Ward Considering Transatlantic QIPCO 1000 Guineas Raid For The Mackem Bullet

Wesley Ward, best known in Britain for his ten Royal Ascot successes, could well make a bid for  Classic glory with his recent import, The Mackem Bullet.

The Mackem Bullet has already shown outstanding form on the Rowley Mile when beaten by a neck into second place by another QIPCO 1000 Guineas entry, Fairyland, in the six furlong Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes on 29th September. She then travelled to America to finish sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf before leaving the stable of Yorkshire trainer, Brian Ellison, and joining the barn of the renowned transatlantic traveller, Ward

She has had two starts for Ward, both at Turfway Park, winning the first by over ten lengths before finishing fourth in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on 15th February.

Irish trainers have plundered this prize three times in the last four years and look to have an exceptionally strong hand with no fewer than 20 entries. They include the Joseph O’Brien-trained Group 1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile winner, Iridessa, and the Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine, Skitter Scatter, who has recently joined the yard of John Oxx following the retirement of her former handler, Patrick Prendergast.

It’s a double on the day for Aidan and Donnacha O’Brien as Fairyland defeats The Mackem Bullet to land the Group One Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes.? pic.twitter.com/15fUP3xUiD

— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) September 29, 2018

Aidan O’Brien, Joseph’s father, has 14 entries including Fairyland and the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes scorer, Just Wonderful. Meanwhile the British contingent is led by Kevin Ryan’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up, East, and Michael Bell’s Pretty Pollyanna, winner of the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny, while the one French entry is Andre Fabre’s Suphala, twice a winner at Chantilly last season.