Trainer Richard Fahey is confident Qipco 2000 Guineas hopeful Perfect Power has the staying power
The Malton-trained three-year-old has never run further than seven furlongs in a race before, but Fahey believes he will get the trip on the Rowley Mile under jockey Christophe Soumillion today (3.40).
The horse has won over five, six and seven furlongs during his progressive career and won at the latter distance earlier this month when landing the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
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Hide AdHe showed a sharp turn of speed at the finish, having skipped the chance to step straight up to a mile in the usual key Guineas trial, the Craven Stakes, at Newmarket.
Fahey explained why he had chosen this route to headquarters for a race which is worth £283,550 to the winner – and is also the opener in this season’s Qipco British Champions Series.
He said: “The other race [the Craven] is a mile and I hate going from six to a mile, I think it’s a huge step.
“It’s a third of the distance they’ve been before and in the Greenham there is no Group One penalty so they’ve given us the opportunity for the Group One-winning two-year-olds.
“It was an easy choice for me to go to Newbury.
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Hide Ad“If you didn’t know the horse at all and just sat down and watched the race (Greenham) stone cold, you would be quite confident that he’s going to stay a mile,” added Fahey.
“He switches off and sits behind the bridle and he’s going to give us every chance.
“Christophe was mad (keen) to go seven furlongs last year, even when he won the French race [Prix Morny] he kept saying ‘this guy will definitely go seven’.
“In Christophe’s mind, seven furlongs last year wouldn’t have been a problem and if he’d have won over seven last year we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
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Hide AdThe Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned horse, a general 11-1 shot overnight with bookmakers, has an impressive record of five wins and a third place from seven starts, including victory in last season’s Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot under Paul Hanaghan.
After finishing down the field in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood under Hanaghan, Perfect Power claimed back-to-back Group Ones in the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville and the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket last September, when ridden by Soumillion.
The French jockey kept the ride for Perfect Power’s return to the track in the Greenham.
After that win, Soumillion said: “When I asked him to go, he quickened really well and did everything perfectly.
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Hide Ad“He did everything in the race professionally, he won like a very good horse.”
Fahey’s other concern ahead of the race is Perfect Power’s tendency to get lit up before the start, so the horse will be sent to post early and Soumillon will be legged up en route rather than in the paddock.
“It’s a huge problem, it’s a worry. As soon as he hits the grass he goes, it’s 0-45 in six strides and he would go (bolt) with you,” said Fahey. “He did in the Middle Park, which would have been a trainer’s excuse had he got beaten, we’ve had a think about it and I think we’ll probably go down early and lead him.
“He’s done it twice now. In the Middle Park he half-bolted down to the start, he was going an awful lot quicker than I wanted to go and definitely quicker than Christophe wanted.”
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Hide AdThe Guineas market is dominated by Godolphin’s unbeaten Native Trail, a comfortable winner of the Craven and a horse that caught Fahey’s eye when he passed through the sales ring last year.
“Funnily enough I tried to get a client to buy him,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say he was the underbidder but he wasn’t far off it, so he’s a horse I’ve always been taken by and he’s done nothing on the track to change my mind.”
Despite having admired Native Trail for some time, Fahey is not intimidated by taking on either the horse or his hugely successful connections.
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Hide AdHe said: “We’re taking on the big guns and I just hope we can compete.
“I’m not saying I’m confident we’re going to beat him, but if we did I wouldn’t be shocked.”
Middleham trainers Charlie and Mark Johnston saddle the county’s other hope - Royal Patronage, ridden by Jason Hart - who hasn’t been seen since finishing last of eight in Doncaster’s Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes last October.
The race was won by Aidan O’Brein’s Luxembourg who he reopposes today.
Royal Patronage did have three wins and a second out of six runs as a two-year-old, including victory over course and distance in Newmarket’s Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes last September.