Newmarket: Godolphin handler Mahmoud Al Zarouni will be hoping that lightning can strike twice for when he saddles Lyric of Light and Discourse in tomorrow's Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
The Emirati handler landed the fillies' Classic last year with Blue Bunting and looks to have solid claims with a pair of unbeaten three-year-olds.
Frankie Dettori, who is looking for a fourth win in the 1,600-metre contest, rides Fillies' Mile heroine Lyric Of Light.
Al Zarouni said of the fillies' chances: "She won a Group One last year and proved she's a nice filly. She worked on the Rowley Mile [at the Craven meeting] and she worked very nicely.
"I'm very happy with her and she is a very nice mover. She's professional and she has a good kick and a good turn of foot. In her last piece of work, when Frankie asked her to go past her lead horse, she didn't want to do it, so you have to force her and then she does it. She wants something in front of her to chase."
Discourse, who looked all class when winning the Sweet Solera Stakes on Newmarket's July course last August, will be ridden by flamboyant Dubai World Cup-winning jockey Mickael Barzalona.
Smooth preparations
Al Zarouni is pleased with her preparations and said: "She had a knee problem. It was not a big injury but because she is a nice filly, we decided to sit back with her and leave her for this year.
"I think she's a mile-and-a-half filly. For me, she is more of an Oaks filly than a Guineas filly. But we're going to run her in the Guineas and she showed a good turn of foot when winning her Group Three well. We have never tried her on ground on the soft side, but I think she will go on it."
Meanwhile, Camelot is a short-priced favourite to provide his Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien with a sixth success in 2,000 Guineas today. He has dominated the ante-post market since posting an impressive win in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in October.
That performance and O'Brien's formidable record sees him arrive in Newmarket at a cramped 6-4, yet the trainer struck a cautious note when quizzed about Camelot last weekend, mindful of his experience with St Nicholas Abbey two years ago.
St Nicholas Abbey was sent off even money favourite only to trail in sixth and lose his way.
O'Brien recalled: "He lost his brilliance in the spring of his three-year-old career, maybe because we tried to force him. It's only coming back now. He lost it all. It's only now he's starting to quicken like a top horse again.
Turning to Camelot he said: "It's so far, so good, but we won't force him to do anything.
"We've always had one eye on the Guineas and we're looking at the race.
