Finsceal Beo returns in Guineas

Devastated by the injury that caused Teofilo to miss Saturday's 2000 Guineas, trainer Jim Bolger will look for consolation on Sunday when he saddles the favored Finsceal Beo in Newmarket's filly equivalent, the 1000 Guineas Stakes, a classic Group 1 mile worth $700,000.

Finsceal Beo, the European juvenile filly champion, is one of six of the 23 runners in the 1000 Guineas who will be making her season debut.

An Irish-bred daughter of Mr. Greeley out of a Royal Academy mare, she won at the Guineas distance, taking the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac by five lengths at Longchamp in October. She followed that with an equally convincing three-length score two weeks later in Newmarket's seven-furlong Group 2 Rockfel Stakes. Thus, she has shown both the ability to stay a mile and a liking for the Guineas's undulating straight course.

Bolger said that Finsceal Beo (pronounced Fin-skeel Bee-oh, and it means "living legend" in old Irish) has been working well. The good-to-firm ground at Newmarket will suit her perfectly, as will her number 8 post. Kevin Manning takes his usual seat aboard Finsceal Beo, William Hill's 5-4 favorite.

Finsceal Beo's job was made a bit easier with the withdrawal on Friday of Criquette Head-Maarek's French invader Magic America, who suffered a fractured fetlock in a Friday morning gallop.

But two of the favorite's most dangerous challengers will run, lining up in adjacent stalls. Sander Camillo, the 5-1 second choice, is in post 6. A Kentucky-bred daughter of Dixie Union, she won the six-furlong Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes on July 12 but was absent until finishing second in the seven-furlong Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes last month at Newmarket. There is doubt about her ability to stay a mile and she may once again struggle to finish ahead of the Nell Gwyn winner Scarlet Runner.

Miss Beatrix, who breaks from post 7, followed her win in the seven-furlong Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes with an impressive score in the Goffs Million in September, and looks like value at 16-1 for trainer Kevin Prendergast.

The undefeated Arch Swing, trained by John Oxx, won the Group 3 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown in her season debut, while juvenile Group 1 winner Indian Ink is expected to improve off her Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes second two weeks ago.

The biggest threat to Finsceal Beo, however, may Simply Perfect. A Danehill filly trained, like Sander Camillo, by Jeremy Noseda, she won the Group 1 Fillies Mile at Ascot last Sept. 23, and while she has not run since, she cannot be overlooked at 12-1 with Johnny Murtagh aboard.