Trainer Harry Charlton is excited about Cosmic Year's Classic test at the Curragh on Saturday as the unbeaten son of Kingman tackles a mile for the first time.
After defying a penalty in tremendous fashion in a Kempton novice on his first run of the year in early-April, Cosmic Year landed the Listed King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket's Guineas meeting, when the horse was also under consideration for the big race itself.
The Charlton team, whose last Classic runner was Irish Derby runner-up Deploy back in 1990, opted to sidestep the 2000 Guineas but feel their colt is ready to tackle Field Of Gold and company in this weekend's feature.
“We’re excited," the trainer said on Friday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast. "It’s obviously a huge honour to have a runner in a Classic.
"He ran at Newmarket on the Friday of the Guineas meeting and he hasn’t needed to do a lot since. Oisin (Murphy) sat on him last Saturday and was very happy with him. He’s a clean-winded horse and he’s athletic, he’s not a big, heavy horse.
"More importantly, he seems to fit back into the routine of things after races very easily, in a good manner, so he seems to take it well.
“Jockeys really do think how other jockeys ride and that allows them to build a bit of a picture, and I think he (Murphy) has a view what Colin (Keane, rider of favourite Field Of Gold) might have to do from stall nine. I think that all shapes into how the race might pan out. I think we all underestimate how much good jockeys think about this in advance."
As for Cosmic Year's talents and what makes him stand apart from the others, Charlton has been impressed by what he's seen on the clock.
He explained: “I can’t say it definitely but on the track, none of the others have a similar top speed to him based on all the data you can see, so that is a key strength. I also think that one of his key points is that he’s got a very good mind and I think he can be just as relaxed off a slow pace as he can off a fast pace. So I think he’s diverse in that sense.
“We talk about Field Of Gold but you’ve got a Futurity Trophy winner in there (Hotazhell), you’ve got a Dewhurst second, you’ve got a Coventry winner (Rashabar) and looking down the list you’ve got some really good two-year-olds from last year, all appearing in the same race in Ireland.
“I would say it’s one of the stronger Guineas so it’s hard to look too much beyond this. Juddmonte have lots of other good three-year-olds – colts and fillies – and they’ll have a better idea of where which horses might go at Ascot after tomorrow. There’s plenty in the melting pot so I don’t think we can look too much further (than the Curragh)."
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