Dubawi evens for Guineas on return
Dubawi is as short as evens with William Hill for Saturday’s UltimatePoker.com 2000 Guineas after the five-day confirmations for the Newmarket Classic were revealed yesterday.
The unbeaten Godolphin colt arrived safely in Britain yesterday morning after jetting in from Dubai with fellow Guineas hopes Tasdeed and Satchem.
The son of Dubai Millennium, winner of the National Stakes at the Curragh last season, is just 7-1 with Ladbrokes to emulate Nashwan’s 1989 Classic double of the 2000 Guineas and Vodafone Derby.
Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien will be hoping either Footstepsinthesand or Oratorio can put a spanner in the works, though.
Kieren Fallon is set to partner the former, who finished last season unbeaten in two starts, including the Group Three Kilavullan Stakes.
Oratorio, winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and second in the Dewhurst Stakes, is set to be partnered by Johnny Murtagh.
O’Brien said: “Kieren has been happy with Footsteps, who is a big, rangy horse and very eager to please. Oratorio is tougher to get fit as he is much more laid-back. Given the chance he would rather eat and sleep all day than do any work.
“The ground has been heavy this year, as desperate as I have seen it. I like to work them on the grass and they have been working, but it’s been slow work and not racing work as the ground has been so heavy.
“If the ground had been better, I would have probably liked to have given them a run, but I’m not worried that Footsteps has not had a run.”
