Big guns loaded for assault on QIPCO 2000 Guineas

The QIPCO 2000 Guineas, staged on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Saturday 1^st May is now just under two months away. Yesterday, initial entry stages took place seeing a total of 72 entered for the 213^th running of the race which starts the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Aidan O’Brien has saddled 10 QIPCO 2000 Guineas winners and accounts for 12 entries this year, headed by St Mark’s Basilica. He was a taking winner of the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes on the Rowley Mile in 2020.

Battleground, impressive when taking the Group Two Vintage Stakes before finishing second in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf could also join him.

His son Joseph O’Brien, himself a winning jockey of the race in 2012 aboard Camelot, has a top entry in Thunder Moon as a trainer.

Speaking to The Jockey Club, he said: “Thunder Moon has wintered well and we are pleased with where we are. There is plenty of water still to go under the bridge yet but it is exciting to have a live contender for the 2000 Guineas. We were very pleased with the run in the Dewhurst considering the ground on the day. He was posted on a tougher part of the track as there was bias towards the stands rails but we were pleased with him. He is obviously a pretty quick horse on what he has done so far but he shapes as though a mile will be within compass so I don’t see the trip being a problem. I do feel that he will be better on quicker ground as well.”

Richard Hannon, who trained 2014 winner Night Of Thunder, has entered Champagne Stakes winner Chindit.

He said: “I’m very pleased with him and he has done very well. He did just a bit more than a canter a few days ago, him Fancy Man and Etonian all worked and it was a lovely start. He has always been a neat horse with a good action. He is a good horse with a lot of speed. I think he would get the mile in a Guineas and would be suited by that trip as he is a very straightforward, simple horse.”

Full QIPCO 2000 Guineas Entries

A Case of You (IRE), Admiral Nelson, Akmaam (FR) Albadri (IRE), Albasheer (IRE), Ataser, Baradar (IRE), Battleground (USA), Belloccio (FR), Cadillac (IRE), Chez Pierre (FR), Chindit (IRE), Devilwala (IRE),Duke of Mantua (IRE), El Drama (IRE), Encounter Order (IRE), Etonian (IRE), Existent, Fancy Man (IRE), Fundamental, Guru, High Definition (IRE), Highland Avenue (IRE), Hms Seahorse (IRE), Ilza’eem (FR), Insomnia, Isle of Sark (USA), Jadoomi (FR), King Vega, King Zain (IRE), Laneqash , Latest Generation, Legion of Honour, Lucky Vega (IRE), Mac Swiney (IRE), Master of The Seas (IRE), Megallan, Mehmento (IRE), Merchants Quay (FR), Method (IRE), Military Style (USA), Mithras, Mujbar, Mystery Smiles (IRE), Nando Parrado, Naval Crown, Noble Dynasty, One Ruler (IRE), Parchemin (IRE), Percy’s Lad, Poetic Flare (IRE), Prince Lancelot, Rhythm Master (IRE), Rifleman (IRE), Rogue Force (IRE), Roman Empire (IRE), Royal Air Force (IRE) Royal Champion (IRE), Royal Scimitar (IRE), Sandhurst (IRE) ,Sayf Al Dawla, Secret Protector (USA), Snapraeterea (IRE), State of Rest (IRE), St Mark’s Basilica (FR),The Attorney (IRE), The Rosstafarian (IRE), Thunder Moon (IRE), Van Gogh (USA), Wembley (IRE), Xaario (FR), Youth Spirit (IRE)