Ross Millar's Classic reflections and Monday tips

Sport, and racing in particular, often doesn’t follow to script.  

It was certainly true at Wembley on Satuday but at The Curragh, in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, the result was, for once this season, the expected one. 

Rosallion built nicely on his runner-up effort in the Guineas at Newmarket and went one better to give his trainer, Richard Hannon, his first win in the race. 

The result doesn’t tell the full story, as for much of the closing stages it looked like stable mate Haatem, who was given an exceptional ride by jockey Jamie Spencer, might have stolen the race by virtue of an aggressive move two furlongs out. 

Rosallion, who had been settled some way back by Sean Leavey, took a moment to find his stride and it briefly looked like the post might come too soon, but with Levey at his very strongest he got up to prevail by a head. 

Haatem ran another huge race and certainly wasn’t stopping at the line, which makes Rosallion’s performance worthy of an upgrade given he was able to bridge a three-length deficit on a rival who himself posted strong finishing fractions. 

River Tiber finished in third which possibly leaves the question of his stamina for this trip unanswered. I’ve seen plenty of respected judges suggest he should now be aimed at the 6f Commonwealth Cup. Personally, I’d be keen to see him try this distance again with the benefit of this run behind him. 

Plenty of Ballydoyle inmates are stepping forward for their first runs this season and a finishing speed percentage of 107.22% suggested to me that he stayed the trip perfectly well. 

The St James’s Palace Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot is going to potentially be the race of the season. 

On Sunday, the 1000 Guineas followed a similar pattern as Fallen Angel, a daughter of Too Darn Hot, left her disappointing effort from Newmarket well behind her as she bolted up at the Curragh meaning that both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas were won by progeny of sires being represented by their first classic crop. 

Under a positive ride from Danny Tudhope she bossed the race immediately from the stalls, and then as they quickened up it was her superior turn of foot that carried her clear from where she had more than enough stamina to maintain the advantage she had created. This topped a good Sunday for Karl Burke who also landed the German 1000 Guineas with Darnation. 

It’s highly plausible that Fallen Angel didn’t handle the dip at Newmarket in the English equivalent, but increasingly this season it’s also becoming apparent that a high percentage of horses are needing a run to achieve full fitness, no doubt as a result of the extraordinarily wet winter and spring.

As such the performances from Opera Singer who finished third and Azada who weakened late on into sixth are worthy of an upgrade, I’d expect both of them to be major players in similar races through the summer. Buttons who finished fourth had the advantage of two previous starts but finished to good effect, out of an Oaks runner-up she’d be of real interest when upped in trip. 

I’ve got three fancies for Monday – all over Jumps and on Racing TV. 

Boombawn was a decent performer over hurdles, winning five of his 14 starts and working up to a career high mark of 135. 

But on the evidence of his debut chase win at Warwick, he has the potential to be even better over fences. 

On paper, it was only a half-length victory but visually it was anything but. Against some decent opposition his jockey, Harry Skelton was able to take a pull coming to the final fence, such was the ease with which he was travelling, before only needing to nudge him out to a very cosy win. 

That was a beginners’ chase and he now enters handicap company down in trip under top-weight. But speed for this trip isn’t a concern – he’s a three-time winner over 2m. 

The race also looks like it will be run to suit as Al Zaraqaan and Onemorefortheroad will both want to go forward, which should give Boombawn the perfect tow into the race with the three furlongs on the flat after the final fence meaning Skelton should have no issue in riding a patient stalking race. 

As a son of Dylan Thomas, good ground is essential to the Skelton runner so any rain would be a negative. In that instance I’d expect him to be a non-runner as he is also declared at Bangor on Tuesday. 

Harry Dereham enjoyed a seamless transition to training from his new permanent base last season and he already looks to be carrying that good form into the summer season with three winners from just eight runners. 

Salvatore was one of his final winners of the winter season when winning at Kempton on his second start in handicap company. The better ground at Kempton seemed to suit him far better than the slower ground he’d run on previously, with both of his French flat wins also coming on a sound surface. 

Sanitiser reopposes here on 2lb better terms than when three lengths behind in third at Kempton, but he’s run at Hereford since and again looked a bit short of pace over this trip. I struggle to see him being able to reverse the form around this similarly sharp right-handed track. 

Salvatore is just a five-year old and has plenty more scope for progression. I expect him to win this and it would be no surprise if he were to rack up a sequence of wins through the summer. 

Neil Mulholland’s son of Milan has done well since being switched to handicaps, winning two of his three starts.  

The form of both of his runs at Southwell has worked out particularly well. In January he finished just half a length behind Catch Him Derry. That rival has won again since and is now rated 117, even when taking into account the 10lb Hobb’s Delight was in receipt of it still reads like a strong piece of form. 

He went one better on his latest start and again that form has been boosted with runner-up Fantomas and third placed Ballynaheer winning since. And for all that he only prevailed by three-quarters of a length, I felt he was value for more as he got hampered by a faller and then looked to idle when in front. 

A big field and a long run-in from the final flight should allow Harry Kimber to ride a patient race and off a mark of 92 I’m convinced he’s still well handicapped.