Racing Chatter – 2000 and 1000 Guineas

With the first 2 English Classics of the campaign taking place this weekend, who has been talking the talk?

Fabre Gets Harry’ Hopes Up

Harry Herbert, racing adviser to the owner of Al Wukair, Al Shaqab, says that trainer Andre Fabre remains very optimistic ahead of Saturday’s 2000 feature race.

“When you have André Fabre as your trainer and he’s being as bullish and as positive as he is, it’s very exciting.

“I thought, in the Djebel, it looked as if he was slightly dossing. This is very odd. We’re not going to be able to give Churchill all that distance and beat him.’ But then he finished so strongly.

“I mentioned it to André and he dismissed the whole thing. I was almost reprimanded for asking. Anyway, I hope he would be tight there [behind the Guineas pace] and then use his turn of foot to best effect. If he hangs out the back as he did in France, that’s unlikely to work.

“Early in the spring, he told me: ‘I’m going to run him in the Djebel to get some experience and then we can think about the English Guineas.’ According to André, his work-rider says he’s the best he’s ever sat on.

“He’s very well balanced, he’s got a very good cruising speed and he’s got a fantastic turn of foot. That’s what we hope will stand him in good stead. I think he’s straightforward and uncomplicated.

“There’s a bit of inexperience about him. He won so easily as a two-year-old and again this year, you could argue he’s never had to battle and so what will happen when he does? We don’t know.”

Meade’s Inmate Has A Mountain To Climb

Martyn Meade sounded less confident, when talking about the prospects of Eminent. The trainer seemed happy with his charge’s form, but was under no illusions of how difficult it would be to win such a strong renewal.

“He’s come out of the race very well, couldn’t be more pleased with him. I didn’t have him absolutely primed [for the Craven], but he was obviously in the right condition to run, hence the way he did run, which was very pleasing.

“The mile is the absolute minimum distance he wants and I’d like to be able to step him up from that as soon as possible, but at the moment he’s going to take his chance again over a mile.

“It’s a tough ask to beat Churchill. There are lots of other horses, but Churchill is obviously one that I am concerned about. He has won on the track before when winning the Dewhurst, but we haven’t seen him out this time.

Urban Fox To Cause A Shock?

Trainer James Tate feels that Urban Fox has a chance of at least placing, in Sunday’s 1000 Guineas. The filly remains friendless, in the market, but Tate believes that she can be a factor now that her injury has been taken care of.

“She’s in great form. She had an interrupted preparation for her trial at Newbury, so she ran better than expected and has come out of the race really well.

“She’d had a foot problem and was barely fit to run. In the circumstances I thought she ran really well.

“She was placed in the Fillies’ Mile. I’d be afraid of the Irish horses but not a lot else.

“I think we’ve got a good each-way chance.”