By Brian Fleming
Irish Racing Services
Forking out #25,000 to supplement Bachir for the Entenmann's 2,000 Guineas reaped rich rewards for the powerful Godolphin organisation on Saturday when the Irish-bred son of Desert Style became the first horse to carry the famous royal blue colours to victory in the first Classic of the Irish flat season.
Saeed Bin Suroor's colt, having scooped the French equivalent at Longchamp two weeks ago, also became the first colt to achieve the French/Irish 2,000 Guineas double, not to mention a first victory in the race for Italian ace Frankie Dettori, who emulated his father Gianfranco who was succesful aboard Pampapaul in 1977.
Dettori was allowed to dicate matters at a leisurely pace up front aboard the 4-1 shot before he quickened the tempo two-and-a-half furlongs from home which stretched his rivals, notably slight odds-on favourite Giant's Causeway, who failed to claw back the leader by a neck, and Cape Town who finished third ahead of fellow British rival, Barathea Guest.
After the now customary flying dismount by the winning rider, Dettori remarked, 'I decided to go on from the start and I managed to gain a length on Giant's Causeway when we quickened which helped us as the favourite ran out of ground.'
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford outlined plans for a possible mouth-watering clash with stable-companion China Visit, ' He will head to Royal Ascot for the St James Palace Stakes, a race also penciled in for China Visit. You wouldn't want to run him over longer than a mile but he's a deserving dual classic winner, a top class horse and goes on any ground.'
Aidan O'Brien, who was naturally deflated after Giant's Causeway filled the same berth as the Newmarket equivalent earlier this month, didn't come away empty-handed from headquarters.
The Ballydoyle juvenile bandwagon unveiled another promising sort in the shape of the Mr Prospector colt, Pyrus, who made a winning debut in the Napolina Marble Hill Stakes over the minimum trip.
After opening at 4-7 in the ring, he was friendless in the market eventually going off at an easy-to-back 11-10, but for those who supported Aidan O'Brien's colt they duly collected after Mick Kinane sent the market leader to the front at the distance to defeat Coney Kitty by a length-and-a-half.
'He's a natural with pure speed, so typical of Mr Prospector,' remarked the Ballydoyle maestro before he added, 'Mick said he'll love a lead and we'll look at Royal Ascot with him.'
O'Brien also nominated the King's Vase at the Royal meeting for Glyndebourne after the son of Sadler's Wells battled back gamely under a determined drive from Mick Kinane to overhaul Narrateur and Frankie Dettori well inside the final furlong in the ten furlong BPB Gypsum Industries Maiden.
Earlier, Namid, carrying the colours of Lady Clague, justified strong support under John Murtagh when powering home in the Weatherby's Ireland Greenland Stakes. Supported from 5-1 to 3-1 favourite, the Indian Ridge colt is also Royal Ascot bound, according to trainer John Oxx, ' The Cork And Orrery or the King's Stand is next for him but I wouldn't like mid-summer ground at Ascot as he had some leg trouble in the past.'
BF
