Awesome QIPCO Guineas in prospect at the weekend

What A Name is set to make her mark on Sunday. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

What A Name, the top French challenger for Sunday’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas, is bang on course for the 200th running of this historic Newmarket Classic according to her trainer, Mikel Delzangles.

"I am very pleased with her and she has improved since winning the Prix Imprudence [at Maisons-Laffitte on April 4],” Delzangles reported today.

"That was the perfect comeback for her as she did not have a hard race and was only 80 per cent fit,” he continued.

"I would prefer fast ground for her on Sunday and I do not think that the step up to a mile will be any problem. She is a very easy horse to ride as she never pulls.”

Delzangles knows what it takes to get a horse ready for the white hot heat of Guineas competition as he saddled Makfi to land the 2000 Guineas three years ago.

What A Name was one of 18 fillies remaining in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Monday April 29’s confirmation stage. It promises to be a truly international event as What A Name is one of two French representatives while Irish trainers account for no less than five of the other candidates.

Aidan O’Brien, who won the race last year with Homecoming Queen, trains three of the Irish quintet. They include Moth who has been supplemented for the race at a cost of £30,000.

The home team is lead by Hot Snap, the brilliant winner of the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwynn Stakes at Newmarket on April 17, and last year’s Vision.ae Rockfel Stakes heroine, Just The Judge, who proved her wellbeing that same afternoon with a racecourse gallop.

The outstanding unbeaten champion two-year-old, Dawn Approach, heads the 14 entries remaining in Saturday’s QIPCO 2000 Guineas.

The son of New Approach has not been seen in public since winning the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket over six months ago.

He is trained by Jim Bolger in Ireland and he and his fellow countrymen account for exactly half of the confirmations, with Aidan O’Brien responsible for four of the seven. They are Cristoforo Colombo, George Vancouver, Lines Of Battle and Mars.

The home defence will be led by the Richard Hannon-trained Toronado, who is also unbeaten and impressed many in his course and distance win 11 days ago in the Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven Stakes. Just three of the last 11 winners have been trained in the UK, a record which Hannon, who has won the race twice in 1987 and 1990, will be looking to improve upon.

Regarding the ground, Michael Prosser, head of racing (East), said today: "We had 10 millimetres of rain on Friday and I changed the ground to ‘good’ on Saturday. We had a further millimetre of rain overnight into Monday and that has helped to maintain the status quo.

"The forecast is for it to be largely dry from today through until Thursday and the ground remains ‘good’.”

Tickets are available for both days. Premier admission is £40 and Grandstand £23, with a 10% advance booking discount available until the day before. Family Enclosure admission costs £10. Visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call 0844 579 3010.