RACING:BORN TO Sea will attempt to emulate his legendary half-brother Sea The Stars and win Newmarket's 2,000 Guineas on the first start of his classic campaign.
Just three years after sending Sea The Stars straight to Newmarket to kick off a memorable Group One campaign that culminated in Arc glory, John Oxx has decided to stick with the tried-and-trusted formula.
Born To Sea was a significant absentee from the entries for Sunday’s Guineas Trial at Leopardstown at yesterday’s five-day stage for which 10 possible contenders remain.
“We’ve decided to go straight for the Guineas. I thought I’d give him a run in the trial but he’s quite fit and forward so we’ve decided to leave well enough alone,” Oxx said yesterday.
“There’s always the Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday week if I change my mind but I’m happy enough we’ll go to Newmarket,” the Curragh trainer added.
Earlier in the week, Oxx’s other big classic hope for 2012, Akeed Mofeed, was ruled out of the Leopardstown Trial having taken a lame step at the weekend.
“It doesn’t look to be anything serious but he will have a week walking and then hopefully we can aim him at the Derrinstown,” Oxx said. “I had been keen to give him a chance at a mile but that’s not likely now.”
Aidan O’Brien has half of the 10 entries in the 2,000 Trial including the Middle Park winner Crusade and Nephrite who beat Born To Sea in the Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown last October.
The Beresford-winner David Livingston is one of the Ballydoyle quintet in the mile event but is also one of six O’Brien entries in the Group Three Ballysax Stakes over 10 furlongs.
Both O’Brien and Jim Bolger have won the Derby trial on six occasions in the past and the latter has three hopefuls as he chases a Ballysax hat-trick after wins for Banimpire and Puncher Clynch (2010.)
Lightening Pearl, winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes last year, is among 17 possibles for the 1,000 Guineas Trial in which Aidan O’Brien’s highly-rated Rockfel winner Wading remains a contender.
The Leopardstown stalwart Famous Name is in line to have another crack at the Listed Heritage Stakes on Sunday but will face the highlyprogressive Lincolnshire winner Sharestan.
Ground conditions at Leopardstown yesterday were “good to firm” but Oxx expects Sharestan to appear whatever the conditions. “I’m anxious to test his limits in terms of ground but with the forecast I would expect the ground to be goodish anyway,” he said.
The Grand National-winning jockey Andrew Thornton changes codes for tonight’s action at Dundalk where he rides the appropriately named Cinderella Story in the mile-and-a-half handicap.
However this could be Wayne Lordan’s meeting as the leading all-weather rider may notch a hat-trick, kicked off by Dylanbaru, just a couple of lengths off Dawn Approach on his debut, in the opening juvenile maiden.
