Bookmakers can hardly be accused of generosity in going just 9/1 about Irish-trained horses repeating last year’s remarkable four-timer on day one of British racing’s flagship meeting, which this afternoon is highlighted by a clash of the Guineas winners, Kingman and Night Of Thunder.
The star colts dominate a St James's Palace Stakes field that also includes Aidan O'Brien's War Command and Paul Deegan's outsider, Prince Of All, but which is too fascinating a showdown to be framed in mere national terms.
The quality of the two principals can be gauged by how even the proven top-flight winners, War Command, Toormore and Outstrip, are firmly in supporting cast roles ahead of the third of three Group One prizes at Royal Ascot.
Evidence is already plentiful that last month’s English 2,000 Guineas was a superior renewal. Night Of Thunder beat Kingman who subsequently sluiced in at the Curragh Guineas while the third, Australia, hardly let the form down at Epsom.
That the Newmarket eighth Kingston Hill was runner-up to Australia in the Epsom Derby, and the 10th, The Grey Gatsby, won the French Derby, only adds to the rock-solid look of a Classic that, nevertheless, still labours under the suspicion it was an unsatisfactory race.
Still seething
No one has articulated that more than Kingman’s trainer
John Gosden
, still seething at Christophe Soumillon for a move that split the field into two groups and which forced Kingman into an early move that looked to leave him vulnerable to Night Of Thunder’s late thrust.
Or at least that’s one way of looking at it: another is that Night Of Thunder won despite an alarming drift left across the track and the only reason he hasn’t been acclaimed as a vintage Guineas winner was his 40/1 SP.
Outlining pre-race scenarios as to how things should unfold is a perilous business but last year’s St James’s Palace provided a Classic head-to-head between Dawn Approach and Toronado and it’s not hard to envisage a similar eyeballing duel today, although Gosden is not thinking in such terms.
"It is definitely not just between them and I'm not sure how the bookmakers have priced it up as it is. I would have it as evens between them," he said yesterday, a view shared by Night Of Thunder's trainer Richard Hannon.
“I’ve got no reason to see why the form’s going to be reversed and I don’t see why the betting isn’t 6/4 each of two. I thought Night Of Thunder was a worthy winner and he’s in great form.”
Wayward passage
Kingman
was impressive at the Curragh, however, and left an impression that’s clearly freshest in the memory. There’s also the question as to whether or not Night Of Thunder’s wayward passage at Newmarket was a once-off. He can hardly afford to do something similar here.
There's also the fact that yesterday Hannon didn't hesitate to nominate Toronado as his best chance of the entire meeting in the opening Queen Anne Stakes.
The High Chaparral colt famously got his revenge on Dawn Approach in the Sussex Stakes last year and the overall balance of his form suggests he could be someway clear of this opposition.
Verrazanno represents an unknown factor since Aidan O’Brien’s American import looked almost startled by his first taste of a straight mile in the Lockinge yet ran on noticeably well to be third. He could progress dramatically from that.
However, the Hannon team should know where they stand considering Olympic Glory won that Lockinge.
Sole Power will renew hostilities with some other hardy-regulars as he defends his Kings Stand Stakes crown. However ,there could be some value to be had from the other Irish hope, Guerre, one of a quartet of three-year-olds in the historic dash.
