Ed Chamberlin previews the QIPCO 2000 Guineas

I’m very much looking forward to this weekend’s QIPCO Guineas Festival which is live on ITV1 – starting with the Opening Show at 9.25 on Saturday.

Frankie Dettori is among the guests there and it also marks the first appearance of Francesca Cumani. I’m very much looking forward to working with her in the afternoon and through the season ahead.

Trained in Australia and with a fine racing pedigree, she was a hugely popular presenter Down Under and is going to be a key part of our team moving forward.

However it’s on the track where the real stories will be told – starting with Saturday’s QIPCO 2000 Guineas. It’s the first Classic I will ever have presented and it has all the makings of an epic renewal.

At this stage there are four main contenders.

Churchill could not have done much more at two – but he hasn’t beaten any other members of the big four yet. He answered every question last year and being a son of Galileo will train on well. The vibes from Ballydoyle are very strong and clearly he is a huge player.

Aidan O’Brien has a proven track record for readying a Guineas horse at home but this one will need to be cherry ripe as the trials have looked stronger than in previous years. He’ll improve throughout the year – his trainer’s genius is doing that with all his star names – but will he sharp enough to see these off on his reappearance?

Al Wukair is the hope of France and trained by another legend of the game in Andre Fabre. Again the vibes for this fellow are very strong – you honestly get the impression he could be up there with the very best Fabre has had – and that is some list. 

My concern is the ground at the weekend. Lucy Verasamy’s forecast doesn’t have any rain whatsoever in it and he’s a son of Dream Ahead, who our own Hayley Turner knew very well. If it comes up very fast at HQ I just wonder whether Al Wukair will be fully effective.

I thought this year’s Greenham at Newbury was as good a trial as I’ve seen in a very long time. I backed Dream Castle to win that race and he travelled through it like a machine. He was well beaten in the end by Barney Roy but Godolphin look inclined to let the pair clash agaon.

It was interesting watching Hayley and Jason Weaver discuss the rematch at the weekend. The former clearly felt Dream Castle could turn the form around with a bit of cover and luck in running but Jason was of the opinion Barney Roy would again have his measure.

I loved the way that colt went about it at Newbury and he’s going to relish the rising ground at Newmarket – I’m starting to think he could be the one to beat on Saturday and I do think he ran in the key trial.

A victory for Eminent would be fantastic for racing. He’s a son of Frankel, the one horse who transcends our sport, and I’ll make no apologies for reliving all his great moments during our show on Saturday in a piece I’ve done at Banstead Manor.

In fact I defy anyone not to be touched by the coverage of the Frankel foal we are following – or by his mum Responsible. We’re a couple of months down the line now and you can already see some of Frankel’s characteristics coming to the fore in the little fella.

I was lucky enough to go to Martyn Meade’s to see Eminent following his Craven win and you can really sense the excitement – and sense of responsibility – he feels in having a colt like this who is among the leading fancies for a 2000 Guineas. He was impressive in the Craven and you sense there's plenty more to come from him.

So in conclusion the QIPCO 2000 Guineas comes down to whether you back Churchill or side with a trial winner. It's a belting first Classic of the season with all the plot lines you’d want. I’m changing my mind on a daily basis but I do think the Greenham is the key and the winner will come from the first two home there.

It’s a similar dilemma in Sunday’s 1000 Guineas – do you go with the Aidan O’Brien seasonal debutant with the best juvenile form – Rhododendron – or look elsewhere?

My heart hopes that Fair Eva can win the race. I’d love to see Roger Charlton land another Classic, something that hasn’t happened since his first season with a licence when Quest For Fame won the Epsom Derby and Sanglamore the Prix du Jockey Club.

I visited his Beckhampton base last year and was mesmerised by the experience and the history of the place – which is the subject of a fascinating book by Paul Mathieu.

Another feature we filmed was on Fair Eva’s mum African Rose who is again in foal to Frankel. You’ll learn more about her progress in Sunday’s show.

The curtain came down on the jumps season at Sandown on Saturday and we had a terrific day in the sunshine.

Altior was the star of the show but there were other great moments – notably Menorah’s victory and owner Grahame Whateley’s emotional interview with Alice Plunkett afterwards.

What a CV the horse has winning the 2010 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, an International Hurdle, the Greatwood, Manifesto Novices’ Chase, Peterborough Chase, Charlie Hall and all four renewals of the Oaksey Chase at Sandown.

What a brilliant horse and it’s fitting he’ll spend his retirement with Richard Johnson, who rode him to nearly all his notable victories and who again on Saturday showed why he’s regarded as being one of the nicest men in sport.

I also want to mention Richard, the groom of Call Me Lord, who led his new charge into the winners’ enclosure on Saturday. He’s growing his hair at the moment specifically so it can be used to make wigs for cancer suffers. We’ve already said that the stable staff are the unsung heroes of this sport and this is yet another wonderful gesture.