Easter winner Il Warrd may go for the French Guineas

Apr 14 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

MARCUS TREGONING may send impressive Kempton winner Il Warrd to the French 2,000 Guineas rather than in the English equivalent, as Winker Watson was ruled out of the opening Classic of the campaign.

Under Merseyside jockey Martin Dwyer, Tregoning’s three-year-old colt scored an impressive four-and-a-length success in the Easter Stakes at Kempton on Saturday.

His win forced several bookmakers to put him in at 33-1 for the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 3. although VCbet offer a best-priced 40-1.

His trainer was delighted with the colt’s success on his seasonal debut but he may be aimed at the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp next month.

Tregoning said yesterday: “I have watched the race several times over and he was absolutely different class to those, no question.

“We had been toying with the idea of running him at Newmarket or Newbury this week in one of the trials, which might have given us more information.

“But with the weather being so unsettled and everything we thought maybe we’d be better off going sooner rather than later and we took the softer route.

“The official handicapper thought the performance warranted giving him a rating of 109 which still puts him a fair few pounds adrift of the top three horses in the betting for the Guineas.

“Having said that, we are pretty certain he will improve quite a bit. But I think the chances are – my gut feeling – that he’s more likely to go to France for the French equivalent rather than run at Newmarket.

“I think that is the likelihood. We don’t know what will happen between now and then exactly. We are still a few weeks away and we’ll see whether the trials will throw up anything. There’s time to consider the options.”

Winker Watson was also reported to be “highly unlikely” to take his chance in the 2,000 Guineas at Headquarters.

The unbeaten Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained colt, who was as low as 10-1 with several firms for the first colts’ Classic of the season, has suffered a setback and is unlikely to make the Guineas.

Chapple-Hyam said: “We took Winker Watson for a canter yesterday and Roy Carter, who rides him at home, wasn’t happy with the horse.

“We had him scanned and found that he had a problem behind.

“In view of that, it wouldn’t be right for the horse if we pushed him and so it’s highly unlikely that he will be running in the 2000 Guineas. Instead, I hope that we will be able to head to the Irish 2000 Guineas with him or Royal Ascot.”

Meanwhile James Fanshawe worked his two Guineas contenders at Newmarket’s Waterhall gallop on Saturday morning.

Gimcrack Stakes winner Sir Gerry and Spacious, who scored in the May Hill Stakes, worked over seven and a half furlongs.

Sir Gerry, who was partnered by Jamie Spencer, is expected to run in this Saturday’s Greenham Stakes at Newbury before heading for the 2,000 Guineas, for which he is a best-priced 50-1 with most firms.

Spacious will head straight to Newmarket for the 1,000 Guineas and she is a best-priced 7-1 second favourite with Coral behind 5-1 market leader Muthabara.

Fanshawe said: “Sir Gerry and Zidane worked together and both pleased me.

“Sir Gerry goes for the Greenham next Saturday and Zidane will either go for The Abernant or a Conditions race at Thirsk next week.

“They worked over seven and a half furlongs quickening up from the six and half.

“Jamie was delighted with the way Sir Gerry relaxed.

“Spacious (under Oscar Urbina) went nicely with Athenian Way and she will go straight to The 1000 Guineas.”

TODAY’S NAP: Valley Of The Moon (4.20pm Wolverhampton).