Teal's Warrior primed for Guineas battle when racing is given the all clear

Roger Teal is hoping racing will get the green light to resume next week as he is itching for another crack at the 2,000 Guineas with Kenzai Warrior.

The trainer saddled Tip Two Win to finish second to Saxon Warrior at Newmarket in 2018, and he is eyeing the Classic again with an unbeaten colt who landed the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes last autumn.

Roger Teal in dreamland after unbelievable run from 50-1 chance Tip Two Win

"I thought my one chance had gone but now I seem to have another bite of the cherry," the trainer said.

"We thought a lot of Kenzai Warrior when we got him and it was great to be proved right, he backed us up in what we thought of him. It's an exciting year if we can ever get racing again.

"It's hard to compare the two, they're different kind of horses. This fellow's a big, rangy galloper whereas Tip Two Win had a tremendous turn of foot. But they both put a smile on your face in the morning, that's for sure."

Horris Hill heroes: Kenzai Warrior and Jack Mitchell return to the winner's enclosure at NewmarketCredit: David Milnes

Timing the preparation of a Classic contender has been difficult with racing shut down since March and no fixed date set for a return.

Prospects of a resumption will become clearer after the prime minister's announcement on lockdown on Sunday and Teal said: It's frustrating and everyone is in the same boat, we haven't overworked them at home because you don't know when your season is going to start.

"I think everyone is ticking them over and hoping we get the green light on Monday, then we've got something to go for. You don't want to wind them up too early if you've got nothing to go for."

Roger Teal: 'You don't want to wind them up too early if you've got nothing to go for.'

Kenzai Warrior, a debut winner at Salisbury two months before his Horris Hill success, was put in the Derby as well as the Guineas before the original entries were scrapped.

"We'd aim for both if we could," said Teal. "I think he'll stay and he might be better suited by middle-distances than a mile, he's a big galloping horse. He won the Horris Hill on testing ground and he showed he's got courage, he didn't really like the ground.

"He's done very well through the winter and he could do with a race, he's very boisterous and full of himself. Things might come too close and it's more likely he'll go straight to the Guineas but with everything up in the air at the moment no-one can really make a plan."

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