Wootton Bassett French 2000 Guineas favorite
English-based Wootton Bassett is the favorite among 15 final entrants to land the Group 1 Poule D’Essai des Poulains, or French 2000 Guineas, on Sunday at Longchamp.
Marcus HershMay 13, 2011
English-based Wootton Bassett is the favorite among 15 final entrants to land the Group 1 Poule D’Essai des Poulains, or French 2000 Guineas, on Sunday at Longchamp.
Buena Vista, the 2010 Japanese Horse of the Year, will be a strong favorite to defend her title in Sunday’s $2,214,000 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.
The six-horse Dante Stakes, a major Epsom Derby prep on Thursday at York in northeastern England, included three major Derby hopefuls in Carlton House, Seville, and World Domination, but World Domination failed to progress from a strong maiden win, and Carlton House emerged as the sharpest of the trio with a 1 1/2- length victory over Seville in the Group 2 Dante.
Canford Cliffs, who ended his 3-year-old season last July with three consecutive wins in Group 1 stakes, will be heavily favored in his 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse, west of London.
Frankel, the unbeaten English 2000 Guineas winner, was removed from Epsom Derby consideration partly because of skepticism concerning his ability to deliver a representative performance at the race’s 1 1/2-mile distance. Another factor in the decision made by his connections is the fact that they may have another horse well suited to the Epsom Derby. That is World Domination, who will try to burnish his credentials for the Derby when he starts Thursday in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York.
Monday’s Group 3 Prix de Guiche for 3-year-old colts at Chantilly racecourse in France was marred by a serious leg injury suffered by 9-10 favorite Inoubliable in the last 50 yards of the race over 1 1/8 miles.
Arizona Jewel, a maiden race winner in her second career start in April, makes her stakes debut in Wednesday’s Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York racecourse in England, a prep for the English Oaks at Epsom Downs on June 4.
Grand Prix Boss came back to his championship-level 2-year-old form in this third start this season, capturing the Group 1 NHK Mile at Tokyo Racecourse by 1 1/2 lengths over Cotillion. Fourth and third in his first two races this season, Grand Prix Boss is reportedly being considered for a trip to England and a start in the St. James Palace Stakes, meaning that the colt would be traveling halfway round the world to lock horns with the brilliant Frankel.
Pour Moi ran past eight rivals in Saturday's Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud in France to join the list of contenders for the Epsom Derby in England on June 4.
The Derrinstown Derby Trial on Sunday at Leopardstown is an Irish Group race for 3-year-olds. Naturally, Aidan O’Brien will play a major part in the proceedings.