Andrew Balding happy as Kameko heads to QIPCO 2000 Guineas

Plans for a prep-race had to be scrapped with the sport in Britain being suspended in March. However, it’s scheduled to resume at Newcastle on Monday with the Guineas taking place at Newmarket on Saturday.

“I couldn’t be happier with him at the moment. He had a gallop at Kempton last week and Oisin (Murphy) rode him in that. I couldn’t have been happier with the way he went. He looks magnificent and is a lovely horse to have anything to do with it. We’re all really excited," the trainer said in a press conference to promote the QIPCO Guineas Festival.

“It’s the same for everyone not having a run beforehand. If you were the only person who couldn’t have raced in this period then obviously you’d be at a disadvantage but everyone is in the same boat.

“We’d just got him back into faster work at Cheltenham time when the lockdown happened. At the time we were still hoping the Guineas might be on the original date at the beginning of May so we had a period where we cranking up the intensity of the work. Then when we realised that wasn’t going to be the case we nipped down a bit.

“We weigh the horses regularly, have the use of a heart monitor and have various ways that we didn’t have ten years ago to help us gauge fitness. With all those bits of information I’d say he is as ready as we could have him but only time will tell.

“When the Adrenalin is pumping on raceday horses behave differently. As long as he settles and relaxes he’ll be fine. The work we’ve done with him at home and the signs he’s showing us at the moment are that he’s as ready as he could be.”

Kameko is among the leading fancies for the Investec Derby at Epsom too but Balding is no rush to commit his stable star to that race.

“Newmarket will tell us plenty. He’s a horse who I have no doubt will stay a mile-and-a-quarter, whether he stays further than that we’ll probably only learn with the evidence of the run in the Guineas. I’d hope he would but his targets will be debated after his run at Newmarket," he added.

One thing the trainer is confident over is there’s better to come from his colt this season despite a Group One-winning juvenile campaign.

“He was always quite a big-framed horse. He’s not the flashiest horse in his routine exercise but has always been the type that every time you’ve asked for a bit more he’s given and improved for it. I think Oisin was always saying Roaring Lion, who was also by Kitten’s Joy, thrived on racing and every time he had a run got better and better and I think this horse is very similar.

“When he won first time out at Sandown we expected him to run well but not necessarily win. The improvement then between that debut run and his next piece of work meant he ended up in a Group race, the Solario Stakes, next time. He improved again to the Royal Lodge and again after that before Newcastle.

“He’ll improve with racing but after the racecourse gallop the other day we have him as ready as we could for this first start of the season.”

Balding has previously tasted Classic glory with Casual Glance back in the 2003 Oaks and is desperate to claim another – but admits there’s a big stumbling block standing in his – and Kameko’s – way in the shape of Pinatubo.

“He’s an outstanding horse and we have huge respect for him. He’ll be very tough to beat I’m sure but we’ll give it our best shot.

“The Classics are very, very important races and a huge event for everyone connected with the yard and the horse. It’s tremendously exciting and I’m hoping Kameko is a worthy candidate.”

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