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| Remember The Name - French raider What A Name can take the 1000 Guineas |
The last couple of 1000 Guineas have thrown up some big priced winners in Blue Bunting and Homecoming Queen, perhaps surprisingly given their connections, and although you’d be a fool to say a surprise won’t happen this year’s race does look at the mercy of the horses towards the head of the betting.
The French have taken two of the last five runnings of the 1000 Guineas with Natagora winning in 2008 and Special Duty being awarded the race in 2010 and I think they can make it a 50% strike rate in the last six years in 2013 with the Mikel Delzangles-trained What A Name.
Delzangles is one of the hottest young trainers out there and has enjoyed a fantastic couple of years thanks to the exploits of his globe-trotting superstar Dunaden; he also knows how to get a horse ready to win on the Rowley Mile having saddled Makfi to a surprise victory in the 2000 Guineas back in 2010.
His What A Name would be unbeaten still had she not run in to Richard Hannon’s exceptional colt Olympic Glory in the Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day getting to within two lengths of the Greenham winner.
She returned at Longchamp at the beginning of this month with a comfortable if unspectacular victory in the Grp3 Imprudence Stakes but anyone that thinks she would have been at her best that day could be in for a shock come Sunday.
Given that the only horse to beat Olympic Glory is 2000 Guineas hotpot Dawn Approach and the scare What A Name gave the former named on Arc day on ground she won’t have been her best on it’s impossible to argue that she doesn’t have the strongest bit of form coming in to this race.
What A Name possesses a potent turn of foot and slow ground could blunt that weapon, but if the ground is to her liking she could be set to put in a performance to electrify Newmarket, although having won in very soft ground last time out she’s by no means ground dependent.
Her trainer thinks she’s improved over the winter and I can’t help but feel that were she trained domestically by a Hannon or a Cecil that she’d be half the price you can currently back her at.
Winning at Newmarket is going to be no easy feat for What A Name though especially up against Sir Henry Cecil’s impressive filly Hot Snap, a horse that catapulted herself to the head of the market with an eye-catching victory in the Nell Gywn coming from last to first to land the spoils.
Still unbeaten, Hot Snap raced only once at two but was victorious over a mile at Kempton, her great trainer thinks Newmarket’s Rowley mile will suit and she looks to hold a very good chance in the race.
Since her Nell Gywn win her price has pretty much collapsed though and the selection can be backed at twice her price.
Just The Judge has always been towards the head of the betting for this year’s 1000 Guineas and too is unbeaten with a Grp2 win in the Rockfel to her name, the Qatar Racing lot will be hoping she can be their first classic winner but I have my reservations.
The Rockfel form doesn’t look up to much now in all honesty and with Jamie Spencer on board for the first time on Sunday it could take some time for their styles to mesh.
Aidan O’Brien’s Moth did nothing to make you think Classic glory beckoned last season but broke her maiden in impressive fashion at the Curragh on the opening day of the Irish flat season and has been supplemented for this as a result.
She looks to carry the Ballydoyle hopes of a follow up this year but is she really deserving of being a 7/1 shot on what she’s done thus far? I’d say she’d be priced considerably higher than that was she not an O’Brien horse.
Dermot Weld’s Big Break would hold a very strong chance was she to run but the vibes are that she won’t now which is a shame. She improved with every run last season finishing off with a comfortable Grp3 win at Leopardstown.
If she was to line-up come Sunday her chance would be very much respected but unless you take the non-runner, no bet Bet365 are offering I’d hang fire until she’s confirmed as a runner.
Sky Lantern has already been beaten this season by Hot Snap but Richard Hughes electing to ride this filly over Fred Darling winner Maureen could be telling.
Sky Lantern had quite a bit of racing at two compared to most of the other leading contenders but her Grp1 win in the Moyglare at the Curragh is up there with the best form on offer in this race.
The Hannon team is very much respected and both runners could be good each-way bets, especially with Maureen getting a very able deputy in Olivier Peslier.
The others look to be playing for places at best but one at a bigger price that I think could get involved at the business end of affairs is Agent Allison.
She won on her debut but is winless since, however those defeats have all come at Group level and her second to the ill-fated Newfangled at Royal Ascot looks a strong bit of form.
She flopped at Longchamp on Arc day at the end of last season but chased home Maureen to register another Grp3 place in the Fred Darling. With Jamie Spencer unable to ride due to his commitment to Qatar Racing William Buick will take the ride and he is actually the only jockey to have won on the horse to date.
At 25/1 Agent Allison would be the best each-way bet in the race for my money but I think it’ll be France that takes the race this year with What A Name taken to give her trainer another big success at the home of British flat racing.
1000 Guineas 2013 – Best Odds:
Hot Snap 11/4
Just The Judge 11/2
What A Name 11/2
Moth 7/1
Big Break 12/1
Sky Lantern 12/1
Maureen 14/1
Winning Express 20/1
Agent Allison 25/1
Rasmeyaa 28/1
Magical Dream 33/1
Roz 33/1
Snow Queen 33/1
Ollie Olga 40/1
Diaminda 50/1
Masarah 66/1
Melody Of Love 66/1
Celtic Filly 100/1
Recommendation:
1pt win What A Name @ 11/2 (Boylesports, Paddy Power, William Hill)
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