Mike Cattermole: Must have Gustav in 2000 Guineas

Horse Racing

Sun May 06, 2018 · 7y ago

Top broadcaster Mike Cattermole previews Saturday's 2000 Guineas card at Newmarket and he thinks Aidan O'Brien will be celebrating again.

GUSTAV KLIMT looks the natural miler in the line-up and can give Aidan O’Brien an incredible ninth QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday.

The son of Galileo would certainly be the odd one out if he does prevail, as all of the previous eight winners from Ballydoyle had won the first Classic on their seasonal debuts.

However, that might have been asking too much of Gustav Klimt who had not been seen since last July when recovering brilliantly after being squeezed out to get up and win the Superlative Stakes on the July Course.

He again showed a great attitude and his turn of foot to win the 2,000 Guineas Trial in heavy ground at Leopardstown last month.

That prep run would have cleared the cobwebs away, both mentally and physically, and now that he is tackling a mile for the first time, Seamie Heffernan’s mount is expected to improve considerably – and he needs to – and prove too sharp for the likes of Elarqam, Masar and Saxon Warrior.

Although it was testing at Leopardstown, the drying ground, which could be good by race time, should not be an issue as it was good to firm when he won the Superlative when he also showed, crucially, that he could quicken going into the dip.

Stablemate Saxon Warrior is said to have thrived physically over the winter and defends his unbeaten record, having fought off Roaring Lion in the Racing Post Trophy last October at Doncaster.

All three of his wins at two were over a mile - he also won the prestigious Beresford Stakes at the Curragh before Doncaster – and gave the impression that he would relish going up to middle distances as a three-year-old.

There was much to like about Masar’s win in the Craven Stakes when he romped home by an easy nine lengths, leaving Roaring Lion trailing in his wake in third. The New Approach colt looked so at ease on the Rowley Mile and although his record is a little patchy, he has valid excuses.

He certainly didn’t handle the dirt at Meydan in March and had a luckless run behind Mendelssohn in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last November. He still managed to canter past James Garfield in the home straight at Del Mar and barely came off the bridle as he was beaten less than three lengths into sixth.

Although a player here for his very in-form stable, he may develop into a Derby colt and I have backed him for Epsom as there is plenty of stamina in his make-up. (Note that I have got these things horribly wrong before, having backed Golan ante-post for the Derby but he won the Guineas instead!)

If one horse is bred to win on Saturday then it is Elarqam whose parents, Frankel and Attraction, both triumphed on the Rowley Mile.

Mark Johnston’s colt gets an important tick in the box for winning on the course in last September’s Tattersalls Stakes, when he stayed on strongly at the end of that seven furlongs. The mile will suit him but he may be even better over further, although his homework has impressed work rider Joe Fanning enough to suggest he will indeed have the speed to handle this.

I don’t think the form of the Greenham is good enough but Expert Eye is taken to reverse form with James Garfield and improvement can be expected from the close fourth Raid (just his third start now), although Oisin Murphy prefers Roaring Lion whose connections have had a change of heart and had been considering York after his comprehensive defeat by Masar.

Elsewhere on this card, Havana Grey can land the Longholes Palace House Stakes. A model of consistency at two, his comfortable defeat of Invincible Army at Goodwood last summer got a timely boost last weekend.

Meanwhile, the very talented Defoe has the Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes at his mercy.