UNRAVELLING THE CLASSIC CONUNDRUM - A Preview Of The Villoo Poonawalla Indian 2000 Guineas - Gr. 1 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 21 Dec 2019
UNRAVELLING THE CLASSIC CONUNDRUM – A PREVIEW OF THE VILLOO POONAWALLA INDIAN 2000 GUINEAS – GR. 1
By Cyrus Naterwalla
The 2000 Guineas is the first Classic for Colts and Geldings and usually establishes the best 3 year old Miler of the current crop. It is usually conducted 1 week after the Fillies equivalent allowing fillies to take their chance in it as well but this year, breaking with tradition it is scheduled on the same weekend. This year’s field of 10 runners is about on par with the average over the last 5 years although 2 runners more than last year. The race has had a rather good record for favourites with 8 of them obliging in the last 10 years. Out station challengers have dominated this race in the recent past with SerjeantAt Arms, Castlebridge and Sir Cecil – the last 3 winners all hailing from Bangalore. Foreign jockeys have also had a good run in this race, splitting the winners with Indian riders 5 and 5 in the last decade with Richard Hughes scoring thrice in four years through Autonomy, Jacqueline and Pronto Pronto. Got abroads also have a good record in this race, 5 of them winning in the last decade. Another interesting point to note is that in the last 10 years, the highest rated horse has always won this race and has also been a prior Group 1 winner. That trend will almost certainly be broken this year as the highest rated horse Royal Crystal at 80 is not a Group I winner and the only Group I winner in the field – Trouvaille comes out 4th best on ratings.
A summary of the leading contenders for one of the most open looking 2000 Guineas in a while :-
TROUVAILLE (Surfrider x Highly Fashionable)
TRAINER :- S. K. SUNDERJI
JOCKEY :- NICKY MACKAY
RATING :- 67
DRAW :- 6
STARTS :- 7
WINS :- 2
The only Group I winner in the field and a fluent winner of the Pune Derby, he was the leading 3 year old colt at the centre in his juvenile season, crowning it with a glorious victory in the Shapoorji Pallonji Juvenile Colts Championship making him the only course and distance winner in the field. Prior to that he had chased home Hunt for Gold in the Breeders’ Produce Stakes where he was hampered for room at a crucial juncture and then finished runner up to Missing You in the Poonawalla Million. He ran thrice in Pune making improvement with each start, finishing a poor 5th in the F.D. Wadia, looking much better when going down narrowly to Sultan Suleiman in the S.A. Poonawalla Million before going on to claim the Pune Derby where he convincingly beat Wizard of Stocks. Trouvaille has shown that he takes a couple of runs to hit full form and the fact that he is going into this Classic without a prep race is a bit worrisome. However, the gap between Pune and Mumbai is not that long and hopefully it should not hamper him too much. Nicky Mackay should have added confidence after scoring his first winner in Western India on Saturday and a big run is expected from this gritty competitor
SULTAN SULEIMAN (Arazan x Saffron Dancer)
TRAINER :- ALTAF HUSSAIN
JOCKEY :- A. SANDESH
RATING :- 61
DRAW :- 3
STARTS :- 3
WINS :- 2
One of the least experienced runners in the field but possibly also the one with the maximum scope to improve, he has already shown himself to be a top class prospect and is sure to progress even further as he matures. A late blooming 3 year old, he began racing as recently as the 1st of September making his debut in the prestigious Southern Command Gold Trophy and showing his class by trouncing a decent quality field and winning impressively. In fact, he must have impressed connections so much that he was thrust straight into the S.A. Poonawalla Million after a short gap of just 2 weeks. He proved equal to the task that day, showing a willing attitude to hold off a determined Trouvaille by a neck. He trotted sore on the morning of the Pune Derby and was hence withdrawn, reappearing over 7 furlongs in the Morvi after a 2 ½ month break. He looked understandably a shade rusty that day, taking his time to pick up and doing his best work in the closing stages to finish on and be runner up to Juliette by a length and a quarter. He conceded 3 kilos to Alexei that day so should be able to confirm the form with that rival and has gone some cracking workouts since the run. The return to a mile seems likely to suit him and with A. Sandesh in the saddle, he is likely to renew his rivalry with Trouvaille and appears to be a frontline contender to give Altaf Hussain a long overdue classic success
WIZARD OF STOCKS (Speaking of Which x Margarita Rita )
TRAINER :- P. SHROFF
JOCKEY :- LEIGH ROCHE
RATING :- 58
DRAW :- 4
STARTS :- 5
WINS :- 1
Comes from a successful family with the dam coming from the same family as Elusive Pimpernel but has manner of racing has suggested that he will eventually come into his own over staying trips. Finishing a close runner up to Galloping Goldmine over 7 furlongs on his debut towards the end of the last Mumbai season, he travelled to Bangalore for a summer campaign winning his next start over a mile impressively. He could not hack it in the Colts Championship Stakes though, finishing a faraway 5th behind War Hammer and was rested for the remainder of the season. He reappeared midway through Pune over 2000M, finishing on late to be runner up to Tasawwur in a Class III contest. He ran a forward race in the Pune Derby, seemingly going best of all turning for home and was hampered slightly by Trouvaille in the closing stages but for which he may have finished closer. He looks to be peaking at just the right time but he too, is coming into this race without a preparatory race which is definitely a negative point. However, he seemed to move quite fluently in a Mock Race with Class I horses and Leigh Roche is a notable booking. He appears to have the better chance of the 2 runners from the yard and definitely makes the short list
KNIGHT TEMPLAR (Multidimensional x Grand Madame)
TRAINER :- S. PADMANABHAN
JOCKEY :- DAVID ALLAN
RATING :- 56
DRAW :- 8
STARTS :- 4
WINS :- 2
Lightly raced but very well performed colt who looks to be making steady improvement and appears to have a very strong level of form. Runner up over an inadequate 1100M on his racing debut he was immediately upped to a mile next time out and did well to get the better of highly regarded Sir Supremo. He faced a tough task in the Bangalore Derby on only his 3rd start but proved more than upto the task finishing a very close 3rd to Impavid and Well Connected and his proximity to the former suggests that he has the measure of Wizard of Stocks who finished well behind him in the Colts Championship. He may have suffered a setback as he was off the track for an extended period but looked as good as ever on his return when winning a Class II mile convincingly by 3 ¾ lengths. He too may eventually come into his own over longer distances but looks to have a very realistic chance in this and shapes as a strong out station challenger who possibly has the strongest form
KILDARE (LeitirMor x Awarding)
TRAINER :- S. K. SUNDERJI
JOCKEY :- DAVID EGAN
RATING :- 55
DRAW :- 7
STARTS :- 3
WINS :- 2
The possible dark horse in this field and open to a tremendous amount of improvement, he is a worthy 2nd string for the Sunderji yard and will be ridden by 1000 Guineas winning Jockey David Egan looking for a fairytale back to back double. He has had large gaps between each of his races but has won 2 of his 3 starts and only came up short in Group company on the other occasion. A stylish maiden winner on debut over 7 furlongs, he returned to contest the F.D. Wadia Trophy and looked out of sorts ending up 7th of the 8 runners. It was another 3 months before he returned again on his first run of the season where he looked vastly improved when decimating his rivals to win by an astonishing 13 ½ lengths and smashing the 7 furlong course record in the process. That run put him firmly into the Guineas picture although he falls well short on ratings. He has been working very well since the run and could prove to be a dark horse who could spring a surprise
ALEXEI (Born To Sea x Sugar Mint)
TRAINER :- P. SHROFF
JOCKEY :- P. TREVOR
RATING :- 48
DRAW :- 10
STARTS :- 2
WINS :- 1
The only ‘got abroad’ in the field and the most inexperienced having run just twice till now. He came with a formidable reputation and was a talking horse much before his debut run which came over a mile in Pune and he showed the rumours were justified when easily beating Hokkaido by 5 lengths. His 2nd run of life came in the Morvi where he took on Sultan Suleiman and Juliette and he was very heavily backed that day and travelled well for much of the journey, looking in good shape midway up the straight but suddenly fizzling out and weakening to finish 3rd. He did not look particularly well in the paddock on that occasion so it will be interesting to see how he is turned out tomorrow and he was receiving weight from Sultan Suleiman today so will struggle to reverse the form at level weights. P. Trevor takes the ride and while it is hard to fancy him to win this, he definitely appears to have plenty of potential and could be interesting as he progresses in his career
CONCLUSION :-All things considered, the strongest form appears to be with Knight Templar and he could make it back to back wins for out station challengers after the success of Gift of Grace yesterday. Sultan Suleiman and Trouvaille look to be closely matched and are the best of the local contingent while Wizard of Stocks also comes into the reckoning as a typical Shroff improver. It promises to be an exciting race and should live up to it’s billing
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same).
