Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s AWZAAN (Alhaarth) will have a
racecourse gallop on April 15 over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket’s Craven meeting
en route to his seasonal bow in the May 1 English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1)
trainer Mark Johnston reported Thursday. Johnston also issued an upbeat bulletin
regarding his chance in the first British classic of the season.
“I’ve not had many horses in with a chance in the Guineas, but the ones I
have had have gone there first time up, so he’ll go to the Craven meeting for a
gallop,” Johnston said. “We’re guaranteed good ground, and Sheikh Hamdan and
(jockey) Richard Hills will be there. He is a very exciting horse and very easy
to train. He’s quite aggressive in terms of his racing and very mature — that
probably sums him up. I think some people forget he’s a Group 1 winner, and
maybe we’re a little bit guilty of taking him for granted, too, as he doesn’t
give us any difficulty at home.”
Hills, who partnered Awzaan to victory in three of his four two-year-old
races, was onboard during a six-furlong, all-weather gallop Thursday morning.
The pair worked with lead horse Cry of Freedom (Street Cry [Ire]), and Hills was
full of praise for the unbeaten homebred.
“He worked very well today, I was very happy with him,” Hills said. “He
showed a great attitude, but this morning wasn’t about finding out how good he
is. There’s no issue with him getting the mile, as Alhaarth’s progeny normally
stay, but in any case it’s important to have speed in order to win a Guineas.”
Awzaan, unbeaten from four career starts, captured the Middle Park S.
(Eng-G1) and Mill Reef S. (Eng-G2) in his final two starts as a juvenile.
Untried beyond six furlongs during that time, there are some questions over the
colt’s ability to stay a strongly run race over the Rowley Mile, although
Johnston is keen to refute those claims.
“There shouldn’t be any doubt about the distance,” Johnston added. “I think a
mile will turn out to be his optimum trip, as he doesn’t have the style of a
keen horse. My only concern would be his size — if he was one hand bigger, I
would be brimming with confidence. You go into the winter dreaming of the
classics, and it’s nice to have a horse in with a good chance. He’s
four-from-four, and when he won the Middle Park, every horse that lined up had
won a group race, so what more can he do?”
In other classic news, Chantilly trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre has revealed
early season targets for his Highness The Aga Khan’s homebred ROSANARA
(Sinndar), last year’s Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-G1) victress, and SIYOUNI
(Pivotal), winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Fr-G1).
“Both horses were given some light work last Tuesday and I am pleased by the
way they are going,” de Royer-Dupre told Racing Post. “Rosanara will run
in the (April 25) Prix de la Grotte ([Fr-G3] at Longchamp), and the plan is then
to go for the (May 16 Poule d’Essai des) Pouliches ([Fr-G1] at Longchamp), as
she has plenty of speed.”
With regard to the latter, the trainer added, “We are aiming Siyouni at the
(April 25) Prix de Fontainebleau ([Fr-G3] at Longchamp), and then hopefully he
will be in the line-up for the (May 16) Poule d’Essai des Poulains ([Fr-G1] at
Longchamp).”