Racing Centre

Speed, stamina and - above all - class. Sea The Stars proved that he possesses an abundance of each of those commodities as he raced to glory in The stanjames.com 2000 Guineas.  Invariably it takes a special horse to win the famous mile Classic and those at Newmarket today were left in no doubt that they had seen one in the shape of the John Oxx-trained winner.  He took the breath away as he duelled with the favourite Delegator before emerging the winner by a length and a half. For Oxx it was a first Classic winner at Newmarket.   For jockey Michael Kinane it was a fourth 2000 Guineas winner. Just another day at the office? Not a bit of it.The veteran Irish rider wore the broadest of smiles as he was led back into the winner’s enclosure on the 8/1 shot. Thrilled he most definitely was.  The 49-year-old said: “The older you get, everyone is waiting for you to fall over and I am not ready to do that yet!”He added: “All his life this horse has done everything easily. He is only going to get better after a race like that and with further racing. 
“He will get quicker, more wise and hardened. He can only improve.” If that is a chilling message for those rivals he will face in The Derby next month, it must be music to the ears of master trainer Oxx.  He reflected: “With Guineas winners there is always a debate as to whether they will stay in the Derby and looking at his pedigree (he is by the classy miler Cape Cross out of the outstanding mare Urban Sea), you could look at it either way. “I think he has a fair chance of getting the trip and time will tell. He is a very good horse and has speed, which you need at Epsom.”  Race-goers basked in balmy conditions as a superb seven-contest card played out in front of them.  The opening stanjames.com Suffolk Stakes saw Confront defy top weight to prevail by a length and a quarter. A fine piece of jockey-ship from Jimmy Fortune - who judged the pace to perfection upfront - was good enough to ensure Bronze Cannon took the Group 2 stanjames.com Jockey Club Stakes   The other Group race - The stanjames.com Palace House Stakes - saw Amour Propre light up the Rowley Mile with a blistering turn of speed as he beat Hoh Hoh Hoh by two and a half lengths.  Other victories were secured by Your Old Pal (stanjames.com Newmarket Stakes), Infiraad (Best Odds Guaranteed At Stan James Handicap) and Photographic (Call Stan James 08000 351135 Handicap) - the last two scorers giving trainer Barry Hills yet more cause for celebration at Newmarket where he made it to 300 course triumphs at the Craven meeting. By Tony Rushmer