1000 guineas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Richard Hannon: ‘1000 Guineas Hope Mammas Girl Looks A Million Dollars’

Richard Hannon has provided a positive bulletin on G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Mammas Girl (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) ahead of Sunday's Qipco 1000 Guineas.

Owned by Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing vehicle, Mammas Girl is priced up at a general 7-1 chance for Guineas glory on Sunday.

Hannon, who sprang a 66-1 surprise in the 1000 Guineas with Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) in 2019, said, “This would be exactly the shot in the arm that will create something that Kia will never forget. Racehorses like this and days like this bring you something money can't buy. You can't come into it with millions of pounds and just buy a Guineas winner.

“Kia has had bad horses and good horses and he has invested heavily in the sport. It is important for people like him to get success. This would be like a life goal for him and it would be a nice story.”

He added, “I think this filly has an awful lot of scope and arrives in the Guineas with a perfect track record. Nobody could see Billesdon Brook coming, but with this filly it wouldn't be a surprise as she has won a Group 3 very well and they have all got her to beat.”

With neither Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) or Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), above Mammas Girl in the betting for Sunday's race, yet to be seen this season, Hannon thinks that his charge has an edge.

He said, “We've not seen anything of the first two in the market this spring and she has the advantage of a run and she will improve massively for that run going into the Guineas.

“There is only one way to get match fit and that is playing matches. She actually had a little haematoma on her thigh in February and we lanced it but that got infected and that slowed us up for between a month to six weeks so that wasn't ideal timing-wise.

“She wasn't there in her coat when we went to the Nell Gwyn but she looks a million dollars now as she is there in her coat. I thought she would run very well but I didn't think she would win like that [in the Nell Gwyn].”

He added, “I was surprised she won going away as she did as she is by a sprinter and out of a mare by a sprinter. Other people have said it will be doubtful if she gets a mile but she didn't look like she was stopping to me.

“I don't think the trip will be a problem as she wasn't stopping in the Nell Gwyn. She doesn't pull and they will go faster in the Guineas which will help her. She looks like a Group 1 filly.”

Mammas Girl may represent the best chance Hannon has of securing a second 1000 Guineas success, however, he believes that in the twice-raced Powerdress (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), he has another 'dark horse' that is capable of running well at a big price.

He said: “Powerdress is a gorgeous big filly and she is effectively a bit of Billesdon Brook. This filly is under the radar. She ran a super race against the colts at Newmarket last time.

“She was very big going into that race and she had not run since winning as a two-year-old on her debut at last year's Craven meeting.

“She just blew up coming out of the dip but she was the last one of the bridle. She will probably come on a stone for that. She is a dark horse in the Guineas and she could run very well.

“Her owner Martin Hughes (owner) is keen to have a go at it and I'm behind him as I think he is right to roll the dice.”

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Potential Royal Runner in Guineas on Coronation Day

The royal colours, which will now be carried by horses under the joint ownership of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort, could be seen in Classic action on the day of the King's Coronation.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Slipofthepen (GB), a son of Night Of Thunder (Ire) who was bred by the late Queen, has been given an entry for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Out of the 95-rated Free Verse (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), the colt is a fifth-generation homebred and won his sole start with ease at Kempton in November and also holds an entry for the Derby.

Furthering her links to the turf, The Queen Consort is due to visit the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket on Mar. 9.

The first two British Classics of the season, the QIPCO-sponsored 2000 and 1000 Guineas on May 6 and 7, have attracted 62 and 64 entries, respectively.

The quintet of Group/Grade 1 winners Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Al Riffa (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Chaldean (GB), Little Big Bear (Ire) and Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) heads a strong cast for the colts' Classic. Little Big Bear, a son of No Nay Never, was beaten only once in a five-start juvenile campaign culmination in his victory in the G1 Keeenland Phoenix S., and he is currently holding favouritism to give his trainer Aidan O'Brien a potential 11th victory in the race. Of the British-trained entries, Chaldean is currently third favourite to emulate his sire Frankel (GB) by winning the 2000 Guineas.

Those with an interest in sporting art will be pleased to see an entry for the equine Alfred Munnings (Ire), a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to the Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn). The great painter Munnings was himself a regular visitor to Newmarket Heath and spent much time down at the start observing and sketching horses as they were called in to line up. The old rubbing house he used as a makeshift studio is still in existence on the gallops behind the Rowley Mile.

The retirement of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}) means that there is one notable omission from the entries for the 1000 Guineas, with the betting market currently co-headed by Coolmore's Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}). Another from the O'Brien stable, Statuette, is third in the list to give her young sire Justify a first Classic winner.

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Leading 1000 Guineas Hope Commissioning Retired After Setback

Leading 1000 Guineas hope Commissioning (GB) has been retired after suffering a career-ending setback, according to John and Thady Gosden. She had been as short as 6-1 with some firms.

John Gosden said, “Unfortunately Commissioning sustained an injury to her left hind fetlock. Despite being given time to heal, she has sadly not recovered sufficiently and the decision has been made to retire her from racing.”

The unbeaten daughter of Kingman (GB) signed off last season with an impressive victory in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. All three of her wins came at Newmarket as Abdulla Al-Khalifa and Isa Salman's filly also landed the G2 Rockfel S. as well as an impressive debut victory on the July course.

Thady Gosden added, “Commissioning has left our stables today to go to Highclere Stud. She retires an undefeated Group 1 and Group 2 winner. She showed extraordinary speed and displayed a very determined and competitive mental attitude in her training and racing.”

Commissioning, who was bred by her owners at Highclere, made history by becoming a first Group 1 winner to have been bred and raced under Bahraini ownership.

Highclere Stud's Jake Warren, who represents Abdulla Al-Khalifa and Isa Salman, said, “Although this is incredibly sad news, the owners and breeders of this filly created racing history. They are both very good horsemen and experienced owner-breeders. Commissioning's family are all resident here at the stud, and her dam [Sovereign Parade (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)] is in foal to New Bay and is due to foal any moment. Her half-sister is due to visit New Bay, which is also very exciting.”

He continued, “It is such a thrill to have bred such a high-class animal and for her to have achieved so much in her career. It bodes well for the future for her and for the family as a whole.”

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Coolmore Fees: No Nay Never Up To 175k and Blackbeard To Start At 25k

Off the back of a star-studded season, No Nay Never will stand for €175,000 in 2023, which represents a €50,000 rise, while his dual Group 1-winning son Blackbeard (Ire) will join him on the Coolmore roster next year at a price of €25,000.

No Nay Never has had an exceptional year. Older filly Alcohol Free (Ire) landed the G1 July Cup at Newmarket, but it has been his Coolmore-owned and Aidan O'Brien-trained juveniles that have set tongues wagging this term.

Like his father, Blackbeard landed the G1 Prix Morny in Deauville before doubling his tally at the highest level in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket.

While he was prematurely retired due to a training injury, Group 1 scorers Little Big Bear (Ire) and Meditate (Ire) sit at the head of the ante-post markets for the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas respectively.

Coolmore's director of sales, David O'Loughlin said, “No Nay Never has had an unbelievable year. The quality of the mares he got off the back of his success has really been shining through and, to have three individual Group 1-winning two-year-olds in the one year, he has caught the attention of a lot of people.

“It has been another big week for him with Meditate winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and she is now a leading fancy for the 1,000 Guineas. Little Big Bear is favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, so No Nay Never has a big chance for the first two Classics of the season. That means a lot for us because we are trying to win the Classics.”

Sioux Nation hails from the same sire line being a son of Scat Daddy, and enjoyed a terrific debut season at stud at Coolmore with 43 winners. He will have his fee increased from €10,000 to 17,500 next year. Blackbeard is being backed to make a similar splash in his debut season by O'Loughlin.

He said, “To get a horse like Blackbeard on the roster is hugely exciting as well. Breeders love fast horses and he proved himself of the highest quality this season and was reminiscent of his father when winning the G1 Prix Morny is some style before following up in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket. That was the icing on the cake of another big season.

“Blackbeard is very like his father-the same colour, shape and he has the movement. Everything a breeder wants, he has. He's also out of a very fast mare who Eddie Lynam trained [Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire})] so I think a lot of people will be keen to use him.”

O'Loughlin added, “Commercially, what is driving the market is international appeal. When the international market zones in on a particular sire line, it puts a lot of value on that, much more than the domestic market can. No Nay Never is a good example of that as he has international appeal.

“Take Justify as another example, he has had two Group winners in Europe and three stakes winners in America. It's obvious that he is working both sides of the Atlantic-he has the dirt horses and horses who can do it in Europe as well. For breeders, it will help when they use Arizona, Blackbeard and Sioux Nation because they all hail from that exceptional Scat Daddy line. It's all the one line.”

Like Sioux Nation, Coolmore's Saxon Warrior (Jpn) made a big impression with his first crop of runners. As well as having the highly-touted Auguste Rodin (Ire) to look forward to this season, Saxon Warrior came up trumps with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire), one of 21 international winners in his first season.

O'Loughlin said, “Saxon Warrior had an exceptional year. Again, he's a horse with international appeal being a son of Deep Impact (Jpn), who was the best horse to stand in Japan. Auguste Rodin is a very special horse and Victoria Road crowned a remarkable year with his victory in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf.

“It's remarkable because Saxon Warrior wasn't the most precocious of horses and, for him to be getting all of these top-class two-year-olds is a big statement. He has some very good two-year-olds and who's to say that Greenland (Ire) won't be the best of them all. I know that a lot of people think he is a high-class horse to look forward to next year. Some big breeders have latched on to him after his debut season and I even sold a nomination to him out here in Keeneland the other day. They think the horse is great value at €35,000.”

Wootton Bassett will stand for €150,000, St Mark's Basilica's 2023 fee is €65,000, and Camelot (GB) is at €60,000. Churchill (Ire), the sire of dual Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr), has had his fee increased to €30,000, Starspangledbanner (Aus) will stand for €50,000, Australia (GB) and Sottsass (Fr) for €25,000 and Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Gleneagles (Ire) for €17,500.

Footstepsinthesand, Circus Maximus, Calyx and US Navy Flag are set at €10,000, Arizona (Ire) is €5,000 and Gustav Klimt (Ire) will be available at €4,000.

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