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Special Duty - favourite for the StanJames.com 1000 Guineas

THE StanJames.com Guineas Festival at Newmarket is one of the highlights of the British Flat season – and it is now only two and a half months away.

Indeed, on Tuesday March 2, the entry for both The StanJames.com 1000 and 2000 Guineas closes and the picture for two of domestic racing’s five Classics will become clearer.

Whoever contests the £400,000 Group 1s will be following in a series of illustrious hoofprints over the Rowley Mile.

Through history, so many of racing’s greats have triumphed in one or the other of the two races.

Look back and the names of Sir Ivor, Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard, Dancing Brave, Nashwan light up the list of past 2000 Guineas heroes.

The 1000 Guineas, contested by fillies only, has been won by stars such as Pebbles, Oh So Sharp, Miesque and Russian Rhythm.

In more recent times, the lofty reputation of the Stan James-sponsored 2000 Guineas has been further cemented thanks to a couple of stunning renewals.

In 2008, Henrythenavigator edged out future Derby winner New Approach with subsequent Breeders’ Cup Classic scorer Raven’s Pass held in fourth.

It was no surprise, then, that it was assessed as the fourth best race* in the world that year.

Twelve months later and Sea The Stars’ victory from Delegator was rated the joint-third best race in the world during 2009.

Connections of a host of horses will currently be dreaming that this might be their year to leave an indelible impression in the race’s rich history.

Stan James’ favourite for Saturday 1 May’s big race is the unbeaten St Nicholas Abbey, who capped a fine two-year-old campaign with Group 1 glory in the Racing Post Trophy.

Others to feature prominently in the ante-post betting are impressive TNT July Stakes winner Arcano and Canford Cliffs, triumphant by six lengths in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Shadwell Middle Park winner Awzaan holds intriguing claims and Jumeirah Dewhurst Stakes star Beethoven will be out to further enhance that race’s credentials.

Don’t doubt, either, that there will be a dark horse or two to emerge as a major player on the day.

For example, this time last year punters could have named their price about Ghanaati, a subsequent surprise winner of the stanjames.com 1000 Guineas.

Heading up the market for Sunday 2 May’s mile-long fillies’ showdown is the French heroine Special Duty.

She won the Electrolux Cheveley Park Stakes with a flourish on the Rowley Mile last autumn and will bid to become trainer Criquette Head’s third horse to follow up victory in that Group 1 with success in the 1000 Guineas.

Lillie Langtry, from Aidan O’Brien’s powerful Ballydoyle yard, and the Brian Meehan-trained Lady Of The Desert look likely to offer stern resistance to the French challenge.

At this stage, there are no guarantees, save only to state that both races have the potential to present racing at its magnificent and pulsating best.

You wouldn’t want to miss them…

*The assessment was calculated upon the methods deployed by the European Pattern Committee to measure the quality of races using the ratings provided by the World Rankings Supervisory Committee.