Trainer quotes for Newmarket Guineas meeting and Punchestown Festival 2024 day four

William Hill Jockey Club Stakes - Newmarket 4.10

Naqeeb has a long way to go to emulate his half-brothers Baaeed and Hukum but there is every chance he can develop into a smart performer this season ahead of his reappearance in Friday’s William Hill Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket.

While Baaeed never raced beyond 10 furlongs in establishing himself as the best of his generation, Hukum did win over a mile and three-quarters, giving hope Naqeeb could prove himself over two miles this season.

He has been entered in the Gold Cup at Ascot but starts out over a mile and a half and, having been unraced at two and only had six races in his life, the William Haggas-trained four-year-old is entitled to have plenty of progression in him.

“He was always a horse that was physically going to improve as he got older,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell.

“We’ve gelded him since last year, they are happy with him at home and it looks a good place to start.

“He will get further in due course, but we just want to get him back on track and see where we are.

“We’ve put him in the Gold Cup in case he does stay. At this stage there is nothing to say he will (stay that far), but he stayed a mile and six last year, he’s a lovely, galloping horse and progressive, so we need to start him and he’ll give us a clue which way to go with him.”

Having won a £100,000 handicap under a big weight, Naqeeb made his last appearance in a Listed race but, despite going off favourite, never looked happy in finishing third.

Gold said: “His last run may have just been at the end of a long season, but he also hung badly that day at Ascot and we never found out why. He clearly didn’t run his race though, so we’ll count that one out and start again fresh.”

Harry Charlton’s Time Lock was a Group Three winner last season and ended up running on Champions Day behind Poptronic.

A course and distance winner, she hails from a yard that has started the season well. Ryan Moore has been booked to ride.

“She obviously likes Newmarket, she’s won there twice, so she handles the track and hopefully the weather will stay good as she likes a bit of good ground,” said Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte.

“She’s fit and well and appears to be in good form, so we’re hopeful. She’s a Group Three winner so we’re looking to take the next step and this looks a nice opportunity.

“Harry has had the plan since February that this is where he was starting. She’s taking on good, solid, older horses, but there doesn’t look to be an outstanding individual in it.”

Charlie Appleby runs Great Voltigeur second Castle Way and King Of Conquest and told the Godolphin website of his pair: “King Of Conquest is fairly exposed as a five-year-old but he is a solid horse who always runs his race.

“Castle Way definitely needed the run in the Dubai City Of Gold and has come forward significantly for it, while the ground at Newmarket will suit. He showed some decent form as a three-year-old and goes into this in good order with that run under his belt. I hope we have two live players.”

Astro King represents Daniel and Claire Kubler while Outbox for Archie Watson and Hollie Doyle completes the field.

Boodles Champion Hurdle - 18.00 Punchestown

State Man will bid to put the seal on a faultless campaign in the Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday.

The seven-year-old has been pretty much blemish free since falling on his debut for Willie Mullins two and a half years ago, with the mighty Constitution Hill the only horse to deny him victory in 12 subsequent appearances.

This season State Man has successfully defended the Morgiana Hurdle, the Matheson Hurdle and the Irish Champion Hurdle, while the disappointing absence of Constitution Hill at the Cheltenham Festival gave him a gilt-edged opportunity to claim Champion Hurdle glory in March and he duly obliged.

Faced with just three rivals, the chestnut will be long odds-on to make it back-to-back wins in the Punchestown version and the Closutton handler has nothing but admiration for a horse you can seemingly set your clock by.

“He’s in great shape and he’s just a really healthy horse,” said Mullins.

“He turns up every day and having a horse like that is wonderful for the owners as you arrive at every festival you want, you’re there on the big days and hopefully you’re good enough to win and he has been very good.

“He’s got his Champion Hurdle and he is the kind of horse you want. It’s lovely having a superstar, but sometimes a superstar can only come out one day of the year and owners have horses to have days out and to enjoy the social side of racing.”

State Man renews rivalry with Gordon Elliott’s Champion Hurdle runner-up Irish Point, as well as the fifth-placed Colonel Mustard from Lorna Fowler’s yard.

Fowler is realistic about the chances of her stable star, but is keen to roll the dice.

She said: “Cheltenham took a lot out of him and he needed every bit of that time since to recover. We thought of bringing him to Aintree and Ayr, but he just wouldn’t have been ready. I think he’s got the tank full again having had the time.

“We know what we’re up against, but we’ll do our best and it’s as simple as that. It’s a pleasure to have a horse run in that calibre of race and he does bring it to the table every time.

“And the other thing is, it is a horse race. There are jumps involved. I know what price we are and we’re right to be that price but anything can happen, and if you’re not in, you can’t win.”

The field is completed by Mullins’ second string Sir Gerhard, who is set to turn out just six days after finishing third in the Select Hurdle at Sandown.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “We’ve been really happy with State Man since Cheltenham. He’s obviously going to bid to follow up on last year’s victory and emulate Honeysuckle, who won the two editions before that.

“Irish Point gave us a bit of a fright in Cheltenham, so reopposing with him is going to be interesting, but we think that State Man can be better than he was in Cheltenham, although Irish Point might try different tactics. It promises to be a fascinating clash.

“Sir Gerhard didn’t have an awfully hard race when third in Sandown and there’s fantastic prize-money up for grabs.”

Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle - 18.35 Punchestown

Given that even Willie Mullins expressed his surprise with how easy Ballyburn won at Cheltenham, his appearance in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown is hugely anticipated.

Despite having won at the Dublin Racing Festival from subsequent Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Slade Steel by seven lengths, Mullins was refusing to get carried away by the Ballyburn hype.

However, his 13-length romp in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle forced Mullins to concede Ballyburn “could be anything” and he faces just five rivals, three of them stablemates.

His stable companions taking him on are Jimmy Du Seuil, second at Cheltenham to Ballyburn but only fourth at Aintree, Mirazur West, who missed Cheltenham and Aintree, and Predators Gold.

Patrick Mullins, assistant trainer to his father, said: “Willie has decided to keep Ballyburn at the intermediate distance.

“He won at the Festival last year when he beat Dancing City and Slade Steel, two Grade One winners. That was quite a strong bumper, ironically, as it wasn’t the Champion Bumper!

“He should be very difficult to beat again. We’ve been delighted with him since Cheltenham and hopefully he can finish his season out on top.

“This season hasn’t been straightforward for Mirazur West and he seems to be slightly better going right-handed but at this distance he would need to settle a lot more effectively than he has been.

“Predators Gold was below-par in Cheltenham, but we do think he’s much better than that and he could be an interesting outsider. I would think he’s overpriced as an each-way option and he is a Festival winner already, as he won the Goffs Defender Bumper last year.”

The field is completed by Gordon Elliott’s Staffordshire Knott, who chased home his stablemate Brighterdaysahead at Aintree and Jessica Harrington’s Jetara.

Joseph O’Brien’s Fred Winter winner Lark In The Mornin reappears in the Uniquely Novice Hurdle, while Brides Hill takes on Allegorie De Vassey in the Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Chase.

In the Event Power Champion Hunters’ Chase, the Emmet Mullins-trained Its On The Line is out again having finished second at Cheltenham and won at Aintree.

The veteran Billaway, Ferns Lock, Samcro, Lifetime Ambition and Famous Clermont take him on.

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