Alparslan sinks Zavateri & Albert Einstein in Greenham

Alparslan emerged as a genuine contender for the 2000 Guineas when denting some lofty reputations in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury.

The betting was dominated by Aidan O’Brien’s Albert Einstein and Eve Johnson Houghton’s Group One winner Zavateri, but Karl Burke’s Alparslan, winner of a valuable sales race in Ireland in his juvenile campaign but behind Zavateri in the Dewhurst, was allowed the run of the race in front under Clifford Lee.

The two big guns briefly threatened to run him down, but Alparslan (9-1) had a length in hand at the line with Zavateri finishing off nicely in second having met some trouble in running.

Burke said: “I thought we were coming here under the radar and he was always entitled to improve off his three starts last year. They are trials at the end of the day and you never know what might pop up, but I think he’s beaten the right two horses there.

“He didn’t really like the undulations when he went to Newmarket for the Dewhurst, although that could just have been two-year-old immaturity. It was his third quickish run and he came back sore, so the track might not be an issue but it is a question mark.

“Clifford said he is a big, heavy, gawky horse so whether racing round a bend at Longchamp would be his cup of tea I don’t know and the Curragh might suit him well having won there. But he does have time to go to both the English and Irish if we wanted to.

“I’m sure there is another gear, the trip (mile) would be the question mark, but I think he’s answered 90 per cent of that question here today. It would give me a lot of hope.”

Zavateri was of course one of the success stories of last season, only losing his unbeaten record when fourth in the Dewhurst.

Having done little to harm his reputation with an honest second here, local handler Johnson Houghton will now consider which version of the 2000 Guineas to tackle next month.

She said: “I think he’s run a lovely race and was a bit fresh. He had nowhere to go off a slow pace and Ryan (Moore) did his job on Albert Einstein and put him in a pocket.

“He’s picked up nicely when having the opportunity and we’ve finished behind a lovely looking horse who has clearly done well over the winter. However, I can’t be disappointed in my boy.

“I don’t know which Guineas we’ll go for and we’ll make a decision next week. France would be least likely, so it would probably be between the other two.”

In contrast, it is distance that will be the main point of conversation back at Ballydoyle after Albert Einstein came home in third.

Coolmore representative Kevin Buckley said: “I think it was a bit more like it today and he’s run a creditable race in a muddling race, so we have to be happy with that.

“We’ll let Ryan speak to Aidan who couldn’t be hear today and then Aidan will speak to the owners and we’ll make a decision which route we’re going to do.

“Ryan didn’t want to commit until he had spoken to Aidan and I suppose we could still go either way. We’ll chew over it and he’s run a good race.

“He was still in the mix there and when Ryan asked for him he went for him fine. He was happier back on this surface, so we’ve learned something from today and probably more than we think once we start to digest it overnight.”