Pinatubo Seeks Redemption in St. James's Palace Stakes

Charlie Appleby is refusing to be downbeat about Pinatubo's QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) defeat, insisting any improvement from Newmarket will make his juvenile sensation the one to beat in the June 20 St. James's Palace Stakes (G1).

Although Two Thousand Guineas winner Kameko is not in attendance, Pinatubo, who was awarded a rating higher than Frankel for his unbeaten 2-year-old campaign, still has to find a length on neck runner-up Wichita.

Appleby said: "Naturally, you are always disappointed when you lose that unbeaten tag, but he improved with each run last year. Any improvement going forward from the Guineas and they have got him to beat.

"It was not as if he finished a well-held fifth or sixth in the Guineas. He went down by a length and a quarter against two very nice horses.

"We've got the champion 2-year-old, and I'm confident he's up where we need him to be and that he will go into the race in good order."

Godolphin's Pinatubo was only given the all-clear to run after passing a stalls test on Newmarket Heath last week. Appleby opted to take a "ticket" to have Pinatubo loaded late in the Guineas, the third time he has done so in a year which triggered the test.

Although this season has a different look to it, a positive for Pinatubo and Wichita is that plenty of St James's Palace winners were beaten in the Guineas, including Barney Roy, Kingman, and Canford Cliffs in the past 10 years.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who has won the mile contest eight times in 20 years, runs three from the Newmarket classic: Wichita, Arizona, and Royal Dornoch.

"We have been very happy with Wichita, and everything has gone well with him since," O'Brien said. "Arizona more or less the same and Royal Dornoch as well. Arizona and Royal Dornoch didn't get into the Guineas, but it was their first run of the season, and sometimes that can happen. Arizona might have been trapped in there a little bit, and Royal Dornoch just didn't get involved. Wichita ran well in the Guineas, and he seems to be very well since."

Dual group 2 winner Threat is another contender for trainer Richard Hannon.

"Our main thinking for going straight to the St James's Palace was to go for the flat track," the trainer said. "I just hope he stays the mile. He's quite keen sometimes when he works. I think to a certain extent that he will have an advantage over those horses who have just run in the Guineas 14 days previously."