2,000 Guineas third favourite Cosmic Year bids to boost Classic credentials at Kempton

Cosmic Year, the third favourite for the Betfred 2,000 Guineas, runs at Kempton on Wednesday despite being entered in Saturday’s Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes.

The Newbury Group 3 is a more traditional route to next month’s opening Classic but the prolonged dry spell is one factor that has swayed Harry Charlton in running his son of Kingman in a 7f all-weather novice race under a penalty.

“We’ve been aiming at the Greenham for six months really so it’s a shame but we’re probably in a one-in-20-year event of how dry it is,” said Charlton. “We walked the track at Newbury on Sunday and on that day, we wouldn't have been happy to run him.”

The Judmmonte-owned colt was a non-runner due to unsuitably quick ground at Newbury last August before being priced at 20-1 for the Guineas after scoring by six and a half lengths under Oisin Murphy on his belated debut at Sandown in September.

However, only Twain and Shadow Of Light are shorter in the betting for the 2,000 Guineas than Cosmic Year, who is now a general 8-1 chance and will again be partnered by Murphy when taking on 12 rivals at Kempton.

The fellow Juddmonte-owned Field Of Gold is favourite for the Greenham but will instead wait for the Craven and Charlton added: “Juddmonte had two others in the race and were probably unlikely to want to run three. Oisin is going to ride Jonquil on Saturday because he’s Andrew’s [Balding, trainer] jockey. It just kind of makes sense from all angles.”

Cosmic Year's rider Oisin Murphy (left): has to partner Jonquil in Saturday's Greenham for boss Andrew Balding (right)Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Notable Speech won his first three starts at Kempton before landing last year’s 2,000 Guineas, demonstrating that the synthetic surface at the Surrey venue can be ideal preparation for a Classic bid.

“These Kempton races are very strong so it has become a pretty valid place to run a horse now,” said Charlton. “We haven’t got too far ahead of ourselves, partly because we haven’t really learned that much about him. 

“The Greenham certainly would have told us more and that’s why we wanted to run there. He’s in good shape and he’s ready to run. We’ll learn a bit more about what direction he should be heading.”

Cosmic Year will have to give 7lb to newcomers Hit Squad, who represents Qatar Racing and Archie Watson, and National Park, who runs for the Isa Salman Al Khalifa and William Haggas combination who enjoyed high-profile success with Economics last season.

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