Richard Hannon | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wootton Bassett’s Chindit Battles To Greenham Win

Michael Pescod's Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) arguably set the standard in Sunday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury and while he had to work he was able to prevail in a tight finale to the seven-furlong Guineas trial. Successful in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster in September before finishing ninth in the G1 Dewhurst S. on a soft surface at Newmarket in October, the 7-4 favourite was on contrasting ground here and may have been feeling it racing in mid-division early under Pat Dobbs. Looking briefly to have been left behind as Hollie Doyle committed Mehmento (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) on the front end two out, he put his head down and duly got to that 18-1 shot near the line to earn a neck success, dragging The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) with him in the process with that rival the same margin back in third. “He's been brought along nice and steady and hasn't been overworked at all, so there should be plenty left in the tank,” Dobbs said. “I was worried between the four and the three, normally he travels super but he was a little bit flat-footed.”
Chindit, who had taken Ascot's Listed Pat Eddery S. in July prior to his Champagne win, is on target for the May 1 G1 2000 Guineas according to Richard Hannon who said, “He was workmanlike, but I'd rather see that as he was very relaxed in his work so it suggest he wants a mile. That's changed, as in the winter he was working like a six-furlong horse. He will go for the Guineas, but I just worry if the undulations at Newmarket will let him build up that momentum in the same way he did today towards the finish. The French and Irish Guineas would be more convenient tracks, but the English Guineas are the ones you want to win.”

The winner is the first foal out of Always a Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a granddaughter of the Listed Conqueror S. winner Out West (Gone West) who achieved notoriety as the dam of the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Racing Post Trophy hero and successful sire Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and his G2 Hardwicke S.-winning full-brother Macarthur (GB). The fourth dam Chellingoua (Sharpen Up {GB}) is kin to the GI Haskell Invitational H. and GI San Fernando S. hero and leading sire Wavering Monarch. Always a Dream's as-yet unnamed 2-year-old colt by Awtaad (Ire) was a 80,000gns purchase by Badgers Bloodstock at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2.

Sunday, Newbury, Britain
WATERSHIP DOWN STUD TOO DARN HOT GREENHAM S.-G3, £55,000, Newbury, 4-18, 3yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:23.98, gd.
1–CHINDIT (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Always A Dream (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Always Remembered (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Out West, by Gone West
(65,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Michael Pescod; B-JC Bloodstock & R Mahon (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-Pat Dobbs. £31,191. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $108,285. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mehmento (Ire), 126, c, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Invincible Me (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (13,333gns 2yo '20 TTIGOR). O-Hambleton Racing XLVI & Partner; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Archie Watson. £11,825.
3–The Lir Jet (Ire), 126, c, 3, Prince of Lir (Ire)–Paper Dreams (Ire), by Green Desert. (€9,500 Wlg '18 TATFBR; £8,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Qatar Racing Ltd & RacehorseClub.com; B-Donal Boylan (IRE); T-Michael Bell. £5,918.
Margins: NK, NK, 3 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 18.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Nando Parrado (GB), Fundamental (GB), Rhythm Master (Ire), Alkumait (GB), Mujbar (GB), Insomnia (GB), Huddleton Mac (Ire). Scratched: Oo de Lally (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Frankel’s Snow Lantern a New Rising Star

Newbury's card-opening Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden S. saw a new TDN Rising Star emerge as Rockcliffe Stud's homebred Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) cut a dash in the country's best-contested race of its type so far this season. Entered in the May 2 G1 1000 Guineas that her illustrious dam Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}) captured in 2013, the grey was second-best in the betting for the mile contest at 3-1 behind Juddmonte's Derab (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), the John and Thady Gosden-trained half-brother to Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Always travelling with abundant enthusiasm tracking the leader under Sean Levey, the grey was allowed to take command with two furlongs remaining and galloped relentlessly and true to the line to beat that 11-8 market-leader by 1 3/4 lengths, with Fantastic Fox (GB) (Frankel {GB}) a short head behind in third. The three class acts drew upwards of nine lengths away from the rest, giving the form the solid underbelly required for the case for the winner to take the plunge in three weeks' time.

Trainer Richard Hannon was keen to plead the case to the owner-breeders to take a chance in the Newmarket Classic and said, “She's been working great and I always thought she was a very good filly. She's very highly-strung, but behaved lovely there and I haven't enjoyed watching a race like that for a long time. I was expecting her to be keen, but she did it beautifully and Sean said her stride pattern is not normal. Hopefully she's a little bit special and it is more relief that I feel today. I'm very tempted to go for the Guineas–there's only one and although the breeder had said they don't want to go into the deep end I'll discuss it with them next week. The mare won two group 1s on the Rowley Mile and she's a very clever filly who works things out for herself.”

Snow Lantern, who was second on debut to the subsequent G2 May Hill S. third Zabeel Queen (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Ascot in July, emerged as a live contender for the Guineas during a week where the established trials were in some part overshadowed by races outside of the Pattern. With the colt Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) impressing in a Newmarket novice on Tuesday and the 1000 Guineas betting currently dominated by a Ballydoyle filly who has only a 2-year-old maiden win to her name, this could be a year when those with the leading juvenile form play second-fiddle to the emerging forces. Hannon also saddled the proven Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in the card's G3 Fred Darling S., but his response when asked to compare the two was illuminating. “Happy Romance has won a group 3, but Snow Lantern is by Frankel out of Sky Lantern and has the lot,” he said. “How far she goes we'll see throughout the year, but if she goes to the top it wouldn't surprise me.”

Sky Lantern had considerably more experience by the time she went to post for her Guineas, having won the G1 Moyglare Stud S., and held her form into the autumn when adding the G1 Sun Chariot S. to her tally which also included the G1 Coronation S. She is a half to four pattern-race performers with the stayer Shanty Star (Ire) (Hector Protector) and sprinter Arctic (Ire) (Shamardal) successful in group 3 company. She is a granddaughter of Negligent (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), the champion 2-year-old filly in England in 1989 courtesy of her win in the G3 Rockfel S. who was later third in her 1000 Guineas. After Snow Lantern there is the 2-year-old colt First Emperor (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and a yearling son of Kingman (GB).

1st-Newbury, £10,000, Mdn, 4-18, 3yo, 8fT, 1:38.49, gd.
SNOW LANTERN (GB), f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sky Lantern (Ire) (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, G1SW-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, $1,252,123), by Red Clubs (Ire)
2nd Dam: Shawanni (GB), by Shareef Dancer
3rd Dam: Negligent (Ire), by Ahonoora (GB)
O/B-Rockcliffe Stud (GB); T-Richard Hannon; J-Sean Levey Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $10,033. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Back To HQ

While the British flat turf season officially kicked off at Doncaster at the end of last month, the real beginning takes place on Tuesday as Newmarket open their three-day Craven meeting. Any self-respecting fan of racing will feel that familiar warmth at the prospect of the fixture that hosts the Nell Gwyn, the European Free, the Earl of Sefton and of course the Craven itself. Tuesday's card has two longstanding race titles in the Alex Scott Maiden S. which gets the action underway and the Listed Feilden S. which pitches the year's Derby hopes against one another for the first time on English soil. The sharp and early juveniles get their chance in the British EBF Novice S., while the seven-furlong British EBF Conditions S. which follows may have a 2000 Guineas prospect in its midst.

Two that are entered in the May 1 Classic are Ballydoyle's Duke of Mantua (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Godolphin's Noble Dynasty (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with the former coming here off a fourth as the topweight in The Curragh's Madrid H. Mar. 21 which has already produced the G3 1000 Guineas Trial winner Keeper of Time (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and conditions scorer Erzindjan (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

In the Feilden, Michael Pescod's Fancy Man (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) has to concede three pounds to all having won the Listed Ascendant S. at Haydock in September and he hails from the Hannon establishment which has done so well at this meeting down the years under Senior and Junior.

“He's been working very well,” the current incumbent of East Everleigh said. “I'm a little bit worried if the ground gets too quick as he's a big horse, that's all, but he needs a run and he had a good year last year. This is nine furlongs rather than a mile, but I think he'll get this sort of trip no problem.”

With Aidan O'Brien housing so many potential Derby contenders he has decided to cross the waters with the seven-furlong Curragh maiden winner Arturo Toscanini (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while Charlie Appleby saddles the Polytrack-winning duo Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Secret Protector (War Front). The latter has also captured the 9 1/2-furlong Meydan Trophy Feb. 11, while an intriguing renewal also features Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's mile course maiden winner Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal) from the Roger Varian stable and Ahmad Al Shaikh's Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) who was last seen finishing third to Battleground (War Front) in the G2 Vintage S. at Goodwood in July.

“He's a lovely horse and I'm really looking forward to getting him going,” trainer Andrew Balding said. “Obviously he'll come on a bit for the run, but he's in good shape for his first run of the season. He did have a niggle after Goodwood and we ran out of time, so we decided to leave him for the year.”

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Thunder Moon On Track For Guineas

Entries were revealed on Wednesday for the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas and G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas, with 72 colts signed on for the 2000 Guineas on May 1 and 63 fillies for the 1000 the following day.

Aidan O'Brien has saddled 10 winners of the first Classic of the season and has 12 entries for the 2000 Guineas, including 2-year-old champion St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and G2 Vintage S. scorer Battleground (War Front). O'Brien's son Joseph, likewise, has Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. winner Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) signed on, and he said of the bay, a last-out third in the G1 Dewhurst S., “Thunder Moon has wintered well and we are pleased with where we are. There is plenty of water still to go under the bridge yet but it is exciting to have a live contender for the 2000 Guineas. We were very pleased with the run in the Dewhurst considering the ground on the day. He was posted on a tougher part of the track as there was bias towards the stands rails but we were pleased with him. He is obviously a pretty quick horse on what he has done so far but he shapes as though a mile will be within compass so I don't see the trip being a problem. I do feel that he will be better on quicker ground as well. It is nice to have had a run at the track previously and that experience there won't do him any harm. We have the option of running him beforehand but we will decide nearer the time and see how the horse is before making that decision.”

O'Brien added of his champion 2-year-old filly Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), who is among the early favourites for the 1000 Guineas, “She is obviously a course and distance winner so we know she gets the trip well. I was very pleased with the performance in the Fillies' Mile. It was a brave performance as she had a bit of an interrupted preparation going into the race.

“She is an exciting filly. Her pedigree suggests she will be open to stay further than a mile as well which gives her plenty of options. Like with Thunder Moon, she has wintered well and I'm pleased with where we are. She was consistently solid last season and hopefully we can keep it that way. She was fine on both soft and good ground so she is versatile ground-wise. A decision on whether she has a prep run will depend on how she is training and how we feel closer to the time.”

Richard Hannon, meanwhile, said of the G2 Vintage S. winner Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who is engaged for the 2000 Guineas, “I'm very pleased with him and he has done very well. He did just a bit more than a canter a few days ago, him [fellow Guineas entrants] Fancy Man (Ire) and Etonian (Ire) all worked and it was a lovely start.

“Regarding his Newmarket run [ninth in the Dewhurst], the times say that the ground was heavy and it looked it. Chindit will go wherever there is decent ground. If it turns up at Newbury that is where he will go first [for the G3 Greenham S.]. He had done all his winning on flat tracks at Doncaster and Ascot before Newmarket and I'm not sure he loved the track. He has always been a neat horse with a good action. He is a good horse with a lot of speed. I think he would get the mile in a Guineas and would be suited by that trip as he is a very straightforward, simple horse.”

Trainer Andrew Balding provided an update on G1 Cheveley Park S. scorer Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), who recently returned from winter holiday.

“We are very much looking at the Guineas but that is still a long way off,” he said. “She has had a good holiday but she still looks a bit wintery in her coat so we will see what happens over the next month as we all know what fillies can do in the spring. I really was impressed in the Cheveley Park as it was only her third run and she was entitled to improve again. She has done well physically but we haven't really started serious work yet. Her pedigree offers mixed messages regarding the trip and that is about all I can go on at this stage. I'd be hopeful she would get it though as she relaxes pretty well but there is nothing we can do to find out until we try it. I think the plan if all goes well is to go to the Fred Darling first as a prep as I would like her to go over seven before going over a mile.”

Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam said 1000 Guineas contender Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who won last year's G3 Oh So Sharp S., will have a prep for the Classic.

“I'm thrilled with the way she has come back from her winter break at Ben and Lucy's Sangster's in Manton,” Chapple-Hyam said. “She has put on a nice 77 pounds and she has matured into a filly that should be competitive for the Guineas. The plan will be to start her off in the [G3] Nell Gwyn [S.] and then two weeks later head for the Guineas. It was a quick turnaround between her two runs in her maiden and the Oh So Sharp last season so we know she can do it. I think she is a serious filly that is potentially top drawer. She has wintered well and developed nicely. She has got all the right attributes. She has done it on different ground types and I think if it is real good ground you will really see her scoot along. She is not complicated as she doesn't have to lead or have cover or come with a late run. If you look at her last run she hit the rising ground going away so I don't see the mile being a problem at all.”

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