Air Force Blue has dominated the ante-post market for the 2000 Guineas ever since his impressive victory in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket at the back end of last season.
The three-year old is the latest colt from the Aidan O'Brien conveyor belt as the Irishman looks to win the 2000 Guineas for a record eighth time this year. He currently shares the record with John Scott as both men have been successful seven times.
The Irish Champion Trainer first won this race in 1998 with King of Kings but in the new millennium he has been successful with Footstepsinthesand (2005), George Washington (2006), Henrythenavigator (2008), Camelot (2012) and Gleneagles, who scored in the 1m contest in 2015.
MONEY ARRIVES IN OPENING CLASSIC
Air Force Blue, the son of War Front, had five starts last season in his debut campaign on the racecourse. He was successful on his opening run at the Curragh, where he beat Rockaway Valley by a neck in a maiden over 6f. His only defeat followed at Royal Ascot in the Group Two Coventry Stakes. He had to settle for second at the royal meeting and was two lengths behind Mark Johnson's Buratino, whose connections are pondering the next appointment.
O'Brien saved Air Force Blue for the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes after his Ascot defeat in a race he has often used for his best two-year olds. Air Force Blue also gained revenge on Buratino by reversing the form at the Curragh to seal his first Group One of his career.
A second Group One victory followed at the Curragh in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes, while the hat-trick of top Group victories was brought up in his Dewhurst in his final run.
Air Force Blue was confirmed as last season's champion two-year old when he was awarded a rating of 124 earlier this year. Shalaa was second on the list at 120, while Minding was given a mark of 120.
At the time of writing of this article, Air Force Blue was available at evens, ahead of the opening Classic of the 2016 season with Foundation and Shalaa at 12/1 and Emotionless, Marcel, Massaat and Blue De Vega at 14s (odds on 30/3).
The three-year old could be given a warm-up run before Newmarket by O'Brien as he is entered in the Group Three Gladness Stakes. A lot may depend on the ground at the Curragh but if it does not land in his favour, O'Brien is not afraid to throw his horses straight into the 2000 Guineas in their seasonal reappearances. He has done that with all seven of his 2000 Guineas winners so far.
All the reports from the O'Brien yard have suggested Air Force Blue has matured into a good-looking three-year-old over the winter and he is very much on course for his first shot at a Classic. There have been no reported problems with the Dewhurst winner as he looks to build on an impressive opening season.
EMOTIONLESS LOOKING FOR REVERSE
The opposition to the even money shot at Newmarket is headed by Emotionless, who is owned by Godolphin. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the colt was unbeaten before he faced Air Force Blue at Newmarket in the Dewhurst but he ran a disappointing race as he finished last of the seven runners at HQ. The son of Shamardal also has an entry in the Derby and is expected to improve for a step up in trip. Connections are still hopeful for a big run at Newmarket and feel their horse is a big contender for the Guineas despite his poor Dewhurst showing. Godolphin were recently hit with the news that their filly, Beautiful Romance, will miss the 1000 Guineas through injury so they'll be hoping their colt makes up for that bout of bad luck.
Massaat wasn't fancied last year in the Dewhurst as the Owen Burrow's trained colt went off at 20/1 in the betting before chasing Air Force Blue home in second. This horse is set to be Hamdan Al Maktoum's best chance of success so it is expected to be ridden by former Champion Jockey Paul Hanagan where they will be hoping to reverse the form with the Dewhurst winner.
MARCEL SET FOR SHOT
The other big race for two-year-olds which tends to have a bearing on the 2000 Guineas is the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and that was won last year by Marcel. Peter Chapple-Hyam's colt built on his maiden success at Newcastle to win the Group One by one-and-a half lengths ahead of Johannes Vermeer in an upset as his starting price was 33/1 at the Yorkshire track.
Chapple-Hyam last won the 2000 Guineas back in 1992 with Rodrigo de Triano. He'll be hoping to double his tally for the Classic some 24 years later with his Giant's Causeway colt.
If the reports are to be believed, though, it does sound like Air Force Blue is in prime shape ahead of Newmarket for the opening Classic for the season where he will take all the beating.
