Churchill Delivers and It’s Winter in Spring for Record Setting O’Brien
Saturday saw the first Classic of the British season as flat racing’s HQ of Newmarket played host to the 2017 edition of the 2000 Guineas. As befitting such a prestigious event, this looked a competitive affair, with strong challenges from the boys on blue of Godolphin, a talented son of the mighty Frankel, and a French raider from the yard of two time winner of this, Andre Fabre.
2000 Guineas Glory for Churchill
In the end though, this contest fell to the trainer/sire combination which has proven more successful than any other in these major events in the modern era. Aidan O’Brien already had a stellar record in this race headed into Saturdays contest, with his seven previous wins putting him in a tie for the lead with John Scott. O’Brien is tied no more.
The mighty Churchill swept all before him last term to be crowned Europe’s Champion Two Year Old, and headed into the first challenge of his three year old campaign as the warm favourite. Without a prep run and sweating up considerably in the preliminaries, backers may have had a few anxious moments in the build-up, but once the gates were opened, it soon became clear who was top dog here.
Hitting the front just before the furlong pole, he never looked like relinquishing the lead. An unflashy sort, he only ever seems to do enough and it will be interesting to see if connections send him to Epsom for his next challenge. Betfair make him their 5/1 favourite for the Derby.
1000 Guineas Winter Wonder
For Churchill’s sire, Galileo, this was just the latest in a swathe of big race triumphs, including an unprecedented 1-2-3 in last season’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The best stallion in the world was at it again just 24 hours later in the 1000 Guineas.
The 2017 renewal for this race looked well up to scratch, and it was again O’Brien who sent out the clear favourite in the form of last year’s smart fillies mile winner Rhododendron. It was not the jolly who claimed the spoils on this occasion, as Rhododendron endured something of a torrid passage before running on into second.
The master of Ballydoyle was not to be denied however as another of Galileo’s offspring, Winter, booted clear in the closing stages for an impressive two length success. With victories for Seventh Heaven and Somehow at Newmarket, and Douglas McCarthur taking the influential Derrinstown Derby Trial over in Ireland, this was certainly a weekend to remember for the Irish champion trainer.
Kentucky Derby Excites
Likewise, Todd Pletcher, who took the other major contest of the weekend over in America. Few contests grab the imagination of the US Racing fan quite like the Kentucky Derby run at the historic Churchill Down’s racetrack.
Acting as the first leg of the American Triple Crown it often proves the first step to greatness for American racing stars. Quite whether Always Dreaming proves to be in the same bracket as the likes of American Pharoah and Affirmed remains to be seen, but he was certainly good here, slopping through the mud best of all to hand a clearly Emotional Pletcher a second win in the race.
