Lemaire confident of Natagora´s chance

Top French jockey Christophe Lemaire is confident of adding the Stan James 1000 Guineas to his list of big-race victories at Newmarket on Sunday.

All four of Lemaire´s winners at England´s HQ have been at Group 1 level, and he rides the Pascal Bary-trained Natagora, currently a 4/1 chance with the sponsors, in the first fillies´ Classic this weekend.

He told the Racing Post: "I think I have a good chance to keep my record, because Natagora showed she was the best filly last year and this year she made a very good reappearance over seven furlongs, a trip she never ran over last year.

"The way she ran was very good, because she was relaxed and behind another horse. She quickened very well to make the difference over the last one and a half furlongs.

"She knows the track, which is a very good point. I hope the ground will be good, because she seems better on good ground.

"There is no problem at all with the filly. We are very confident. All we need is a little bit of luck and she will do the rest.

"It´s only because I rode some fantastic horses like Pride, Starcraft, Literato and Natagora that I have such a good record at Newmarket.

"Everybody knows that you need a very good horse to win a Group 1 anywhere in the world, and the ones I rode at Newmarket were all champions.

"I would be very proud to win a Classic in England. It´s been a long time since a French contender won the 1000 Guineas, so it would be very good for us to win a race like that for France."y impressive. It´s not ideal having only two runs prior, but there´s only one 2000 Guineas.

"Before he was taken out of the Greenham Stakes, there was a lot of money for him and there still is, probably on the back of his work last weekend. I´m very happy for him to take his chance.

"He´s owned by Victor Chandler and a group of his friends. They are very excited, that´s why everyone is in the game - to have a big-race runner. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing has a pretty strict rule that if you don´t see yourself finishing in the first four then you shouldn´t be running. I put that to Peter and he said that he would definitely run him on that basis - so that was good enough for me."

The 19 remaining entries are headed by long-term favourite, Jim Bolger´s champion juvenile New Approach. The unbeaten son of Galileo is the market leader and a 2/1 chance with sponsor Stan James.

Other notable contenders for the 200th running of the 2000 Guineas include the Group Three banshahousestables.com Craven Stakes second Raven´s Pass, while Sir Michael Stoute has left the Saeed Suhail-owned Perfect Stride among the entries.

Godolphin´s trainer Saeed bin Suroor has a trio of entries going forward at this point, comprising of Group One winners Ibn Khaldun and Rio De La Plata along with Fast Company, who finished second to New Approach in last year?s Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Meanwhile, Irish maestro Aidan O´Brien has left his quartet, that includes unbeaten Group Three winner Jupiter Pluvius and Henrythenavigator along with One Great Cat and Plan, in the Classic at the five-day stage.

Stimulation, trained by Hughie Morrison, remains on target for the stanjames.co.uk 2000 Guineas, while Richard Hannon is represented by Scintillo. The possible line-up is completed by Strike The Deal, Stubbs Art, Moynahan, Alfathaa, Dream Eater and Bahamian Kid.

LATEST STAN JAMES PRICES: New Approach 2/1, Raven´s Pass 4/1, Ibn Khaldun 6/1, Jupiter Pluvius 8/1, Fast Company 12/1, Henrythenavigat´ 16/1, Fireside 16/1, Perfect Stride 20/1, Rio De La Plata 20/1, Stimulation 20/1, Plan 25/1, Moynahan 40/1, One Great Cat 40/1, Scintillo 66/1, Dream Eater 66/1, Strike The Deal 66/1, Alfathaa 100/1, Stubbs Art 200/1, Bahamian Kid 500/1

A total of 18 fillies have stood their ground for the £375,000 Group One stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas including Infallible, who heads the market with Stan James at 7/2, following her impressive victory in the Group Three Leslie Harrison Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on April 16.

Last season?s Group One Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Natagora and recent Newbury Group Three winner Muthabara are also set to run on Sunday and are both rated as 4/1 chances by Stan James.

James Fanshawe could run Group Two May Hill Stakes winner Spacious while an Irish challenge of six is spearheaded by the Aidan O?Brien-trained quartet of Halfway To Heaven, Psalm, Savethisdanceforme and Group Two seriousquitters.co.uk Rockfel Stakes victor Kitty Matcham.

Having seen the well-fancied Sander Camillo miss last year?s stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas due to a setback, owner Sir Robert Ogden is set to be represented in this year?s race by the unexposed Francesca D?Gorgio, who was an easy winner of the NSPCC Median Auction Maiden Stakes on the July Course on July 28.

The owner?s racing manager, Barry Simpson, is looking forward to seeing the daughter of Proud Citizen take her chance on Sunday and is hopeful of a good run, despite her lack of an outing this season.

Simpson said: "I spoke to Jeremy (Noseda) on Saturday morning and the plan is to go for the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas. She won last time out on the July Course and it was never the plan to run her in any of the trials races. She?s on course and seems in reasonable shape.

"She seems to have grown a little bit and clearly Jeremy is not one for wasting money so he wouldn?t have suggested the Guineas if he didn?t think that she would run a decent race.

"She hasn?t got the profile of Sander Camillo in so much as she hasn?t run in all of the high profile races as a two-year-old. There were a couple of races that she was scheduled for but the ground wasn?t quite right and we just wanted to take our time with her. We never saw her as a two-year-old anyway so that fact that she ran as early as she did was quite a surprise.

"We go into the race with a chance and we are just hoping that there is not too much rain between now and Sunday. We are looking at the season ahead and it?s a long season but we have to start somewhere."

LATEST STAN JAMES PRICES: Infallible 7/2, Muthabara 4/1, Natagora 4/1, Spacious 11/2, Kitty Matcham 14/1, Savethisdanceforme 14/1, Laureldean Gale 16/1, Psalm 16/1, Nahoodh 20/1, Lush Lashes 25/1, Halfway To Heaven 33/1, Saoirse Abu 33/1, Max One Two Three 33/1, Lady Deauville 40/1, Royal Confidence 50/1, Francesca D´Gorgio 50/1, Nijoom Dubai 50/1, Spinning Lucy 100/1