Juliette's weekly frolic
It's not often that our 2000 Guineas attracts the leading light of the French as well as the Irish Free Han dicap, but instead of eagerly looking forward to this splendid show — down on Newmarket Heath, many people are sourly dismissing the race as an uninspiring spectacle. This un sporting attitude stems from the poor credentials of the home defence — the press as good as presented the prize to the French favourite, Targo wice, several weeks back — and yet, racing is never as easy as that. The Guineas rarely fails to produce some star of the future whose talents are hidden at the time and I can't believe that one such English runner isn't quietly lurking in the far corners of the ante-post lists.
So for patriots and people like me who can't bring themselves to back a favourite, especially one whose name you can't pronounce, the first classic is a choice between going along with the view that last year's exposed juveniles were a rotten lot which means supporting the once-raced, could-be-anythings, Owen Dudley and My Drifter, or alternately, forgiving those onetime headliners, Lunchtime, Noble Decree and Long Row their recent lapses. Goaded on by price alone, the latter trio must take precedence, though if greed were the sole motivation Northern Free Handicap header, Prince Chad at 100-1 would be an irresistible choice. However, of the fallen idols the Americanbred, Newmarket-trained Noble Decree has more excuse than most. A technical hitch diverted him from his intended mile trial at Thirsk to 7 fur longs at Kempton and as that race was only a fortnight back, he was not given a hard time. In any case should he by some remote chance win the race, the air will be filled by voices cursing their folly at allowing the Observer Gold Cup scorer to start at such exaggerated odds. All wishfIll thinking? Very probably, but I prefer it that way.
Home Guard is one of only a hand: ful of horses retained by Mrs Engle
hard after the dispersal sale of her late husband's bloodstock and though he began last season with his sights set on the top midale distance prizes, he also proved himself ex ceptionally talented as a sprinter, namely when defying 9st 10Ib in a Curragh Handicap and Parsomony and Shoolerville in Ascot's Diadem Stakes. In Saturday's Palace House Stakes he meets the scintillating three-year-old, The Go Between, on 4Ib worse terms than weight-for-age but is not undertaking the long haul from Tipperary just to keep Thatch company. Over publicity is frequently the kiss of death to so-called certainties, but Lady Beaverbrook's Zab proved him self the exception to the rule when justifying some hefty gambles in the Crawfurd Handicap here. Friday's Heath Handicap sees him down among the minimum weights once more and he should beat Free Handicap runner-up, Confusion, at a difference of 231b.
Assets: £65.08 (five to follow £15.), Outlay £2 to win Home Guard, £2 ew Zab and Noble Decree.
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