Teofilo Tops Guineas Possibles Teofilo, unbeaten in five starts and officially rated the best two-year-old in Europe last season, heads 86 entries for the #350,000 Stan James 2000 Guineas, run on Saturday, May 5, 2007.The exciting Jim Bolger-trained colt rounded off last year with a head defeat of Holy Roman Emperor in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Champions' Day in October, having previously scored in Group One company when collecting the National Stakes at the Curragh.Teofilo is 6/4 favourite with the sponsors, Stan James, to retain his unbeaten record over the NatWest Rowley Mile at Newmarket on the first Saturday in May. Holy Roman Emperor, a dual Group One winner last term, will not renew rivalry with Teofilo having been retired to stud. However, Aidan O'Brien, seeking his fifth training success in the Stan James 2000 Guineas and his third in succession following on from Footstepsinthesand (2005) and George Washington (2006), has 17 other entries in the Newmarket Classic to choose from. The powerful contingent from Ireland's champion trainer also includes Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes victor Admiralofthefleet, Eagle Mountain, successful in the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh, the 2006 Group Two Mill Reef Stakes winner Excellent Art, and Mount Nelson, victorious in the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud, as well as several unexposed performers.Godolphin, the other great power of European racing, is represented by eight entries as it bids to follow on from the victories of Mark Of Esteem (1996) and Island Sands (1999) in the mile Classic. The Godolphin octet includes Dijeerr and Mythical Kid, who were first and second in the Group Three Stan James Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury in October, as well as Eastern Anthem, a facile winner on his only start at Nottingham last season and a son of Godolphin's 2002 1000 Guineas heroine Kazzia, and Strobilus, runner-up in the Group One Gran Criterium at San Siro on his final start of 2006.Sir Michael Stoute has trained five previous winners of the Stan James 2000 Guineas - more than any other current trainer - and the master of Newmarket's Freemason Lodge yard has three entries in 2007. The Stoute trio consists of Adagio, seventh behind Teofilo in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, and the unexposed duo of Al Shemali and Al Tharib. It is 15 years since Peter Chapple-Hyam sent out the Lester Piggott-ridden Rodrigo De Triano to win the 2000 Guineas but he looks to hold a strong hand in 2007 with four entries. His quartet includes Dutch Art, who was undefeated in four starts last season including the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville and Newmarket's Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes. The colt is 7/1 second favourite for the Classic with Stan James. Chapple-Hyam's other entries are Authorized, triumphant in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Newbury in October on only his second start, Group Two Richmond Stakes winner Hamoody and Tariq, who has not raced since finishing a staying-on third in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.A leading contender is the Paul Cole-trained Strategic Prince, successful in the Group Two TNT July Stakes at Newmarket's Ritz Club July Festival and also the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood before finishing third behind Teofilo and Holy Roman Emperor in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes.International interest is provided by South African trainer Mike de Kock, who has entered Drayton, a dual Listed winner in Ireland last season when trained by Tommy Stack and fourth in the Listed Land Rover Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, on March 8.The Stan James 2000 Guineas is on the first day of the Stan James Guineas Festival which concludes on Sunday, May 6. Supplementary entries may be made at the six-day confirmation stage on April 30 at a cost of #25,000.Michael Prosser, Newmarket's Director of Racing, said: 'The Stan James 2000 Guineas, the first Classic of the Flat season, is always a superb race and we are delighted with the quality of this year's entry.'Teofilo and Dutch Art looked superstars in the making when taking the Darley Dewhurst Stakes and the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes respectively on the NatWest Rowley Mile in October and it will be tremendous to see them defend their unbeaten records back here on May 5.' Stan James betting - 6/4 Teofilo, 7/1 Dutch Art, 12/1 Mount Nelson, Strategic Prince, 16/1 Adagio, Eagle Mountain, Haatef, 20/1 Authorized, Duke Of Marmalade, 25/1 bar.
