Racing: Captain Saif can maintain Hannon's Easter record

After Hurricane Alan blew away some better-fancied, better-hyped rivals in what is traditionally the senior 2,000 Guineas trial, the Craven Stakes, two days ago, Richard Hannon announced that he would be pleased to be back at Newmarket for the real thing two weeks today with "two live wires", Thursday's winner and Mister Links, third in the Greenham Stakes.

But the East Everleigh trainer's hand may not yet be fully exposed and by the end of this afternoon's sport at Kempton another of his Classic entries, Captain Saif, may have every right to tug at Hannon's sleeve and whinny an appropriate reminder in view of the name of the middle of his stable's three Guineas winners: don't forget me.

As eliminators go the Easter Stakes, in which Captain Saif puts an unbeaten record on the line, is usually just that. In 24 runnings the mile race has yet to produce a subsequent victor of any Classic, even the Italian Guineas to which the winner is commonly directed. But there have been a couple of near-misses; Master Willie, who took the second running in 1980, was touched off in the Derby, and Lucky Lindy went on to beat all bar Rodrigo de Triano on the Rowley Mile 11 years ago.

Lucky Lindy was trained by Hannon, whose record since in today's Listed contest has been extraordinarily consistent. In the past ten years he has provided the winner on four occasions and his five other runners have provided two second places and two thirds.

Their names, though, are an indication of the impact generally made by this contest on the top level. Sure, Right Win, who followed Lucky Lindy, was a fair horse, and so was Redback, third here and at Newmarket last year. But the likes of Two o'Clock Jump, Regiment and Pelham were not. Captain Saif was undefeated in three runs over seven furlongs at two, all on fastish ground like today's.

The form of his second win, a defeat of Gala Sunday at the Sunbury track with today's rival Prince Tum Tum third, has been boosted by an easy seasonal debut win by the runner-up 11 days ago. His recent homework has been more than satisfactory and has indicated that he will have no problems with the step up in trip.

Lucky Lindy's renewal of the Easter Stakes was arguably the best-ever in terms of quality, for the runner-up Ezzoud proved top-class over middle-distances. But the edition before that ran it close; the winner Corrupt was not a world-beater, but second-placed Selkirk and third Environment Friend were both subsequent Group 1 winners.

Selkirk's half-brother Rimrod will attempt to go one better this afternoon. The older sibling was trained by Ian Balding, the younger, a son of Danzig, is now handled by his son Andrew, who is hopeful that he may have a top-class horse in his first season with the licence at Kingsclere. Rimrod is in line for the French 2,000 Guineas and even though he ended his two-year-old career with a defeat at the top level – supplemented for the Dewhurst Stakes, he trailed in eighth, but his defeat of subsequent Middle Park Stakes winner Oasis Dream in a maiden at Sandown reads well.

The other two Guineas entries in today's heat are Folkestone maiden winner Dust Cover and Mezuzah, who scored in the mud at Doncaster. But the race should concern the two best-performed colts and, given his stable's good form and the weight concession he receives, Captain Saif (2.30) can prevail on this occasion.

It was not all bad news yesterday for owner Khaled Abdullah, even though his Trade Fair is doubtful for the Guineas. Over in France his 1,000 Guineas candidate Intercontinental is now challenging for second favouritism for the Classic after winning at Maisons-Laffitte. But only three of the contenders – Intercession, Nasij and Summer Spice – in the fillies' trial that opens today's Kempton card, the Masaka Stakes, hold the Rowley Mile engagement.

It can go to Pearl Dance (2.00), dropped in class after her good fourth last term to distaff Guineas favourite Six Perfections in the Prix Marcel Boussac, form which is put under further examination tomorrow at Longchamp when another Abdullah colourbearer, Boussac runner-up Etoile Montante, contests the Prix de la Grotte.

On the same card, Aidan O'Brien unleashes his French Guineas colt Tomahawk in the Prix de Fontainbleau and the exciting prospect Dalakhani, from Alain Royer-Dupre's yard, emerges in the Derby trial, the Prix Greffuhle. At a more mundane level at Kempton Taffrail (3.40) may be the solution to the Queen's Prize and Tony Tie (3.05, nap) can justify his long journey to contest the Rosebery Stakes.

And at Stratford Richard Johnson has four chances – Unleash, Quedex, Judaic Ways and Tissifer – to land the 1,000th domestic winner of his career. Only seven other jump jockeys have reached that particular landmark.