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Crisford's relishing French Guineas test with Knight

3 minute read

Knight will face nine rivals in Sunday's French 2000 Guineas. He enters the Classic after only three starts including success in the Group 2 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury and made his seasonal reappearance in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes finishing seventh when beaten 18 lengths behind the reopposing Isaac Shelby.

Trainer : Simon Crisford, (right) and Ed Crisford. Picture: PA Images

Co-trainer Ed Crisford reflected on the horses' reappearance "I don't know what happened at Newbury, to be honest, but the horse has bounced out of the Greenham.

"Whether it was the sticky ground he didn't get through, I know he's won on heavy, but it had been raining that day it's very different. He just didn't go a yard and there's nothing much to say about that other than it was very disappointing.

Longchamp is expected to be heavy following rain throughout the week in Paris.

"The horse has bounced out of it though and is training good and we always thought he was a much better horse than that. He seems to have come alive and come on for that race, so he's going to France and hopefully, he can run a big race albeit he has to prove it now.

"I'm sure there is going to be lots more upside to come from him and if he gets a good trip round, I'm sure he will run a good race.

"It's going to be a very good race, it always is. The Greenham winner is in there and American Flag (winner of the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau over course and distance) looks very good, so there's plenty of depth.

"But I'm sure he will run a good race and I just want to see him bounce back to form. He deserves to from his two-year-old form and if you look at his record, he has had two wins and one blow out and every horse is entitled to a bad day now and again."

Knight is by Mehmas making him a full-brother to French filly Malavath trained by Francis Graffard. Winner of a Chantilly Group 2 six-furlong race as a two-year-old she then finished second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf over a mile at Del Mar. Malavath resumed winning the Group Three Prix Imprudence the following April and had a checked campaign but did finish second in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret on Arc Day last October.