ITV Racing Tips: Native Trail can make up for Classic defeat in Irish 2,000 Guineas
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It’s another Classic weekend in the racing calendar with the Irish 2,000 Guineas set to be the Saturday highlight.
Native Trail, who lost his unbeaten record to stablemate Coroebus in the 2,000 Guineas, will attempt to rediscover the winning habit on the Curragh.
He is one of two British runners in a nine-horse field and with the home challenge, including that from Aidan O’Brien, not exactly top notch, the Godolphin colt is long odds-on to claim first prize.
In Britain the action revolves around Haydock where the winners of the Group 2 Sandy Lane and Temple Stakes could earn starts in one of Royal Ascot’s Group 1 sprints.
Go Bears Go and last year’s Nunthorpe winner Winter Power look set to start favourites respectively for the 6f and 5f sprints.
They will be among ten races packed into the ITV4 show, spread across four tracks, Haydock, Goodwood, York and the Curragh. Coverage begins at 1pm and we have previewed the three most significant races of the day in our ITV Racing Tips.
Go Bears Go, narrowly beaten by Perfect Power in the Norfolk Stakes, went on to win at Group 2 level for trainer David Loughnane. He also finished fourth in the Middle Park Stakes and second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, then returned to action with a good win at Ascot last month.
His form is very solid. But Caturra, whose form is close to that of Go Bears Go, offers much better value. Trainer Clive Cox won this prize with Harry Angel and often targets the race with his best three-year-old sprinter.
Caturra finished only a neck behind Go Bears Go in the Middle Park. He went to France for his reappearance, where he ran well to have his race won, only to be caught late by a rival in receipt of 8lb.
It is surprising to note that Ireland’s perennial champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has not won this particular Classic since 2017 and Churchill was the last to claim the prize as an odds-on favourite.
His runner, Ivy League, who has done all his racing this year, finishing second at Group 3 level last time, lacks the class of previous challengers. And among the rest of the opposition, only Buckaroo threatens to provide the main competition to Native Trail.
If he had won at Newmarket, Native Trail might not be here. He didn’t but there was no disgrace in finishing second to Coroebus. He beat Ballydoyle’s apparent best three-year-old Luxembourg and, while he is no betting proposition, he is the most likely winner and can complete a sweep of Europe’s three major Guineas for trainer Charlie Appleby.
Many of the best 5f sprinters are in action in this contest with Nunthorpe Stakes winner Winter Power among the favourites. The filly beat a top-class field at York but was not able to repeat that performance in her subsequent races.
She may not be at her peak here and there are plenty of speedy types among her rivals. The best of those could be the Queen’s Kings Lynn. The gelding won twice during a very busy campaign last year, including running in both the King’s Stand and Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He finished second at Chester, conceding 9lb to the winner, running on from well back and with that race under his belt looks a live contender.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday, 21st May
13:25 Haydock – 1m4f handicap
13:45 Goodwood – 7f handicap
14:00 Haydock – 2m handicap
14:15 Goodwood – Festival Stakes
14:35 Haydock – Silver Bowl
14:55 York – 5f handicap
15:10 Haydock – Sandy Lane Stakes
15:20 Curragh – Irish 2,000 Guineas
15:30 York – Bronte Cup
15:45 Haydock – Temple Stakes
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
