Horse racing: Wootton Bassett drops out of 2,000 Guineas

Opposition to Frankel in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas a week on Saturday is becoming increasingly thin on the ground, with Wootton Bassett the latest to drop out from the Newmarket Classic.

There had been a sense of unease about the colt's prospects ever since Richard Fahey revealed he had missed work after a setback in February and the trainer admitted last week he was struggling to get him ready.

Wootton Bassett, who joins Godolphin's Dubai Prince as a Guineas defector this week, won all five starts as a two-year-old, culminating in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp last October. He is likely to head for the Irish or French versions instead, while Henry Cecil's Frankel is now available at no bigger than 4-7 with Sky Bet and Blue Square.

Fahey said: "We've just run out of time. We've got to turn up 100 per cent and we're not going to get there 100 per cent.

"We've got another month or so for the French and the Irish Guineas so that gives us more time. It will be one or the other. It's a shame we're not going to Newmarket because I fancied taking Frankel on. Hopefully we'll meet him one day."

Another to drop out will be Manhaj, who will instead have a later-season campaign.

John Hammond's colt also has entries in the Investec and the Irish Derby and was around 40-1 in places for the Guineas.

The son of Medicean, who is owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, won both of his starts as a juvenile, in a maiden at Maisons-Laffitte and a conditions event at Deauville last August. "I'm taking him out of the Guineas. Basically he's on the shelf at the moment and won't be out until the middle of the year," reported Hammond.

There was better news from the Newmarket stable of James Toller, who intends to run Loving Spirit at his local track as long as his final serious piece of work goes according to plan. "We are probably being very optimistic but we are thinking of having a shot at the Guineas," said Toller.