Guineas Glory, the Kentucky Derby and More…or Should that be Moore?
Moore Wins 2000 and 1000 Guineas
The first Classics of the season were run at Newmarket at the weekend as the Flat season got under way in earnest and what a start to the campaign it was for Ryan Moore.
Punters will have won a small fortune as the heavily backed Gleneagles landed Saturday’s 2000 Guineas. The favourite went off at 4/1 and having won all five of his races as a two-year-old, the Aidan O’Brien star in the making was unstoppable. Gleneagles has magnificent pedigree and won with room to spare here, asserting himself with a furlong to go and never really looking in trouble. Territories was second at odds of 5/1, with Ivawood (10/1) finishing third.
This was a first 2000 Guineas for Moore but trainer O’Brien was claiming his record-equalling seventh success in the season’s first Classic.
Moore was far from done for the weekend though, guiding Legatissimo to victory in the fillies-only Classic, the 1000 Guineas. The Irish 13/2 shot was able to catch Lucinda in a fast finish to land a first Classic for trainer David Wachman, with Legatissimo having been last as the race moved into its second half.
This was shorter than her ideal distance and so the Epsom Oaks later in the year now looks a real target and indeed Legatissimo can be backed in the ante post market at odds of 7/2 (Coral) for that one, well ahead of second favourite Found, priced at 7/1.
American Pharoah Wins Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is one of the biggest races in the world and American Pharoah won it with Victor Espinoza in the saddle in front of a huge crowd of more than 170,000! The record crowd watched Espinoza guide the favourite to the first leg of the American Triple Crown. Spinoza, aged 42, said “”I feel like the luckiest Mexican on Earth” – although Carlos Slim, worth a cool $76bn, may dispute that!
National Hunt Results
The Cheltenham Festival may be long gone and the Flat season here but there is still some top class jumps racing going on. On Friday, Faugheen won the Punchestown Champion Hurdle to go with his win on day one at Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle. Arctic Fire was beaten into second both times as the Ruby Walsh/Willie Mullins combo delivered once again.
There was more Cheltenham rivalry as Jezki beat Hurricane Fly in the World Series Hurdle at Punchestown, the seven-year-old just proving too quick for the aging legend. It’s a long way until next year’s Festival but Jezki looks a cracking prospect for the World Hurdle as is currently the favourite in the ante post betting, priced at odds of 8/1.
Chester Cup Awaits
The brilliant racing just keeps on coming with the Chester Cup tomorrow and Suegioo will look to claim back to back wins. Owner Dr Marwan Koukash has five runners, including last years one-two of Suegioo and Angel Gabrial, and he has every chance of tasting Chester glory once again in what looks a really fascinating renewal.
