RACING: AIDAN O'BRIEN is set to have four runners in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday headed by hot favourite Hawk Wing, the mount of Jamie Spencer.
Johnny Murtagh takes the ride on Rock Of Gibraltar and the Dewhurst Stakes winner will be a first Classic runner for Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.
O'Brien's other two runners are Dewhurst Stakes third Tendulkar, to be ridden by George Duffield and Sholokov, who will be partnered by Paul Scallan.
French ace Olivier Peslier is looking forward to partnering the Andre Fabre-trained Massalani in the big race. Massalani is unbeaten in two starts and landed the Prix Jebel at Maisons-Laffitte on his reappearance.
"He's a nice horse and he has worked very well," Peslier said yesterday "He won very well at Maisons-Laffitte. I hope they get good to firm ground. I think he'll run well."
Outsider Coshocton is on course to make his seasonal debut in the Newmarket Classic. Trained locally by Michael Jarvis, the colt raced only twice last term, winning at York before finishing second to Fight Your Corner on an easy surface at Ascot in October.
The son of Silver Hawk has been working well on the Newmarket gallops this spring and is a best-priced 66 to 1 for Saturday's race.
"He's been fine," Jarvis said yesterday. "He's satisfied us - done everything we've wanted. He's working nicely. We wouldn't want too much rain but we're having plenty this morning."
Jarvis added: "I think he has matured over the winter. The idea was really to go a mile and a quarter, a mile and a half with him but he shows plenty of speed so we thought in case he doesn't get the trip - there may be a doubt about him getting the trip - we ought to let him take his chance in the Guineas. Philip (Robinson) rides."
Compton Dragon is also on course for the 2000 Guineas despite disappointing last time. The colt finished a below-par fourth of six to King Of Happiness in the Macau Jockey Club Craven Stakes and connections were considering sending him sprinting.
However, trainer Gerard Butler said: "He runs in the Guineas and Eddie Ahern will ride. That's the plan and we'll see where we go afterwards."
Pat Eddery looking for his fourth 2000 Guineas success has been booked to ride Brian Meehan's Victor Chandler European Free Handicap-winner Twilight Blues.
Dress To Thrill is set to bypass the fillies' Classic and will instead wait for either the French or Irish equivalents, her trainer Dermot Weld said.
The daughter of Danehill finished a good second to Quarter Moon, Aidan O'Brien's leading hope for the 1000 Guineas, in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh last season and is a best-priced 25 to 1 for Sunday's race.
After the filly had worked yesterday morning, Weld said: "We were very pleased with her. She's unlikely to run at Newmarket. She'll wait for either the French or Irish 1000 Guineas."
Hibernia Foods are to continue their sponsorship of the Guineas Festival at the Curragh on the weekend of May 25th-26th, with each of the Guineas boasting total prize money of €400,000.
American Gary Stevens is set to step in for the plum mount on Johannesburg in Saturday's Kentucky Derby with Jerry Bailey booked for Castle Gandolfo.
Ashgar, a beaten odds-on chance at Plumpton on Easter Saturday, has tested positive to the banned substance acetylpromazine (ACP), it was announced yesterday ACP is a widely and regularly used sedative for horses.
