France the Likely Destination for Hotazhell, with Green Impact on Newmarket Duty

[Wandering Eyes]

Jessica Harrington revealed on Monday that she is leaning towards skipping the 2,000 Guineas in favour of the French equivalent with last year's G1 Futurity Trophy winner Hotazhell (GB), with Green Impact (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) reported to be the stable's most likely representative at Newmarket.

Green Impact won two of his three starts as a two-year-old, including September's G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown when last seen, beating last month's G3 Ballysax Stakes winner Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) by half a length.

On that form there isn't much between Green Impact and Hotazhell, with the latter horse's Futurity Trophy victory at Doncaster also being achieved at the expense of Delacroix when getting the verdict by a nose. That was Hotazhell's fourth win of a productive two-year-old campaign–which also yielded triumphs in the G3 Tyros Stakes and G2 Beresford Stakes–and next up could be a tilt at the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

“We've got through the winter with them, so now it is deciding [where to go],” Harrington said of her two Classic prospects. “They're both in the English Guineas, they're both in the Irish Guineas and they're both in the French Guineas.

“We're still waiting to see but the vague plan is ground permitting, as they've had no rain in Newmarket for about six weeks. Ground permitting, Green Impact will go to the English Guineas and the plan at the moment is that Hotazhell will go to the French Guineas because the owners are coming over.

“If those plans don't work or they get changed, they are both in the Irish Guineas. Green Impact is also in the Dante at York over a mile and a quarter. That's what we're thinking at the moment, but everything could change.

“They've got to work to get there and the ground's got to be right on the day. They both go on good ground. I think both of them will go on anything but extremes–too quick or too soft.”

Harrington, who can count Classic wins in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Irish Oaks on her decorated CV, believes Green Impact will be suited by Newmarket should he take his chance in the first British Classic of the season.

She added, “He looks like a Guineas type. He can quicken up off a good, fast pace and he can take the hustle and bustle. He's a big, strong horse. He showed plenty of pace at Leopardstown to get to the front and stay there in spite of having a little bit of harassment. He's a well-balanced horse, he's very uncomplicated, and he'll take the proceedings very well. He'll be very relaxed.

“I'd love to win the Guineas. I got very close with Lucky Vega [beaten half a length when third behind Poetic Flare in 2021]. That was a great thrill but I'd just love to win the Guineas. I'd love to win any English Classic–that'd be great.

“The English Guineas looks wide open and whatever happens, I'll go there without a wander. It's a long season and it's not all in the spring, there's a lot of good races all the way through, if you go abroad, up to November.”

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