3 minute read
Andrew Balding gives his comments on yesterday's Greenham Stakes drama…
The Andrew Balding-trained Dewhurst (G1) winner, Chaldean, was set to test his 2000 Guineas credentials in yesterday's Greenham Stakes but found himself running loose a matter of strides after a mishap shortly after the start. Chaldean jinked sharply left and Streets Of Gold went the other way and Frankie Dettori soon found himself on the floor.
Trainer Andrew Balding went on the say "It was one of those unfortunate things, isn't it? We are just thankful it was a trial, and the horse seems to have come back fine, and Frankie is fine. It is real bad luck.
"We've got two weeks to the Guineas. It is what it is, and the Guineas was always the main aim, and that's where we're going.
"He was fit and well and ready to run a big race. As long as everything is all right, happily, he pulled up pretty quick – had he gone and done another circuit of the track, it would have been a big problem, but he's had a decent workout and probably enjoyed it."
Frankie Dettori added: "He was getting a little bit restless in the stalls, and I jumped a bit slow. I was half a length behind Charlie (Bishop). He veered right and we went left. He took the foot out of my iron and that was it – I was on the floor. Simple as that. I didn't have time to think."
Brian Meehan (trainer of race winner Issac Shelby) said "Chaldean was very unfortunate; nobody wants to see that happen to anyone. It is a shame for Andrew and Juddmonte and so on."
All systems are go for Chaldean as he remains on course for the 2000 Guineas while the Greenham winner, Isaac Shelby, looks set to head to the French equivalent at Longchamp on May 14.