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| Newmarket 2000 Guineas 2008 |
New Approach On Course for Guineas
21/04/08
Trainer Jim Bolger today expressed his confidence ahead of ante-post favourite New Approach’s bid for Classic glory in the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, May 3.
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The Galileo colt - who will race in the colours of Princess Haya of Jordan this season - was paraded at Bolger’s Coolcullen stables in Co Carlow, Ireland, this morning at a media event organised by Newmarket Racecourses and big-race sponsor Stan James.
“I’m very confident in the horse’s ability and couldn’t be happier with him,” said Bolger. “Everything about the horse suggests he’s exceptional and he just has to do another two spins and I’m happy that he’s on target.
“I’ll be leaving the tactics to Kevin (Manning) on the day. Once the stalls open, he’ll see how the race unfolds.
“We’ve had no hitches whatsoever with New Approach, the only slight thing was that when we took him to work at the Curragh he didn’t get the ground we’d have liked but apart from that everything has gone smoothly.
“There are lots of nice three-year-olds around but, apart from taking an interest in them from a racing afficionado’s point of view, I’m not overly concerned by any one of them.
“He’s heavier and stronger than last year and has a marvellous constitution. He’s very sound and a hardy horse.”
New Approach, who is 9/4 favourite from 11/4 with the sponsor for the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas, will be accompanied to the start at Newmarket by a stablemate, as he was when winning the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes on the NatWest Rowley Mile in October.
“He’ll be accompanied by his companion (Metamorphosis) again - why change a successful formula? We don’t want to take any chances, horses like him don’t come along too often so when they do you have to take all the precautions,” said Bolger.
“Sheikh Mohammed, Princess Haya and John Ferguson have left the horse’s progress to me. After he has run at Newmarket, we’ll see how that goes and make some decisions. But I would be more keen to go for the Irish 2,000 Guineas then the Irish Derby and give Epsom a miss.
“I haven’t won the Irish 2,000 before and it’s a race I’d like to win so that’s the route I’d prefer to take. I don’t think any trip from five furlongs to a mile and a half would be a problem for him.”
Bolger, who was successful in last season’s stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas with Finsceal Beo, looks set to be represented in the fillies’ Classic at Newmarket again this year.
“Saoirse Abu is a definite for the 1000 Guineas and I have to see how the others are going - Lush Lashes is a possible but by no means a definite,” added Bolger. “There could be a third runner although I’m not sure which filly.”
The stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas takes place on Sunday, May 4.
