3 minute read

Champion trainer Richard Hannon believes he has four live chances of following up his victory of last year in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

While Night Of Thunder was sent off at 40-1 12 months ago, none of his 2015 representatives are set to be as big as that in the betting and Hannon thinks all four are capable of being involved.

His chief hope appears to be second favourite Estidhkaar, who finished second in the Greenham, just like Night Of Thunder last year. He is the mount of Paul Hanagan.

Stable jockey Richard Hughes rides Ivawood, a place further back in the Newbury trial but impressive as a juvenile, and Hannon also saddles Kool Kompany and Moheet, first and third in the Craven at Newmarket.

"Estidhkaar will improve for his Newbury run - like all of mine he needed his first run back - and I have been very happy with him since," said Hannon.

"He will also improve a lot for the step up to a mile as he was staying on nicely at the end in the Greenham, which was pleasing.

"Ivawood will have come on massively for his Newbury outing, probably more than any of them as he's a big horse that carries a bit of weight. That trial came a bit soon for him.

"Kool Kompany was overlooked in the Craven Stakes and he continues to be overlooked. He is very dangerous and talented. He was a tough two-year-old and if there are any cracks in the armour of the big names, he will find them. He's now 3lb better off with the horses he beat in the Craven and he's improved an awful lot for that run.

"He doesn't have to lead. He slightly got away with it in the Craven, but he did it in different ways last year.

"The undulations at Newmarket caught Moheet out in the Craven but he has been working brilliantly and he'll go back there with a good chance."

Harry Herbert, racing manager for Moheet's owners Al Shaqab Racing, expects him to improve enormously for what was only his second ever run in the Craven.

He said: "It was a terrific run from Moheet for one with so little experience. He's come on a fair bit for that and a bit of sunshine has done wonders for him. His coat has really brightened up since and we expect a bold display - but the Guineas is the Guineas, we're not going there thinking he's going to definitely win.

"It will be very tough, but we think he's got plenty of improvement in him so what he lacks in experience, hopefully he will make up for in improvement, and he deserves to take his chance."

As well as Estidhkaar, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum paid £30,000 to supplement impressive Newbury maiden winner Intilaaq.

"I'm sure it was a very tough call for Paul (Hanagan). One (Estidhkaar) has the form in the book from last year. He did nothing wrong as a two-year-old, apart from his Dewhurst run, when he wasn't right," said the Sheikh's racing manager Angus Gold.

"He ran a good race on his return. As I said to Paul, if you take Muhaarar (goes for the French Guineas) out of the race, you'd have won the Greenham by four and a half lengths and you might be talking about the 2000 Guineas favourite.

"I don't think anybody alive could tell you where the other horse fits in. We don't know what he beat at Newbury, but he was very impressive on the day.

"We don't know what his best trip will be. He's out of a French 1000 Guineas winner (Torrestrella), so there is speed coming from that side, but he's by Dynaformer, who traditionally produces horses who want a bit further than a mile.

"He is a very exciting horse, but Paul has gone for the horse with the proven form. To have the two of them is great for Sheikh Hamdan and I think we're all looking forward to the race."