Guineas runner-up leaves Roger Teal “pinching myself”

Tip Two Win, left, chases home Saxon Warrior in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Roger Teal was jubilant after 50-1 chance Tip Two Win had finished runner-up to Saxon Warrior in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Teal has a string of 25 horses “including a few jumpers” at his Hungerford yard, and had never previously had a runner in the Classic – the first race in this year’s QIPCO British Champions Series.

“I’m pinching myself,” Teal said. “I was trying to watch it out the front (in the stands), but I didn’t bring my binoculars and I couldn’t see. All I could see was his white breast girth. When they came out of The Dip, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got a chance of winning the Guineas here!

“When they flashed me, I was about 50 yards from the line and I was standing with [ITV commentator] Matt Chapman. I asked him: ‘Was I second in the Guineas?’ and he just said, ‘I don’t know’.

”It is amazing. This is what we dreamed of since [he won a Group 2 contest] in Qatar. We knew we had a decent animal. He’s a 50-1 shot, but he’s only 50-1 because he’s trained by me. If he’d been trained by Mr. Gosden, he’d have been 5-1. It is just a proud moment for us.”

Royal Ascot may be on the cards for the son of Dark Angel.

“We will look at the St James’s Palace Stakes and I guess we’ll take that on, or the Jersey Stakes,” Teal said. “We will digest today and see what happens.

“I am just so proud of him. It is a big team effort and everyone at the yard has done such a fantastic job. They need to give themselves such a pat on the back. Getting a horse like him, I’m just blessed. We are in unknown territory and it feels good.”

Charlie Appleby said of third-placed Masar: “Had you told me four or five weeks ago that we would be third in the Guineas, I’d have taken that quite happily.

“William went out with the mindset that we were going to go forward with him. He gave him a lovely ride and he came in and said he ran like a horse who needed a step up in trip.

“When they quickened, Will [Buick] said he got caught flat-footed a bit and when they hit the rising ground, he was galloping back towards them to the line. We will take a strong consideration towards the Derby next. The chances are we will give him a break and go straight there.”

Mark Johnston is similarly looking towards a step up in trip with the Sheikh Hamdan-owned Elarqam, who was a half-length further back in fourth under Jim Crowley.

Johnston said: “Fourth is not bad in the Guineas. You come here wanting to win, so it is a little bit of a downer. I’ve said all along that I was concerned that he was such an inexperienced horse. He beat the second horse three lengths last time out – and that one has had three or four runs since, while we just had a racecourse gallop.

“So, I was always a bit concerned with that. On top of that, we are still left with the debate, particularly since [Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager] Angus Gold said at the point of the race where he needed to find a turn of foot, he didn’t. He dwelt for a bit and that’s not the mark of a true miler. That may just be inexperience, but at the same time the first impression is he’ll go further.”