Chicken one day, feathers the next, or, as in the case of trainer Aidan O’Brien’s fortunes in the Guineas races this weekend at Newmarket, England, vice versa.
A day after the O’Brien-trained Air Force Blue bombed as the heavy favorite in the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien not only won the English 1000 Guineas with Minding, he swept the top three placings when Ballydoyle rallied for second in front of Alice Springs on Sunday.
Mongolian Saturday, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland last October, will have his first start of 2016 in Sunday’s $1,289,191 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
The Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, run at six furlongs on turf, was not intended to be Mongolian Saturday’s first start of the year. The 6-year-old gelding was scratched from the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai last month after developing an illness following a flight from the United States.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Minding has been favored to win the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas on Sunday at Newmarket since she captured the Group 1 Fillies Mile last October, and if she’s to be successful, it’s another O’Brien entrant, Ballydoyle, whom Minding might have to catch.
Air Force Blue is the odds-on favorite to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his eighth win in the QIPCO English 2000 Guineas on Saturday at Newmarket.
Air Force Blue, drawn well enough in post 5, is one of 13 entrants in the Guineas, run over about one mile down a straight course that was listed as “good” on Thursday but could wind up something softer on race day with rain in the local forecast.
Werther, the winner of the Hong Kong Derby in March, scored the richest win of his career in Sunday’s $2.57 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong against an international field.
Ridden by Hugh Bowman, Werther (9-2) won by 4 1/2 lengths over 70-1 longshot Military Attack, the Hong Kong Horse of the Year in the 2012-13 season. Blazing Speed, a 24-1 outsider who won the 2015 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, finished third in the field of 13.
Highland Reel, winner of the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park last August, is part of a strong international field in Sunday’s $2.57 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
The Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup drew a field of 13, with runners from the Dubai World Cup program and throughout the Far East.
Dee Majesty, a 29-1 outsider, scored a surprise win in Sunday’s $1,986,389 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse, leading a sweep of the first three positions by Deep Impact colts.
The winning time of 1:57.90 for 1 1/4 miles on firm turf was a stakes record. Dee Majesty closed from off the pace with a wide rally to win the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas, the first leg of the country’s Triple Crown.
Makahiki and Leontes, the first two finishers of a Grade 2 race last month, are among 18 colts in Sunday’s $1,986,389 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse.
Makahiki is unbeaten in three starts and won his graded stakes debut in the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho against Leontes at 1 1/4 miles on turf March 6. Makahiki is by Deep Impact. The colt is owned by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. and trained by Yasuo Tomomichi.
Foundation, who is as low as 12-1 in antepost betting for the English 2000 Guineas next month and a general second choice for the Epsom Derby in June, makes his first start at age 3 Thursday at Newmarket in the Group 3 Craven Stakes.
