/ Timeform / 29 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Is Frankel in a league of his own?
"Frankel will face 12 others in the Guineas and he is currently a [1.56] shot to win the race, not surprising given that he has 12 lb in hand over his nearest rival, Pathfork, on Timeform ratings. "
Timeform look ahead to the first Classic weeekend of the 2011 Flat season...
There is no doubt as to which horse is the main attraction on Saturday as Frankel will be out to make it six wins from six starts in the 2000 Guineas on Newmarket's Rowley Mile. Frankel will face 12 others in the Guineas and he is currently a [1.56] shot to win the race, not surprising given that he has 12 lb in hand over his nearest rival, Pathfork, on Timeform ratings.
Besides the Guineas, there are two further pattern races on the card at Newmarket, namely the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes and the Group 3 Palace House Stakes. The Jockey Club looks an up-to-scratch if not outstanding renewal and the one to beat is Roger Varian's Laaheb. The Palace House looks even more interesting, with the filly Astrophysical Jet set to take on a pair of Nunthorpe winners in Sole Power and Borderlescott.
Goodwood stages its first meeting of the 2011 Flat season on Saturday and there are a couple of listed races on the card, namely the mile-and-a-half Daisy Warwick Fillies' Stakes and the one-mile Conqueror Stakes. The day's other afternoon Flat fixture in Britain is at Thirsk, where the highlight is the valuable Thirsk Hunt Cup handicap over a mile. There is also an evening Flat meeting at Doncaster, while the day's Flat action takes place at Uttoxeter in the afternoon and Hexham in the evening.
There is also notable Flat action overseas on Saturday. There is an all-weather meeting at Dundalk in the afternoon, while Longchamp has Group 1 action in the shape of the ten-furlong Prix Ganay in which Cape Blanco is set to take on some of France's top older horses in Planteur and Sarafina.
Saturday's 2000 Guineas is all about Frankel, but the 1000 Guineas on Sunday is a decidedly more open affair according to the market. Hooray is clear top-rated with Timeform, but there are stamina doubts about her, and with those in mind the market is currently headed by the French filly Moonlight Cloud. Others who could have a major say in the finish include Sir Michael Stoute's Havant, the Hannon-trained Memory and Irish raider Misty For Me.
The other pattern race on Sunday's card at HQ is the Group 3 Dahlia Stakes over nines furlongs for older fillies and mares, while there may well be some Oaks candidates on show in the listed Pretty Polly Stakes over ten furlongs.
The day's other British Flat fixtures are scheduled for Hamilton and Salisbury, while over in Ireland they go on the level at Gowran Park and over jumps at Sligo.
There is also notable action in the Far East where Jamie Spencer takes the ride on Michael Bell's Wigmore Hall in the ten-furlong QEII Cup.
Timeform look back at the weekend's action at Sandown......
The National Hunt season comes to a close on Saturday, when Paul Nicholls will be crowned Champion Trainer for the sixth consecutive season, but it starts all over again on Sunday and there is also plenty to go at on the Flat across the two days....
Timeform look back over Saturday's best racing......
No comments:
Post a Comment