3 minute read

Charlie Johnston is well aware Dubai Mile might find the Qipco 2000 Guineas a touch on the sharp side but after watching him come through a racecourse gallop on the Rowley Mile, he was enthused as to what the future may hold.

A Group One winner over 10 furlongs in France at two, Dubai Mile's main aim this season is the Betfred Derby and Johnston is coming round to the idea that they have nothing to lose by running in the Guineas first.

Should the ground come up testing, then the Middleham handler may even have a chance of breaking his Classic duck earlier than he originally thought.

Dubai Mile was ridden by Daniel Muscutt over a mile and quickened beyond with Struth (Jason Hart) and Hope You Can Run (Andrea Atzeni).

"We've been having a debate internally all spring really regarding what is the best route for this horse," said Johnston.

"We're pretty confident his optimum trip this year will be a mile and a half plus and you can see in his work there that he's not travelling hard on the bridle behind the other horse. He's a very laid-back horse who is behind the bridle and his last furlong is his best furlong.

"But, having won a Group One as a two-year-old, your route to the Derby is narrowed down quite dramatically. You either have to have to step down in grade or you have to go to the Guineas.

"From an early point it's been either Guineas-Derby or Dante-Derby. The way they're in the calendar this year running in all three is pretty unrealistic.

"I've spent most of the spring leaning on the side that he should be going Dante-Derby, but Ahmad (Al Shaikh, owner) is always keen to take on a challenge and take the ambitious route – and when you've got a Group One-winning two-year-old, the reality is winning the Dante is not going to add anything to this horse's stallion profile, whereas finishing third in the Guineas would be a big asset to him."

He went on: "We're all well aware that this horse is being trained and going to be campaigned as a top-class mile-and-a-half horse, it's just what we do in the early season to get him there.

"I'd love a soft ground Guineas, then he really would be a player because we know he handles testing conditions, and one asset you can never take for granted here is he's run over the course and distance. Danny says you don't even notice the dip on him, he just floats down it and out the other side.

"The Guineas is not a race you go into as a prep race, but if he was running in many ways it would be a prep race for the Derby."

The Charlie Hills-trained Cicero's Gift , unbeaten in two outings to date, had a slightly less strenuous workout under Kieran Shoemark in company with Saratoga Gold (Michael Hills).

"He worked well and had a nice little blow afterwards as well actually, so it was just what we wanted I think," said Hills

"He's obviously had two starts and two wins and we're just trying to feel our way really and see exactly where we are and find out a bit more about him. Today he behaved great, had a nice bit of work and did what we asked him.

"We didn't really want to run in a trial and put three quick races into him. It's going to be a long season, so we'll just try to keep him as fresh as we can.

"We'll see how the week unfolds with the trials and make a decision next week. There is a conditions race at Goodwood around the same weekend as the Guineas, so that could be another route to take, but I'm pretty open-minded at the moment.

"He's a nice horse and there's only one Guineas, isn't there? If we decide against it you've got Goodwood and the Dante at York and the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot, something like that. I think I could see him stepping him up in trip later in the year."