Jim Bolger bullish as 2,000 Guineas approaches

Dubai: Irish great Jim Bolger made no secret of his big-race ambitions for Dawn Approach — a horse he bred and currently co-owns with Dubai’s Godolphin stable — as he talked up the prospects of the colt’s targets after Saturday’s English 2,000 Guineas.

Dawn Approach, the unyielding 11/8 market leader, heads an eye-catching field of 14 horses who will contest the first Classic of the British season at Newmarket, as he hopes to give his 72-year-old handler a first success in the 1,600m event.

A son of 2008 Epsom Derby sensation New Approach, Bolger’s star-in-the-making will have the services of regular pacemaker Leitir Mor as he attempts the mile for the first time in his glittering career, in which he has won all six of his starts.

Bolger is not worried about the distance, saying: “We have had a clear run with Dawn Approach since the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes last year. We’ve had no hitches whatsoever. We had very little frost and he has never missed a day’s exercise.

“He came in his coat very quickly — he had a good coat on him about five weeks ago. He is a big horse, 500kg. He’s about eight kilos heavier than when he ran in the Dewhurst Stakes, but he will give us back two before the Guineas. I would be happy with his development — he is a much stronger horse this year.”

Bolger was encouraged enough to look beyond Saturday’s test and even towards the Derby, for which he is nominated at the second-entry stage. “I would say a mile suits him very well and we will have to see after that,” said the hander earlier this month. “Maybe he will get a mile-and-a-half — he switches off so well, it’s possible he could get it, and he’s a very balanced horse as well. But because of his pedigree, we will just have to wait and see.”

But for the moment all eyes will on the Guineas, where Dawn Approach will face a hodgepodge of rivals led by a characteristic battalion from six-time Guineas winner Aidan O’Brien, who has four possible starters — Cristoforo Colombo, George Vancouver, Lines of Battle and Mars. Richard Hannon, who is seeking his first success in the race since Tirol won in 1990, has trimmed his options down to just two runners — Craven conqueror Toronado and Van Der Neer, runner-up to Derby favourite Kingsbarns in last season’s Racing Post Trophy (G1).

Marco Botti has left in Greenham runner-up Moohaajim, who is owned by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, while Sir Henry Cecil’s maiden Kyllachy Rise also figures among the entries.

The Brian Meehan-trained Correspondent, Garswood (Richard Fahey) and Glory Awaits (Kevin Ryan) complete the line-up.

The going at Newmarket remains good, with clerk of the course Michael Prosser saying on Monday: “We had 10mm of rain on Friday and I changed the ground to ‘good’ on Saturday. We had a further millimetre of rain overnight into Monday and that has helped to maintain the status quo. The forecast is for it to be largely dry through until Thursday and the ground remains ‘good’.”