Some things just don't change. For the fourth time since 1990, Sheikh Hamdan's famous blue and white colours flashed past the Sagitta 1,000 Guineas winning post in front, this time on Lahan's rider, Richard Hills. And Sheikh Hamdan and his brothers, Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Maktoum, looked as animated as a bored L Piggott.
The syndicate-owned favourite Petrushka, could finish only third and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Amethyst was eighth. Godolphin's Bintalreef was a spectacular last in the big race but the real Godolphin "spectacular" yesterday hit home like a rifle shot at the very heart of British racing. With Sheikh Mohammed, just back from another abortive attempt at the Kentucky Derby, standing nearby, the Godolphin spokesman Simon Crisford lashed out. China Visit may have been only sixth at Louisville but the US has clearly gripped the Sheikh's attention. "China Visit just didn't stay and we're just going to have to find a better horse," said Crisford before pulling the trigger.
"The atmosphere out there is just electric. Churchill Downs makes Epsom seem like a night out at the opera. It's what racing is all about and when you look at what we have here, it's a disgrace." The intake of breath among Crisford's audience was Hoover- like and the Sheikh himself happily reiterated his plan to win America's greatest classic within four years. "China Visit didn't stay but we will keep going back until we get it," he smiled. Not the sort of thing to comfort the great and the good of British racing and it only emphasised again what may be the Maktoum family's attitude to their near domination of the game in Europe - simple boredom. It certainly seemed to greet Lahan.
China Visit will now be trained for Royal Ascot's St James's Palace Stakes, while his stablemates Curule and Chief Seattle will be aimed at the last leg of the American triple crown, and a pre-2,000 Guineas theory that the best turf three-year-old around was actually racing in America will be tested. China Visit may prove to be just that but he will be some horse to erase the memory of King's Best's defeat of Giant's Causeway on Saturday. Confidence in the Irish horse saw his price tumble from a morning 9 to 2 to 3 to 1 and over three hours before the race, one fearful bookmaker reported: "The troops are on already but the generals have yet to play!
A parade ring inspection of a maniacally sweaty King's Best would have seen most put a line through his name. Seeing Kieren Fallon's mount last at halfway would have seen another line drawn, and when King's Best was baulked twice outside the two pole, the colt's name could have had more lines than Clapham Junction. But he won, and he won brilliantly. "It's a question of channelling his nervous energy in the right direction," said Sir Michael Stoute and Ladbrokes are so confident of the Newmarket trainer and Fallon doing just that in the Epsom Derby that King's Best is just 3 to 1 for that race. Aidan O'Brien isn't completely ruling Giants Causeway out of Epsom just yet but he did say yesterday: "He's bred more like a miler and a mile doesn't look to be problem to him."
It certainly wasn't on Saturday but after Michael Kinane pushed Giant's Causeway past Primo Valentino at the distance, he had no answer to the quite astonishing recovery and acceleration of the winner. Nevertheless, O'Brien said: "Giants Causeway has run a very big race and of the horses up with the pace from the start he was the only one to finish." The Ballydoyle trainer's other runner, Bernstein, finished last and will now revert to sprinting. Yesterday, Lahan's trainer, John Gosden, said he will now train the filly for the Coronation Stakes, while Petrushaka drifted to 8 to 1 joint favouritism for the Oaks. The 66 to 1 runner-up, Princess Ellen, however, will travel to the Curragh for the 1,000, which is also a possible next target for Amethyst. It's the next targets of Sheikh Mohammed, however, that were focusing minds in Newmarket last night.
Royal Kingdom is set to try and go one better than the 2,000 Guineas runner-up Giants Causeway in the French equivalent on Sunday.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien indicated yesterday the Royal Lodge winner will make a second trip to France this season for the French 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp, and will be accompanied by another French regular, Ciro, who is being trained for a tilt at the Group One Prix Lupin.
"I wasn't disappointed with Royal Kingdom's last race (Prix de Fontainbleu) because it was atrocious ground that day," said O'Brien, who didn't travel to Newmarket yesterday. "He showed plenty of pace in his races last year and also at home."
Ciro's Grand Criterium form got a boost from Saturday's 2,000 Guineas third Barathea Guest and O'Brien is expecting improvement from the colt's placed effort last month in Prix Greffulhe.
"If he runs well in France, a few doors could open up about where he might run after," O'Brien, whose current shortest priced Epsom Derby horse is the 14 to 1 Aristotle, added.
