Camelot: one of 22 possibles for Saturday's 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket
PICTURE: Getty ImagesO'Brien stranglehold on the Newmarket Classics
TRAINER Aidan O'Brien has a stranglehold on the first two Classics of the British season if the ante-post market is any guide as stablemates Camelot and Maybe respectively headed the confirmations for the Qipco 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas on Monday.
Camelot was one of 22 possibles for Saturday's 2,000 Guineas and the unbeaten Racing Post Trophy winner is as short as even-money favourite with Ladbrokes.
The Roger Charlton-trained Top Offer, Sea The Stars' half-brother Born To Sea, impressive Craven Stakes winner Trumpet Major and French hope Abtaal follow him in the betting.
Also on the course for the race is Greenham Stakes winner Caspar Netscher, who is trained by Alan McCabe. The trainer said: "He has been in good form since Newbury and he did it nicely that day - I'm happy with him. Going into the race he was where I wanted him and he did it accordingly.
"He has definitely come on for the run and I hope he has got further improvement left in him.
"We are going into unknown territory in regards to trip, but we are going there in very good nick and Shane Kelly will ride."
The Jeremy Noseda-trained Talwar was supplemented for the 2,000 Guineas while Fred Darling winner Moonstone Magic was added to the 1,000 Guineas field.
She is an 8-1 chance for the fillies Classic behind Maybe who is a best-priced 13-8 for Sunday's Classic.
Her trainer Ralph Beckett said: "Michael Prosser (Newmarket's clerk of the course) tells me that the ground won't be faster than good and it's a shade of odds-on that it will be good to soft.
"Moonstone Magic needs dig in the ground for sure and I think it's unlikely she will be as effective on quicker ground as horses who are so effective on soft going are rarely as effective on fast ground.
"She has recovered from Newbury but its always going to be a concern running three races in as many weeks. However, her owners are keen to run and I'm keen to run."
Conditions were due to get brighter at Newmarket on Tuesday and clerk of the course Michael Prosser said: "If the forecast is correct and we get a couple of dry days we are going to be going into Saturday on good ground."
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