2000 Guineas contenders: will they stay the mile?
John Ingles looks at the pedigrees of the leading 2000 Guineas contenders from a stamina point of view.
Auguste Rodin
If current favourite Auguste Rodin is beaten in the 2000 Guineas it certainly won’t be for lack of stamina. He’s proven himself at a mile already at two, and in testing conditions at that, notably when winning the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on his final start. He was Aidan O’Brien’s eleventh winner of that contest and will be bidding to emulate stablemates Camelot, Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia who all went on to win the 2000 Guineas.
Auguste Rodin is bred on similar lines to Saxon Warrior as he’s by Japanese triple crown winner Deep Impact out of a Galileo mare. He’s the first foal out of Rhododendron who finished second in the 1000 Guineas after ending her two-year-old season with a win in the Fillies’ Mile. She was also second in the Oaks – to Enable – on her only try at a mile and a half, and she dropped back to a mile at four for her final Group 1 success in the Lockinge.
Chaldean
Chaldean ended his two-year-old season just like his sire Frankel by winning the Dewhurst Stakes and will be bidding to emulate Frankel again in the 2000 Guineas after a mishap leaving the stalls prevented him from doing so in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on his reappearance. Chaldean looks sure to stay the mile at Newmarket when the time comes as he saw out his races well over seven furlongs last year, completing a four-timer in the Dewhurst.
His sire is a strong guarantee that he’ll stay too, even though his dam Suelita was a winning sprinter in Italy and has produced speedy types for the most part, including useful sprinters The Broghie Man and Get Ahead. She’s also the dam of Alkumait, a smart brother to Get Ahead (by Showcasing) who won the Mill Reef Stakes but showed that he was a very different type to Chaldean as he pulled much too hard on his try in the Dewhurst.
Little Big Bear
Little Big Bear was the top two-year-old last year but a setback ended his season before he had the opportunity to prove himself beyond sprint trips. He put up a high-class performance when running away with the Phoenix Stakes by seven lengths to complete a four-timer and the way he forged clear in the closing stages left little doubt that he’d stay further. How much further is the big question as far as the 2000 Guineas is concerned.
His sire No Nay Never wasn’t tested beyond six furlongs at two, when he won the Norfolk Stakes and Prix Morny, and only ran at up to seven furlongs in the States at three, notably when a close second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over six and a half furlongs. No Nay Never has made his name principally as a sire of two-year-olds and it’s true that Little Big Bear’s stable has had the likes of Arizona, Ten Sovereigns (sent off favourite) and Wichita, all by the same sire, beaten in the 2000 Guineas, but the last-named only went down by a neck. No Nay Never's daughter Alcohol Free, who was fifth in the 1000 Guineas, proved herself over a mile at three when winning the Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes.
Little Big Bear’s great grandam was the 1983 Arc winner All Along but you don’t have to go that far back on the dam’s side of his pedigree for evidence of plenty of stamina in his family. His smart dam Adventure Seeker is by Arc runner-up Bering and won twice at around a mile and a quarter in France, including a listed race, and finished a very close fourth in Group 2 company on her only try at a mile and a half. If anything, it’s a surprise that Little Big Bear showed the speed he did at two judging by what his dam had produced previously. Her other winners include Vin Rouge, a staying handicapper on the Flat and winning hurdler, who is by Zoffany (more on him below as the sire of Sakheer), and the useful American Graffiti, a mile and a quarter winner despite being by sprinter Pivotal.
Sakheer
Sakheer raced only over six furlongs at two, winning his last two starts, including the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury. He’s shown a lot more ability than his dam Shortmile Lady who was a modest maiden over sprint distances by the July Stakes and Prix Morny winner Arcano who disappointed at three. Much the best of Shortmile Lady’s siblings was the smart and tough mare Indian Maiden, though she too was a sprinter, by Indian Ridge. But Shortmile Lady has got winners over much longer distances than she raced at herself, namely Bit Harsh, a winner at up to a mile and a half this season, and Lemista, a smart mare who won a Grade 3 contest over nine furlongs in the States last year.
That pair were by Australia and Raven’s Pass respectively so have been effective over similar trips to their sires. If Sakheer also takes after his sire, Zoffany, he ought to stay a mile. Zoffany did all his winning at two, over six and seven furlongs, including the Phoenix Stakes, though he might be best remembered for getting within a length of Frankel in the St James’s Palace Stakes, even if that result flattered him. Zoffany died early in 2021, but he sired that year’s 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth, as well as Prosperous Voyage who was runner-up in the same race last year, along with plenty of others who stay beyond a mile.
Noble Style
Noble Style was unbeaten in his three starts over five and six furlongs last year, notably the Gimcrack at York. If he takes after his sire Kingman, a top-class miler who met with his only defeat when runner-up in the 2000 Guineas, Noble Style won’t find the mile beyond him, but there’s more doubt looking at the dam’s side of his pedigree.
Eartha Kitt was a useful daughter of sprinter Pivotal who did all her winning at six furlongs and ran below form on her only two tries at seven, while her dam Ceiling Kitty, also useful, was a speedy two-year-old who won the Queen Mary Stakes. Ceiling Kitty did produce a useful performer over middle-distances, Arthur Kitt, but he was by Derby winner Camelot, whereas her other winner, Formidable Kitt, was purely a five-furlong performer and, interestingly, by Kingman’s sire Invincible Spirit. If he is to see out the extra two furlongs, Noble Style would need to settle better than he did in the early stages at York.
Royal Scotsman
Royal Scotsman’s two wins last year were both over six furlongs, notably the Richmond Stakes, but he ran much his best race on a first try at seven when going down narrowly to Chaldean in the Dewhurst, the way he kept on well there suggesting he’ll be at least as effective at a mile. He’s by the 2015 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles, while his useful dam Enrol stayed a mile too, ending her career with a couple of fourth places in listed races at that trip even though she did all her winning at shorter.
Her other winners include Encountered, by another 2000 Guineas winner Churchill, who has been winning over a mile in Hong Kong. Royal Scotsman also holds a Derby entry, and while it’s far less certain he’d stay a mile and a half, that’s another reason for being confident in him getting the mile.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org