PINATUBO OUT TO MAKE IT 6 OF THE BEST
TRAINER Charlie Appleby concedes expectations are sky-high for Pinatubo in this afternoon’s Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes, but is happy that preparations could not have gone smoother.
The Godolphin-owned mount of William Buick is 1-3 favourite to extend his unbeaten record to six at Newmarket and cement his position as red-hot favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas. It will be a bigger shock than Enable losing out in last Sunday’s Arc if Pinatubo is beaten. Pinatubo started his racing career at low-profile Wolverhampton in May but subsequent wins at Epsom’s Derby meeting, Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood had already marked the son of Sharmardal as well above average. When he slammed Amory by nine lengths in the Group National Stakes at the Curragh on his latest start, the superlatives hit a new level. Form experts Timeform hailed that run as the best by a two-year-old since Celtic Swing won the 1994 Racing Post Trophy by 12 lengths. It also elevated Pinatubo’s form above anything achieved as a juvenile by the mighty Frankel. Appleby said: ‘The expectations are growing on the basis of what Pinatubo has done and you can’t get away from that. ‘That’s what we want. He is a horse who is exciting for racing. At home he is physically getting stronger and he looks like a man among boys. ‘We hope he will go and live up to expectation and we can dream for his three-year-old career. If we get beaten we will have to regroup.’ Those fresh faces include Wichita, seven-length winner of the Tattersalls Stakes, and Mill Reef Stakes runner-up Mystery Power, who looked like a step up to seven furlongs would suit him. Clive Cox-trained Positive has looked a very useful two-year-old, winning Sandown’s Solario Stakes but he is a 16-1 chance after being beaten five lengths in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes. Quadrilateral does not dominate the picture for 1,000 Guineas for fillies like Pinatubo currently lords it over the colts but she strengthened her position as ante-post favourite with a head win from Powerful Breeze in the Bet365 Fillies’ Mile yesterday. Having looked in trouble two furlongs out, the filly clawed her way to the front.