Betway Craven Stakes: key quotes from connections

Aidan O’Brien expects Hawk Mountain to “improve a ton” for his comeback run in the Betway Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.

While the Ballydoyle handler has saddled a record 10 winners of the Betfred 2000 Guineas, he has not previously won this key trial for the first colts’ Classic of the season over the Rowley Mile, often using the Group Three contest as a stepping-stone for some of his lesser lights.

This year, however, he is represented by a proven top-class performer in Hawk Mountain, who won three of his four juvenile starts and was last seen striking Group One gold in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October.

O’Brien views Hawk Mountain as more of a middle-distance type than a genuine Guineas contender, but is looking forward to getting his three-year-old campaign up and running.

Speaking at Leopardstown on Wednesday, he said: “The plan is that he’s going to run. I just wanted to make sure it was safe (ground) for him starting off.

“He’s well, he’s going to improve a ton. A least we’ll have him started and then we can see where we’re going to go.

“The French Derby looks the race for him. We’ll start and see.”

The biggest threat to Hawk Mountain appears to be Hidden Force, who looks to further strengthen Charlie Appleby’s Guineas hand.

The Moulton Paddocks handler has four entries for the May 2 showpiece and after seeing Distant Storm and King’s Trail gallop at the track on Tuesday morning – and Talk Of New York win a conditions race that afternoon afternoon – dual Kempton winner Hidden Force now gets the chance to stake his claim on Thursday.

“The 2000 Guineas is looking very open really. You’ve got a worthy favourite there in Bow Echo and Aidan has yet to draw his hand yet on what he’s going to run, but he’s got a battalion of horses there that are all stakes winners, so any of those that turn up are always fully respected,” said Appleby.

“It could stack up to be a very good Craven this year and the winner, needless to say, will bounce very much to the forefront of the Guineas market, I’d imagine.

“Hidden Force will be a big player on Thursday, whether he wins, we’ll see.

“He is very well and a strong brute of a horse – he’s as strong, deep-girthed individual. He doesn’t have the flashiness of the two that won on Tuesday (Cerro Blanco and Talk Of New York) or even King’s Trail at home, but he’s a hard horse to get by and I like that about him.

“You can question mark running in the Craven and going into a Guineas of late as the Guineas winner hasn’t come from the Craven, but I just feel timing-wise it works for a horse like him who has had two runs during the winter – he’s hard and a bit fitter than some of these horses that have had the full winter off.”

Hidden Force is one of two Godolphin representatives along with Avicenna, who won each of his two juvenile starts for Roger Varian, while Hankelow has to be considered a major contender for Karl Burke having won the Autumn Stakes over the course and distance on his final appearance at two.

Burke said: “He’s a lovely horse, I’m just going to keep an eye on the ground. I’ll wait and see what the jockeys since and I’m hoping they’ll put some more water on tonight.

“I think it’s going to be safe and I want to run him, but he’s very much a horse that would prefer cut in the ground than not, even though he won on good to firm ground officially at the backend of last year.

“He’s in great form and has definitely trained on from two to three – he’s working nicely.”

Oxagon (John and Thady Gosden), Venetian Prince (Andrew Balding) and Commander’s Intent (George Scott) complete the line-up.