Guineas Glory For Deep Impact’s Saxon Warrior

[Wandering Eyes]

The British Triple Crown dream is very much alive in 2018 after Ballydoyle’s “monster” Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) beat the cream of the milers in Saturday’s G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket for a ninth renewal for Aidan O’Brien. In a year when the stable could conceivably win Triple Crowns in two continents, the heavily-supported 3-1 second favourite travelled easily for Donnacha O’Brien in the main group racing up the centre before being set alight running towards the two-furlong pole. Sweeping by Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) soon after, last year’s G1 Racing Post Trophy hero was soon into the clear and it was the 50-1 outsider Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who gave closest pursuit to narrow the margin to 1 1/2 lengths at the line. There was another head back to the strongly-backed 5-2 favourite Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in third. “This is very special and I have to give a huge thanks to all the owners for giving me the chance to ride him,” commented Donnacha, who followed brother Joseph in winning this Classic for his father Aidan. “He’s a very good horse–very special. I had planned to follow Jim Crowley [on Elarqam], but he turned his head when the stalls opened and I missed it. I followed Seamie [Heffernan, on Gustav Klimt] and when I got down to the two I got a bit excited and set off too early, but he’s a proper horse.”

SAXON WARRIOR (JPN), c, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Maybe (Ire) (Ch. 2yo Filly-Eur, G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Eng, $469,223), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sumora (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Rain Flower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (JPN); T-Aidan O’Brien. T-Donnacha O’Brien. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 4-4-0-0, £475,487. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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