O’Brien’s Sergei The Speed Merchant At Newmarket

As the Irish National Hunt season ends, the British Flat season goes into top gear with the Guineas taking centre stage at Newmarket on Saturday and Sunday.

Mad Guineas Build Up But Prendergast Could Be Over The Moon
Ryan Moore missed the Guineas last year to ride for Aidan O’Brien in the Kentucky Derby but Moore is back on board the apparent first string for Ballydoyle in the opening Classic of the season today.

Moore is booked to ride the unbeaten Ten Sovereigns and the general consensus is if he stays he wins.

It’s been a strange Guineas with the favourite Too Darn Hot being one of the many major names to withdraw from the race. The omissions have certainly left it looking an open renewal of the colts Classic and Madhmoon must have a chance.

Kevin Prendergast is 86 but as fresh as most men half his age and if the colt shouldn’t be discounted just because he got beat on his seasonal reappearance.

The son of 2013 Guineas winner Dawn Approach looked a star last year and will have been trained over the winter with this day in mind. Expect him to strip fitter today and give a good account of himself. We know Madhmoon will stay and he might just be able to see them all off at the end.

Sergei The Speed Merchant
Aidan O’Brien looks to have a high class sprinter on his hands in Sergei Prokofiev. In recent weeks O’Brien has been sending out plenty of winners but before his team were in the winning groove, Sergei Prokofiev was able to win on his seasonal debut at Navan over 6f.

The conditions of that race suited the three-year-old but it was a fair effort for his first run and the race has already produced winners.

Sergei Prokofiev booked his place in the sprinting division last year when winning over today’s course and distance when beating Well Done Fox and while Sergei Prokofiev is a short price, he looks the class act in the Guineas curtain raiser.

Recommended Bets:
Madhmoon (7/1) – 3.35 Newmarket
Sergei Prokofiev (15/8) – 2.20 Newmarket

*Prices correct at time of publication.