Charlie Appleby and William Buick on Pinatubo's QIPCO 2000 Guineas preparation

It’s little wonder given the son of Shamardal enjoyed a brilliant and unbeaten six-race campaign which brought him Group One wins in the National Stakes and Dewhurst and a rating of 128, the highest for a juvenile in Britain since Celtic Swing in 1994.

“The draw would be one thing,” the trainer pondered when asked what his main concern was ahead of the first Classic of the season in a QIPCO British Champion Series press conference on Wednesday.

“As we know at Newmarket they are probably going to come from left to right with the stands’ rail being the higher numbers. You’d like to get a draw to help William to get in a position where he’s comfortable on him.

“Outside of that I don’t want to sound too confident but he’s pleasing us. He’s the highest rated two-year-old we’ve seen for the last 25 years, he looks great, has won on all ground conditions and more importantly won on that track so we’re in the fortunate position where he ticks a lot of boxes going into the race. Let’s hope we see the Pinatubo we saw as a two-year-old.”

Appleby admits the signs on that front at Moulton Paddocks – and on an away day to Essex – are encouraging.

“We’ve been delighted with his preparation going into the Guineas weekend. We took him to Chelmsford and William (Buick) went round there with him and a couple of lead horses. He’d sat on him the week before and it was all very pleasing," he added.

“He’s not a horse that will light you on a morning but this year he’s shown his professionalism throughout his preparation so far. He goes about his business and does what’s asked of him and in doing so has met every challenge we’ve set him to date.”

The delay to the Classic, now scheduled for Newmarket on Saturday week, hasn’t affected plans for the colt as he was always taking the direct route.

“We all knew where the picture was going heading into March in the respect it was becoming more challenging around the world with what we were seeing and we realised racing was going to be potentially slowing up and stopping. In Dubai they were behind closed doors on Super Saturday and then the World Cup was unfortunately cancelled so I was never pushing as early as sometimes you’d need to for a Guineas," Appleby added.

“The plan was always to go straight to the Guineas. The delay hasn’t worried me in respect of his preparation and going straight to Newmarket, it was always in our mind to do that. I’m confident he’s fit and ready."

Pinatubo made giant strides through his first season after a debut win at Dunstall Park in May. A starting point that was down to a lack of a fireworks in his work at home.

“We started at Wolverhampton. If we thought he was going to turn out to be the horse he is we’d have started out in a Newmarket maiden, I’m sure. He was fit and ready to run and was a forward going two-year-old and pleased us that day," Appleby admitted.

“We only saw the progression whenever he went to the track. He went from there to Epsom and Mark Johnston’s horse that day was free and looked like he might have got away from the field but for the first time we saw a sign of Pinatubo’s acceleration. That gave us the confidence to go to Royal Ascot and he was away.”

A lot of the attention over the winter has focused on Pinatubo’s perceived lack of physical scope to progress for his Classic season.

“The big question every spring is how have you gone from two to three? As an individual we’re delighted with the way he’s strengthened. As I’ve said I’d much rather have a neat type as he is and a well-balanced horse going into these early Classics," said Appleby.

“He’s taken on some of the most challenging tracks in the UK in Epsom, Goodwood and Newmarket. He’s physically done well and strengthened over the winter and I hope people will be pleasantly surprised with what they see at Newmarket.

“I don’t see the mile being a problem at all. On the dam’s side he’s quite stoutly bred and as an individual one of his key attributes is he’s very laidback, nothing fazes him. William will be able to put him wherever he wants in the race, he has natural pace to be able to park in behind and won’t take William on.”

And then there’s that crucial track form. Pinatubo had a first taste of the Rowley Mile on his final start at two.

“What I was pleased with at Newmarket in the Dewhurst was his last half furlong. It was at the end of a season which he started on May 9 so turning up in a Dewhurst on soft ground on his sixth run of the season, was going to be a challenge for him.

“I thought he met it well and most importantly his most impressive part of the race was when he met the rising ground and how he galloped out.”

Buick also has complete faith in his big-race partner adding: “He’s very good and has all the qualities of a good horse, like you saw last year. He has the temperament to go with it and from a jockeys’ perspective to have that temperament alongside the ability makes it an absolute pleasure.

“I think there’s progression left in the horse for sure. He’s very adaptable to different situations. He won the Dewhurst on ground that was softer than he’d ideally like. He’s a joy to ride and he’s a horse that you always look forward to getting back on.

“I’m been very pleased with him this spring. Everyone at home is very happy with him and I’m no different. The twice I’ve ridden him, once at home and once at Chelmsford, he’s done what’s required and he’s in good shape and pleasing everybody.

“From a trainer’s perspective I’m sure you like to see consistency in the way a horse works and like Charlie says he’s the same as last year which we’re very happy with.”

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