By Tom Frary
Michael Pescod's Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) arguably set the standard in Sunday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury and while he had to work he was able to prevail in a tight finale to the seven-furlong Guineas trial. Successful in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster in September before finishing ninth in the G1 Dewhurst S. on a soft surface at Newmarket in October, the 7-4 favourite was on contrasting ground here and may have been feeling it racing in mid-division early under Pat Dobbs. Looking briefly to have been left behind as Hollie Doyle committed Mehmento (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) on the front end two out, he put his head down and duly got to that 18-1 shot near the line to earn a neck success, dragging The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) with him in the process with that rival the same margin back in third. “He's been brought along nice and steady and hasn't been overworked at all, so there should be plenty left in the tank,” Dobbs said. “I was worried between the four and the three, normally he travels super but he was a little bit flat-footed.”
Chindit, who had taken Ascot's Listed Pat Eddery S. in July prior to his Champagne win, is on target for the May 1 G1 2000 Guineas according to Richard Hannon who said, “He was workmanlike, but I'd rather see that as he was very relaxed in his work so it suggest he wants a mile. That's changed, as in the winter he was working like a six-furlong horse. He will go for the Guineas, but I just worry if the undulations at Newmarket will let him build up that momentum in the same way he did today towards the finish. The French and Irish Guineas would be more convenient tracks, but the English Guineas are the ones you want to win.”
The winner is the first foal out of Always a Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a granddaughter of the Listed Conqueror S. winner Out West (Gone West) who achieved notoriety as the dam of the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Racing Post Trophy hero and successful sire Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and his G2 Hardwicke S.-winning full-brother Macarthur (GB). The fourth dam Chellingoua (Sharpen Up {GB}) is kin to the GI Haskell Invitational H. and GI San Fernando S. hero and leading sire Wavering Monarch. Always a Dream's as-yet unnamed 2-year-old colt by Awtaad (Ire) was a 80,000gns purchase by Badgers Bloodstock at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2.
Sunday, Newbury, Britain
WATERSHIP DOWN STUD TOO DARN HOT GREENHAM S.-G3, £55,000, Newbury, 4-18, 3yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:23.98, gd.
1–CHINDIT (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Always A Dream (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Always Remembered (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Out West, by Gone West
(65,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Michael Pescod; B-JC Bloodstock & R Mahon (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-Pat Dobbs. £31,191. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $108,285. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mehmento (Ire), 126, c, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Invincible Me (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (13,333gns 2yo '20 TTIGOR). O-Hambleton Racing XLVI & Partner; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Archie Watson. £11,825.
3–The Lir Jet (Ire), 126, c, 3, Prince of Lir (Ire)–Paper Dreams (Ire), by Green Desert. (€9,500 Wlg '18 TATFBR; £8,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Qatar Racing Ltd & RacehorseClub.com; B-Donal Boylan (IRE); T-Michael Bell. £5,918.
Margins: NK, NK, 3 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 18.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Nando Parrado (GB), Fundamental (GB), Rhythm Master (Ire), Alkumait (GB), Mujbar (GB), Insomnia (GB), Huddleton Mac (Ire). Scratched: Oo de Lally (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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