ENGLISH 2,000 AND 1,000 GUINEAS PREVIEWS: JIM BOLGER reports no worries for New Approach as the red-hot favourite attempts to provide his trainer with a first victory in the stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket today.
Co Carlow-based Bolger has enjoyed more success with fillies than colts during his career and won the 1,000 Guineas 12 months ago with Finsceal Beo.
Last year he also had the winter favourite for the 2,000 Guineas in Teofilo, who never reached the Rowley Mile because of injury, but Bolger has the perfect replacement in the 200th renewal of the season's first Classic.
New Approach won exactly the same five races as Teofilo in his juvenile campaign, including the Group One National and Dewhurst Stakes.
Trading at 6 to 4 favourite with the sponsors, Bolger brushed away any concerns about a potentially difficult draw of stall two for the chestnut colt, who has also displayed a measure of temperament during his career. "All is well," said Bolger. "The draw is the draw and that can't be changed, ditto for the ground. You could never describe him as cool, calm and collected but he's absolutely fine."
Aidan O'Brien is seeking his fifth victory and saddles Plan and Henrythenavigator, who has a bit to find with New Approach on their run in Futurity Stakes when they were first and third.
O'Brien said: "I am happy with Henrythenavigator and he is ready to start. I hope the ground is decent for him.
"Plan is a Storm Cat horse who improved from his first run to his second. He is a good-moving horse who will appreciate nice ground."
The leading the British challenge is Raven's Pass. Just defeated by Twice Over in the Craven Stakes, he was third to New Approach in the Dewhurst when finding the going a little soft.
"Obviously the drying ground will help," reported trainer John Gosden.
"It was going to be slow in the last two furlongs from the dip but it is drying up today. I am pleased with his condition and his run in the Craven put him just right. He settled down afterwards which is why we decided to go for a trial.
"I would have preferred to be drawn a little bit closer to the middle as he is a little out of the race."
The Godolphin team run Ibn Khaldun, who completed a four-timer in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in October. "He's had a fantastic winter and he's done everything right," said Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford.
"The question is now whether he's good enough or not but we hope he's improved from last year.
"He certainly needs to have improved because on the basis of his best form, he needs to step up even more to be winning a Guineas. But he gives us the impression he has improved and he's had a great winter so we're hopeful of him putting up a really strong run," Crisford said.
Eddie Ahern will renew his partnership with the Jeremy Noseda-trained outsider Strike The Deal. Ahern said: "If we're lucky we won't get too much rain. Jeremy's instructions are pretty easy but with this horse I'd like to take my time on him."
Martin Dwyer will partner Andrew Balding's Dream Eater, winner of a valuable sales race as a juvenile. "I'm quietly confident that he could run a big race because I'm very happy with him and his work has been good at home," said the jockey.
"He looks nice and he's a horse for the future but it wouldn't be a big surprise if he ran into a place."
Fireside, syndicated by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, is part-owned by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. "He will find himself up against the very best horses but hopefully he'll be there staying on late while the others are flattening out," trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam said.
