Chaldean (GB)

   Heading into a weekend when celebration is the keyword in Britain, Newmarket's three-day QIPCO Guineas Festival begins on Friday with some action designed to build the intensity towards the main events. Fittingly, the fixture's opener is the Listed Newmarket S., the race once used by the Derby-winning icons Shirley Heights (GB) and Slip Anchor (GB) and this year hosting one of The King and Queen Consort's outside squeaks at a blue riband runner in Circle Of Fire (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}). Just a Salisbury novice winner at present, the colt...

Aidan O'Brien will rely on G1 Futurity Trophy hero Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and G1 Phoenix S. victor Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, with both featuring among a confirmed field of 14 for Britain's first Classic of the year. The trainer's G3 Killavullan S. winner Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) was the only absentee when final declarations were made Thursday morning. Auguste Rodin, who is set to be partnered by Ryan Moore, has been drawn on the wing in stall 12...

Group 1 winner Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who races for Juddmonte, is reportedly in good order ahead of a start in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Saturday, according to trainer Andrew Balding. The colt, who dislodged Frankie Dettori at the start of the G3 Craven S. before completing a circuit of the course, worked "extremely well" on Saturday, Balding noted. "We will only know on Saturday what we missed out on at Newbury and the benefits of having a run as obviously it would have been far more of...

Despite losing Frankie Dettori once the gates flew in the G3 Greenham S. on Saturday, Juddmonte's Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) remains part of the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas field. After Tuesday's latest scratching stage, 20 colts are still entered in the first Classic of the British season on Saturday, May 6. A winner of four of his six starts, the G1 Dewhurst S. hero is one of two in the one-mile race for Andrew Balding. Second in the Dewhurst, G2 Richmond S. scorer Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will attempt...

There was high drama at the beginning of Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury when Frankie Dettori parted company with G1 Dewhurst S. hero and leading G1 2000 Guineas contender Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) upon exiting the stalls, which allowed Manton Thoroughbreds VII's reopposing Dewhurst seventh Isaac Shelby (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Kentucky Belle {Ire}, by Heliostatic {Ire}) a free run to make all for a second pattern-race triumph in the seven-furlong feature. Last term's G2 Superlative S. victor was swiftly into stride, away...

Now that Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has boosted the 2000 Guineas credentials of Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when winning Newmarket's G3 Craven S., it is up to the star of Andrew Balding's Kingsclere base to strengthen them further in a fascinating G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury. Relentless during a 2-year-old campaign that took in York's G3 Acomb S., Doncaster's G2 Champagne S. and the all-important G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket, the chestnut offers perhaps the sternest competition to Ballydoyle's pair of loaded guns in...

Taking the lead at Tattersalls on Friday, was a bay filly by Kingman (GB) (lot 1025), who sold for 1 million gns to Juddmonte Farms. That outfit had already struck for Friday's previous top lot, lot 928, a filly by Lope De Vega (Ire), for 500,000gns earlier in the session. Offered by breeder Whitsbury Manor Stud, the daughter of the winning Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is a half-sister to G1 Dewhurst S. hero Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and G2 Mill Reef S. victor-turned-sire Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), as well...

The form of last month's G2 Champagne S. received a timely boost when Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) snagged the G3 Emirates Autumn S. earlier on the card and that former contest's winner, Juddmonte's 550,000gns Tattersalls December foal Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Suelita {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}), continued his impressive winning spree by making virtually all in Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket, providing trainer Andrew Balding with a first triumph in the seven-furlong Autumn highlight. The May-foaled chestnut had earlier followed up a June 30 debut...

TDN Rising Star Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will be forced to miss Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket after trainer Roger Varian revealed that the G2 Mill Reef S. winner has scoped dirty. Having been supplemented for the seven-furlong feature on Monday, KHK Racing's emerging luminary will now wait until 2023 to test his Classic credentials. "This is of course very frustrating and disappointing and I am very sorry for owners KHK Racing and everyone connected with the horse," Varian posted on Twitter on Thursday. "He will be put...

Racing returned to Britain's shores Sunday as Doncaster's rescheduled G2 Coral Champagne S. initiated a barrage of non-stop European stakes action with Juddmonte's 550,000gns Tattersalls December foal Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Suelita {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) prevailing in a three-runner affair to add to his victory over the reopposing Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {Ire}) in last month's G3 Acomb S. at York. The May-foaled chestnut had earlier backed up a June 30 debut fifth at Newbury with a July 15 graduation back there, accounting for Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega...

Juddmonte's 550,000gns Tattersalls December foal Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Suelita {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) bettered a June 30 debut fifth going six furlongs at Newbury with a July 15  breakthrough upped to seven back there last time and continued on an upward trajectory with a game victory in Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. at York. The 7-2 second favourite settled into a comfortable rhythm in second after the early exchanges and inched to the front at halfway. Coming under pressure approaching the quarter-mile marker, he was far from undone when...