BECKETT CAUSES MAJOR SURPRISE Remember how practically everybody at the time slagged off last year`s National Stakes? Well there was a sore temptation to do the same after Beckett won yesterday`s Group One race.The only thing stopping most of us was the memory of all the crow that has had to be eaten over a certain horse called Sinndar but even so the result was curiously unsatisfying.Not that that has anything to do with Beckett`s resolution, which saw the Aidan O`Brien third string run out a three-length winner from his stable companion King`s County, with the maiden, March King , in third.But his stable companion Darwin, the 4 to 9 favourite, returned lame after passing the post in only sixth place and Cashmans reflected the general mood by installing Beckett at 33 to 1 for the 2,000 Guineas.That sees Darwin still ahead of him in the market at 2 to 1; another stablemate Minardi at 14 to 1, and Hemingway remains the 2,000 Guineas favourite at 10 to 1 despite having missed Saturday`s Prix de la Salamandre.O`Brien gave an upbeat bulletin on Hemingway, who remains his likely runner in the Dewhurst Stakes; and the Salamandresecond, Honours List, is likely to run next in Longchamp`s Grand Criterum.The 1 to 4 Juniper only got home by a short head in the opener but will be trained for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket`s Cambridgeshire festival - a meeting where the Moyglare winner Sequoah may run in the Cheveley Park Stakes.
