Bethrah gives Weld fourth 1000 Guineas

MAHMOOD Al Zarooni and Mick Channon came within a whisker of claiming the Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh yesterday but both were eclipsed as Dermot Weld took the fillies' Classic for the fourth time with Bethrah.

Just a head and a neck separated the 16-1 winner from Anna Salai and Music Show with five runners flashing across the line covered by less than a length.

It was clear from an early stage, though, that Pat Smullen had claimed a narrow success aboard the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned daughter of Marju at the expense of Godolphin's new first-season trainer and the luckless Channon.

Bethrah had landed both of her previous starts this season and Weld, who had won the race previously with Prince's Polly (1982), Trusted Partner (1988) and Nightime (2006), predicted a bold show as she took a 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown just two weeks ago.

And his assertion proved correct as the filly extracted herself from an uncompromising position and squeezed up the rail to edge out Ahmed Ajtebi on Anna Salai, who has recently joined Al Zarooni in Newmarket from Andre Fabre.

Music Show jumped from the stalls as the 3-1 favourite after being drawn on the unfavoured far side in the English Guineas and she was not disgraced in third under Ryan Moore. The market leader made her move inside the distance down the centre of the track, but the main action was happening on the far rail.

Weld said: "You can never be confident but I knew she would represent us very well. She is tough and very genuine and has progressed over the winter. We've done a lot of work with her at the stalls and she is a lot more confident these days and went in perfectly today.

"She's a very progressive filly and has battled her way forward. I need to talk to Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager, and Sheikh Hamdan himself and we'll make a plan from there, but she might go ten furlongs next as I don't see her just limited to a mile. That's the fourth time I've won the 1000 Guineas so I'm very pleased."

"I'm not surprised she has won and I've always thought she was a very good filly," added Smullen. "She progressed from her first run of the season to Leopardstown and she progressed again after that. I didn't know if she would win, but I thought she would put up a very good performance. She got me out of trouble and with 19 runners there was not a whole lot of room, it was a fair performance and she's always shown talent. The plan will be up to the boss, but I think the logical thing will be to go for the Coronation at Ascot."

Al Zarooni only took over as Godolphin's second trainer last month and agonisingly saw his first Classic slipping through his fingers in the final 100 yards as the winner ate into Anna Salai's lead and nailed her on the line.

Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford commented: "She's run a super race and we are very pleased – it did look like she had won. She's well entered in all of the mile fillies' race and she should stay further too. We'll look at either the Coronation or the Prix de Diane."

Channon's Lahaleeb was beaten a neck in this race 12 months ago and his misfortune in fillies' Classics is becoming a regular occurrence with the same horse beaten at Newmarket, along with Nahoodh (2008) and Flashy Wings (2006).

The trainer said: "There are no excuses, she's had a good run through but they just got away from her up the rail. We've turned the form around with the English Guineas third (Gile Na Greine] and that race was just a mess. I'd say the winner is probably a very good filly and has quickened up well. Of course I wanted to win and I'll keep trying to win a big race, but there is no divine right."

On Saturday at the Curragh, Canford Cliffs showed what all the fuss was about with a jaw-dropping success in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas.

The classy colt has been one of the most talked-about horses for the last few years, and emphatically lived up to his billing. Providing Richard Hannon with a third win in the Classic, he is now poised for a rematch with Makfi and stablemate Dick Turpin after the pair beat him in the English equivalent.

All three colts are likely contenders for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot – a race which may also include Curragh second Free Judgement and fourth Steinbeck.

After failing to conclusively prove he stayed a mile at Newmarket, the 9-4 favourite left his critics gasping for breath as he slayed the Guineas field by three lengths under Richard Hughes.

The winning trainer's son and assistant, Richard Hannon jnr, said: "He did a piece of work last week that was his best since he won the Coventry and Hughesie was able to sit on him like he was a jet-ski. He'll go to the St James's Palace and deserves to take his chance."