The Wow Signal set for run before QIPCO 2000 Guineas

The Wow Signal winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot under Frankie Dettori. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Trainer John Quinn has confirmed that Royal Ascot winner The Wow Signal is likely to take in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket or the Greenham Stakes at Newbury in April ahead of a tilt at the QIPCO 2000 Guineas.

The three-year-old, who also won the Prix Morny in 2014, was a convincing winner of the Coventry Stakes at last season’s Royal meeting and connections are pleased with his progress leading up to British Classic on Saturday 2 May.  

“The Wow Signal had a nice break and then came back in after Christmas and is back cantering,” Quinn said. “He is a big, strong colt and is very enthusiastic.

“The QIPCO 2000 Guineas is his number one spring target and I think that it will be helpful to get a prep race into him beforehand so he will probably go for the Craven Stakes or the Greenham.

“He should have every chance of staying a mile and he might stay further, although we will not be thinking about that until after the Guineas.

“His sire, Starspangledbanner, was a tough sort who won at up to a mile and there is plenty of stamina on the dam’s side of his pedigree.”

The Wow Signal’s unblemished record was taken away from him on his final start of 2014, when finishing last of nine in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

However, Quinn strongly believes he can bounce back to form in the Series this season.

He said: “I wouldn’t want to make any major excuses [about his Longchamp performance] but when he came back home afterwards he was a very tired colt who had clearly had enough.

“Before his last run you would have said that he was screaming out for seven furlongs as he only got up in the last 50 yards in the Morny and he was going away at the finish in the Coventry.
 
“People tend to dismiss horses very quickly after just one disappointing run and, at 25-1, I think he is a big price for the Guineas. If he had not run at Longchamp he would be nowhere near those odds.”

You could win a fantastic break away for four to the QIPCO Guineas festival in our competition to see whether The Wow Signal has what it takes to win the prestigious Classic.