'He's going to run a big race' - can Blackrod go back-to-back in a red-hot handicap?

The 2,000 Guineas might be the main course but the beauty of the meeting is the big race is supported by a series of ultra-competitive handicaps and they don’t get much more difficult for punters than this one. 

No less than 23 runners will hurtle down the Rowley Mile straight and what better place to start than with last year’s winner Blackrod, who has been on a tour of Britain’s training yards since his victory 12 months ago when trained by Michael Dods.

He was switched to Ed Bethell after finishing seventh in the Wokingham on his final start for Dods, but that move proved fruitless as he finished 11th and sixth in two runs for Bethell.

That prompted another move, this time to Roger Teal, and Blackrod beat only two home on his first start for 218 days and debut for Teal at Kempton last month. It was a low-key start.

However, Teal would no doubt have had a return to this race in mind and Blackrod is only 2lb higher than when successful last year. He is handicapped to go well again and Oisin Murphy has been booked. Both his two rides for the stable finished placed.

Last year’s second and third Above and Chairmanoftheboard are also back for another crack at the race and Chairmanoftheboard fared better when they met over course and distance last month. Chairmanoftheboard was third behind Orazio, while Above managed only seventh.

Probe, Leap Abroad and Admiral D finished in between them in that race at the Craven meeting and have sound chances again, with Admiral D possibly looking open to the most improvement of the lot. He shaped like he would improve for that first run of the campaign.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

David O'Meara, trainer of Summerghand
He ran well off a muddling pace in the Newcastle all-weather finals sprint. He loves Newmarket, the drier the ground the better, and Danny [Tudhope, jockey] gets a great tune out of him.

Roger Varian, trainer of Saint Lawrence
He ran really well at the Craven meeting when finishing off nicely in the Abernant Stakes after he'd been off for a long time. He's drawn in stall one and I don't know how good that is, but he's in good form.

Karl Burke, trainer of Lethal Levi
He finished with a little injury in his race at York last August, which made his run as a three-year-old taking on hardened handicappers even more impressive. He's an exciting horse, he's going to be a very good handicapper and the Wokingham is his target.

Roger Teal, trainer of Blackrod
He won the race last year. We haven't had him that long. He needed the run at Kempton and will strip fitter for it. Hopefully he'll run a good race. Oisin [Murphy] rang for the ride.

Charlie Hills, trainer of Tanmawwy
He got a bit tired in the closing stages at Newbury on that soft ground first time out. Any rain will help him.

Steve Brown, husband of and assistant to Julie Camacho, trainer of Raatea
He's in good shape and he runs well fresh so we're deliberately going there fresh – last year we prepped him and he ran better in his prep race than in this.

Paul Cole, joint-trainer of Leap Abroad
He worked very well during the week. He's in tip-top form and is going to run a big race.

Jack Channon, trainer of Chairmanoftheboard
He's needed his first run for the last two or three seasons, but he came on for that and ran a belter at the track last time. We're hoping for a bit of rain, so the softer the better for him.

Stuart Williams, trainer of Above
He's in good form. He missed the break badly at Newmarket last time, and didn't run a bad race given the circumstances. He was second in the race last year.
Reporting by Matt Rennie

Read the rest of Saturday's previews:

3.25 Newmarket: 'He's got an outstanding chance' - can Majestic complete Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Stakes double?   

3.40 Thirsk: 'He needed the run when winning at Newcastle - he'd have every chance'   

4.00 Newmarket: 'He has a 3lb penalty for a reason' - high hopes for Manaccan in competitive Palace House Stakes   

4.40 Newmarket: 'Ryan has loved him from day one' - will Auguste Rodin spark Triple Crown dream in 2,000 Guineas?   

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