On the day the UK crowned a new King it was racing royalty who triumphed in the first classic of the season, Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas. Frankie Dettori, no stranger to fairytales, started his final classic season off in the style both he and his fans would have wanted by winning aboard the well backed second favourite Chaldean.
Prior to the race much of the talk was around whether the Aidan O’Brien trained favourite Auguste Rodin could set in motion a potential Triple Crown bid and as rain fell on Newmarket through last night and much of the morning confidence grew for a horse who’d won the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy over a mile on heavy ground as a two-year-old.
But there was also confidence behind Chaldean. Andrew Balding’s horse had won the Dewhurst Stakes at two, often a key trial for the following year’s Guineas.
The race went to plan for Dettori, “I had him in a good spot and when I got to the top of the hill Oisin [Murphy on runner up Hi Royal] kicked on and he gave me a good fight, but once I got clear of him it was all over and I was able to enjoy it.”
Things didn’t go to plan for Auguste Rodin however with trainer Aidan O’Brien describing his run and that of stable companion Little Big Bear as a “non-event”. Little Big Bear was reported lame after the race.
The St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot was nominated as Chaldean’s likely next target with a potential step up in trip a possibility at York in August.
Chaldean was bought by Juddmonte Farms as a foal for 550,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December foal sale and the son of Frankel has delivered handsomely on that investment with the promise of more to come through the summer.
