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| Newmarket Guineas News 2010 |
Arcano Puts Classic Credentials on the Line
14/04/10
The 2010 Flat season really gets into gear this week with various trials for the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas set to give punters a better idea of how last season's leading two-year-olds have developed over the winter. Following trials at HQ in midweek Arcano will be put through his paces in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, writes Elliot Slater.
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With the exception of the brilliant St Nicholas Abbey, currently 9/4 favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, Arcano was arguably the most impressive juvenile colt of the 2009 season. Brian Meehan's horse made a winning racecourse bow at Newbury last June before going on to cut down Orpen Grey to land the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket. The Oasis Dream colt then went to France and lowered the colours of top local filly Special Duty, who is currently favourite in the 1,000 Guineas betting, in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville to prove himself a colt out of the top drawer.
All three of Arcano's wins came at six furlongs so, having shown such tremendous speed as a juvenile, there are questions about his ability to stay a truly run mile at championship level. Saturday's seven furlong Group 3 Greenham Stakes should provide some of the answers in what looks the toughest of this week's colts trials.
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Richard Hannon's Canford Cliffs, narrowly beaten by Arcano in France having previously routed his rivals in Royal Ascot's Coventry Stakes, will provide a stern test.
Irish challenger Free Judgement might also go well, as could the second Hannon representative, Dick Turpin, and John Gosden's unexposed Bullwhip, impressive winner of a Doncaster maiden a few weeks ago. Expect a tight ante-post betting market to develop.
If Arcano goes to Newbury and wins well, there is little doubt that he will be billed as the main challenger to St Nicholas Abbey ahead of the big race in just over two weeks time.
