Saxon Warrior Earns O'Brien Ninth 2,000 Guineas

Saxon Warrior bested 13 rivals to land the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1) at Newmarket May 5, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-extending ninth winner of the mile classic and third in the past four years.

O'Brien watched the win from Louisville, Ky., where later in the day he'll saddle Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Owned by Coolmore partners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, Saxon Warrior was sent off the 3-1 second-favorite after sustained morning support. He fits the profile of O'Brien's recent Guineas winners perfectly, making his first start of the season having rounded out his 2-year-old campaign with a group 1 success in the Racing Post Trophy Stakes (G1).  

The Japan-bred son of Shadai Stallion Station's Deep Impact came with a strong challenge to lead inside the final two furlongs under Donnacha O'Brien and stayed on strongly in the run to the line to keep his pursuers at bay, finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of big outsider Tip Top Win, with Godolphin's Masar—sent off as 5/2 market leader—a further head back in third.  

This was the first classic win for jockey Donnacha O'Brien, a son of Aidan O'Brien.  

"A huge thanks to all the owners for giving me the chance to ride him and especially to dad for the faith in putting me on him in the first place," the winning rider said "It's very special. Obviously, I'm winning this race and riding in big races because of the position I'm in. I'm just very grateful. He's a very, very good horse. A proper horse. He'll stay a mile and a half."

The final time for the mile test on a good Newmarket track was 1:36.55.

Saxon Warrior was immediately cut to a best price of 11/10 by British bookmakers for next month's 1 1/4-mile Investec Derby (G1). The last Guineas winner to go on and double up at Epsom was the same connections with Camelot in 2012.

O'Brien, the trainer, keeps totting up milestones and this was his 300th group/grade 1 success.

   

Tip Two Win ran a huge race in second for trainer Roger Teal. The Dark Angel colt had a most unconventional Guineas prep, with two local stakes wins in Qatar over the winter, but had finished second in the Tattersalls Stakes (G3) over seven-furlongs of today's Rowley mile when last seen on these shores and stayed on gamely under David Probert to repel the challenge of Masar late on and Teal was thrilled with the performance, "I'm still pinching myself. I was trying to watch out the front and couldn't see much. All I could see was his white breast girth. When he came out of the Dip I thought, 'Oh my God I've got a chance of winning the Guineas here'. It's amazing. We knew we had a decent animal and it's a proud moment for us."

Masar, who finished sixth in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), was never likely to get the uncontested lead that allowed him to dominate his field in the bet365 Craven Stakes (G3) here last month and so it proved. James Doyle allowed him to track the pace for much of the race, but the Godolphin runner was unable to go with the winner in the later stages of the race and ultimately had to settle for third.

Mark Johnston's immaculately bred Elarqam finished 4th. The son of Two Thousand Guineas winner Frankel and dual One Thousand Guineas winner Attraction had every chance inside the final couple of furlongs and kept on well despite being slightly hampered, but just lacked the required pace to threaten further.

Roaring Lion, second to Saxon Warrior in last year's Racing Post Trophy and third behind Masar in the Craven on return finished fifth.