Guineas favourite ready for Duty Special Duty is on course to make her eagerly-awaited seasonal debut in the Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte on April 8. The Khalid Abdullah-owned filly, trained in France by Criquette Head-Maarek, heads the betting for the stanjames.com 1000 Guineas after ending her juvenile campaign with victory in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. "I spoke to Criquette and she's very pleased with the filly," the owner's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe told At The Races. "Stephane (Pasquier) rode her yesterday morning. She looks to be on course so everyone seemed to be pretty pleased that she'll run in the Imprudence and we will see." "Her pedigree is stacked full of three-year-olds and as for stamina, she is by Hennessy, but the female side says pretty much she ought to get a mile." "She has shown tremendous speed throughout nearly all her races but I would have questioned that up until they got to the Dip at Newmarket in the Cheveley Park. When she just quickened away again up the hill, having gone a good pace, I got much more encouraged that she might be a Guineas filly." "Criquette has said she believes Special Duty to be in the category of her other 1000 Guineas winners such as Ma Biche and Ravinella, but she has to go and emulate them. She still has got to go and do it, but you wouldn't swap her with anyone." Abdullah has other 1000 Guineas possibles in Aviate, Principal Role and Timepiece, all trained by Henry Cecil. "Henry Cecil has got a couple of fillies that might be good enough but they have to step up," Grimthorpe went on. "Principal Role won her maiden at Yarmouth having had a bad start and Aviate has to step up a little bit more." "There's also Timepiece who won the Montrose Stakes at Newmarket, but she might want a little bit further. It's hard to tell at this stage until we crack on with her, but she may want a mile and a quarter plus."
