the Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte in April. All my horses that have won the Guineas have had a prep race there because the timing is perfect."
