Charlie Appleby has yet to win a European Classic since taking over from his former boss Mahmoud al‑Zarooni but his string have started the season in outstanding form and the wait may not be long delayed if his run can extend through the next few weeks.
Soliloquy’s win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday increases Appleby’s options and he should now have a live runner in the 1,000 Guineas in England and France.
How his hand will be played remains to be seen. Soliloquy made all the running over seven furlongs and none of her rivals could offer a serious challenge as she stayed on well for William Buick to beat Altyn Orda by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
A mile is unlikely to stretch her but it could yet be around a bend at the new Longchamp as Appleby also has Wild Illusion, the Prix Marcel Boussac winner last year, to consider after a racecourse gallop at Newmarket earlier in the day. The going at the course in a fortnight’s time could be decisive, as Soliloquy will need to be supplemented wherever she runs.
“We’d like to keep the two fillies apart and we’ll see where we are in the next couple of weeks,” Appleby said. “This filly [Soliloquy] goes on a quicker surface whereas Wild Illusion broke her maiden on soft and won on soft in the Boussac as well. Wild Illusion’s priority is the English Guineas but if it is quick ground, we’d have to have a chat nearer the time. This filly then potentially may come into the reckoning.
“We were confident today. Soliloquy’s work recently has done nothing but impress us. In the last three weeks, she’s blossomed and speed has come where we haven’t seen speed before.”
The chance Soliloquy will go to Longchamp is factored into her price for Newmarket and she can be backed at up to 16-1 to win over an extra furlong on 6 May. Wild Illusion, who “handled the dip very well” in her gallop, according to Buick, is a 12-1 chance, behind three Aidan O’Brien-trained fillies in Happily, September and Clemmie, and the 8-1 chance Veracious.
Veracious, from the Sir Michael Stoute yard, was another Classic contender sent for a racecourse gallop during the morning rather than a trial in the afternoon. She finished well clear of a galloping companion under Frankie Dettori, who has been confirmed as her rider in the Classic.
“It was the first time I’d ridden her and she’s fit and well,” Dettori said. “She comes into the race as a bit of an unknown quantity but she gave me a decent feel and it’s an open Guineas now.”
Anna Nerium, a 25-1 outsider, took the Listed European Free Handicap by three lengths and is quoted at around 33-1 for the 1,000 Guineas, but it is 23 years since Harayir took the Classic after finishing second in the Free Handicap and it is hard to see Anna Nerium being the one to break the barren run.
“We’ll sleep on it but I imagine we’ll go for the 1,000 Guineas,” Richard Hannon, Anna Nerium’s trainer, said.
“I thought if she reproduced her Salisbury form [when winning a Group Three at 40-1 last season] then she’d have a chance [but] I didn’t expect her to win like that. I thought she was very impressive and I think she’ll get a mile. It’s not always the strongest of the Guineas trials, but I thought that wasn’t a weak one.”
Newmarket 1.50 Captain Jameson 2.25 Karaginsky 3.00 Le Brivido 3.35 Masar (nap) 4.10 Hula Girl 4.45 Argentello 5.20 Occupy 5.55 Bertog (nb)
Cheltenham 2.05 Banjo Girl 2.40 The Bay Birch 3.15 The Organist 3.50 Jennys Surprise 4.25 Cubswin 5.00 Sister Sibyl 5.35 Queen’s Magic
Ripon 2.15 Light My Fire 2.50 She’s Different 3.25 Biddy Brady 4.00 Summerghand 4.35 Swift Emperor 5.10 Book Of Dreams 5.45 One Second 6.15 Something Lucky
Newcastle 5.40 Dance Rock 6.10 Trooper’s Gold 6.40 Elysee Star 7.10 Murqaab 7.40 Odds On Oli 8.15 Gabrial the Saint 8.45 Emaraaty 9.15 Jai Hanuman
Tips by Greg Wood.
