English/Ire
Hotazhell “all systems go” for Irish 2000 Guineas
The Hotazhell camp are looking forward to running their Group 1-winning juvenile for the first time this season as he gears up for Saturday’s Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.
A four-time winner from six outings during his two-year-old campaign, which featured a victory in the Beresford Stakes before rounding out the season with a narrow success over the Epsom Derby-bound Delacroix in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster in October, Hotazhell remains to be seen in public on the racecourse as a year-old.
Everything was in line for the son of Too Darn Hot to make his seasonal reappearance in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp a fortnight ago, but with ground conditions getting quicker by the minute in Paris, connections were forced to make a very late decision and withdraw the colt from France's premier Classic.
It was a decision that Kate Harrington, assistant and daughter to her mother Jessie, felt was certainly justified as the Aidan O'Brien-trained winner Henri Matisse went on to break the track record with a sparkling late run under Ryan Moore.
Speaking on Nick Luck Daily, she said: "As we stand now it's all systems go for Saturday,"
"Shane (Foley) worked him yesterday morning and was delighted with him. Mum was very happy; we were all happy.
"We were all set to go (in France), he had the bridle on but Shane rode in the race before and just wasn't happy with the ground.
"When we had the likes of the Curragh coming up in two weeks' time, why risk running him on what was clearly good to firm ground at Longchamp.
"I think our decision was justified by the track record being broken.
"He had an easy week last week, done a breeze yesterday so we're all systems go."
Hotazhell isn't the only horse the Harrington team have Classic aspirations for this season, with Green Impact set to make the journey to France for the Prix du Jockey Club next month.
Just like his star stablemate Hotazhell, Green Impact also enjoyed victory over Aidan O'Brien's leading Derby contender Delacroix as a two-year-old, beating him not once, but twice, firstly in maiden company before following up with a smart performance to land the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes last September.
Despite looking unbalanced on the undulations of Newmarket's Rowley Mile, the Marc Chan-owned son of Wootton Bassett performed with plenty of credit when finishing
sixth behind Ruling Court in the 2000 Guineas earlier in the month, leaving connections eyeing a step up in trip for his next outing.
"Green Impact has been very good since Newmarket," said Harrington. "He's come out of the race well and at the moment we're aiming to go for the French Derby with him next weekend.
"We just feel that going up to ten furlongs rather than straight to a mile and a half would act as a nice steppingstone to going up to a mile and a half later in the season."
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