Finsceal Beo Faces 22 Rivals
Friday 4th May, 2007
Finsceal Beo, picture by Steve Cargill
EUROPE'S champion filly, Finsceal Beo, who is a red hot 11-8 favourite with the sponsors, will face 22 opponents in the Stan James 1000 Guineas (Group 1) on the NatWest Rowley Mile on Sunday following the final declarations this morning. It is the joint second biggest field for the fillies' Classic since the war.
Finsceal Beo, who was immensely impressive in winning the Rockfel Stakes on the NatWest Rowley Mile back in October, will be bidding to provide recompense for her trainer, Jim Bolger, who had the ante-post favourite for tomorrow's Stan James 2000 Guineas ruled out by injury yesterday morning.
The Criquette Head-trained Magic America faced similar heartbreak on the gallops this morning and was one of only two fillies confirmed for the Stan James 1000 Guineas on Monday not to have been declared to run today. The other was Wait Watcher.
Local trainer Jeremy Noseda saddles two, the Shadwell Nell Gwyn runner-up, Sander Camillo, and last year's Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile winner, Simply Perfect, while other highly rated Newmarket-trained challengers including the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Kaseema and the Michael Jarvis-trained Yaqeen.
In addition to Finsceal Beo, three other fillies will be making the journey from Ireland - the John Oxx-trained Arch Swing, Kevin Prendergast's Miss Beatrix and Aidan O'Brien's challenger, Theann.
In Sunday's other big race, the StanJamesUK.com Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2), last year's St Leger winner, Sixties Icon, will face a thorough examination on his seasonal reappearance. Only five may have been declared, but they include last year's King Edward VII Stakes winner, Papal Bull (Sir Michael Stoute), last year's Lingfield Derby Trial winner, Linda's Lad (Andre Fabre), and last year's Geoffrey Freer winner, Admiral's Cruise (Brian Meehan).
"We have a cracking line-up for both Guineas this year with strong supporting cards on both days - we couldn't have asked for more," enthused Director of Racing, Michael Prosser, this morning. "The weather forecast is very good - we're now forecast some very light drizzle on Sunday morning, but otherwise dry, warm weather with temperatures between 18C and 20C.
"Newmarket Heath will be reverberating to the sound of big crowds and the thunder of hooves over the weekend as another chapter is written in the history of the Rowley Mile, arguably the most historic stretch of turf in the entire world of sport."