Arazan on course for Irish 2,000 Guineas John Oxx has high hopes of pulling off a Guineas double with Arazan after successfully sending out Sea The Stars to score at Newmarket last weekend. Throughout the winter Arazan was arguably Oxx's number one Newmarket contender - according to the ante-post betting at least - but firm ground ruled the Aga Khan's colt out of the Classic. Now the Boylesports Irish Guineas at the Curragh in just over two weeks' time is Arazan's aim. 'We were keen to run Arazan at Newmarket. He'd been going very well at home, and we would have expected a good run,' said Oxx. 'He may well go on fast ground in due course but we didn't want to chance him on that and run the risk of jarring him up before the season had even started. With the Irish 2000 Guineas only three weeks later it didn't make sense to risk it.' 'That'll be where he goes and we'll see how he runs, it will be a good race and there are a few good horses that didn't make Newmarket so it will be a tough race.' 'We like him, he's a good horse, he was a very good two-year-old. I didn't think he ran up to form in the National Stakes when he was third, so hopefully he'll be there in the shake up.' 'Sea The Stars' run gives us a bit of hope because they work nicely together, and over a mile we didn't think there would be much between them,' he told At The Races.
