Former Sagitta 2,000 Guineas favourite Killer Instinct is set to miss next month's Classic and instead be aimed at the Irish equivalent at the Curragh in five weeks time.
Henry Cecil's charge, the 2 to 5 favourite, finished a disappointing runner-up to 33 to 1 outsider Alrassaam in a one-mile maiden at Newbury on Saturday and the trainer blamed a lack of fitness for the defeat.
The three-year-old is owned by the Thoroughbred Corporation and their spokesman Willie Carson yesterday admitted that Newmarket is likely to come too soon for Killer Instinct.
"He is more likely to go for the Irish Guineas," said Carson. "With just two weeks to go, race to race, the 2000 Guineas in England will come too quick."
The former champion jockey admitted he was disappointed with the performance. "It's very disappointing but that's racing," he said.
With the Irish Classic scheduled for May 22nd there is still a chance Killer Instinct would attempt his maiden victory elsewhere en-route to the Curragh.
"It is the obvious thing to do. Instead of galloping him at home it might be better to have a confidence booster on the track," Carson concluded.
With Killer Instinct no longer on target, stable-mate Enrique (winner of Saturday's Tripleprint Stakes at Newbury) has been installed 4 to 1 favourite by Coral for the one-mile event.
However, with doubts still remaining about his stamina, the Barking firm have also included him at 12 to 1 in their July Cup betting.
In the last few days the ante-post Guineas market has been thrown in to turmoil with several front-runners in the betting defeated in their trials.
Stravinsky and Black Rock Desert have suffered reversals in this country, while Dubai Milennium and Iftitah were unimpressive in the Godolphin trials.
Then came the defeats of Mujahid and Killer Instinct at Newmarket and Newbury. "The ante-post market on the 2000 Guineas is in a state of complete confusion", said Simon Clare, Coral Spokesman.
Sagitta 2000 Guineas: Coral betting: 4-1 (from 5-1) Enrique, 5-1 Commander Collins, 7-1 Orpen, Island Sands, 8-1 Auction House, 10-1 Mujahid, Compton Admiral, Stravinsky, 12-1 Ballet Master, Alrassam, 14-1 bar.
Sagar Bay, the James Burnstrained filly, ran a modest 13th to Shenck in the Italian 1,000 Guineas, the £42,380 Group Two Premio Regina Elena (1m) in Rome yesterday. Shenck (Sylvain Guillot) recorded a game half length win over Southern House on a testing track, with her stable-mate, Lady Storm, a nose further back under Olivier Peslier. Mark Johnston's Three Green Leaves finished a place behind Sagar Bay in 14th.
Francois Doumen's Jim And Tonic smashed the course record by recording a handsome two and half lengths win in the £240,729 Group Two Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (10f) at Sha Tin yesterday. It was the French raider's second major win in the Chinese territory following his success in the Group Two Hong Kong International Bowl (7f) in December.
Midnight Line, the 1998 Oaks third, made a satisfying start to her US career when filling the same place behind Tranquility Lake in the Grade Two Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Jason Weaver is pondering an appeal against a 10-day "non-triers"' ban. He is "disappointed" at the penalty he was handed at Thirsk on Saturday, which rules him out of the Newmarket Guineas meeting and the first two days of the Chester Cup fixture.
But the rider will consult with Jockeys' Association chairman Michael Caulfield before deciding whether to contest the suspension. He was stood down from April 26th to May 5th under Rule 151 (ii) for his riding of Maladerie, whom the stewards adjudged was not ridden to obtain the best possible placing when 12th in the Thomas Lord Stakes at Thirsk.
