Global Weekly Preview - 15.05.15

There can be no more fascinating time of the racing year. Trainers pulling the wraps off their best horses for long-awaited seasonal debuts, young horses establishing credentials among the Classic generation, plus an ever-widening international scene cranking up a gear.

Action on three major fronts in racing this weekend goes a long way to underline the depth of competition at the top.

In that context, Godolphin welcome the reappearance of one of their flagship horses of the European season, last year's classy 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder, who faces 17 rivals in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

It is a record entry for the Lockinge, a one-mile contest on the straight course that has grown in stature following a boost in prizemoney. Its proximity to Royal Ascot's Queen Anne Stakes also helps. Hard to believe that less than a decade ago, only six runners lined up for the Lockinge.

Night Of Thunder has remained with Richard Hannon despite switching to Team Godolphin at the end of last season. The Dubawi colt acquitted himself brilliantly in all the big one-mile races in 2014, and he has pleased Hannon in the build-up to this important early target.

"We were going to take him for a racecourse gallop but decided against that. He worked at home instead," the trainer reported.

"He's a Classic winner, and he deserves the utmost respect for that," added Hannon, whose famous yard has housed outstanding milers such as Olympic Glory, Toronado, Canford Cliffs and Dick Turpin in recent years.

"He's up there with all the star milers we have had," Hannon pointed out.

Night Of Thunder, who will be ridden by James Doyle, has drawn stall 3. Integral, trained by Sir Michael Stoute for Cheveley Park Stud, starts from 9, while Toormore, another Hannon-trained contender, is drawn on the opposite side of the track to his stablemate, in 15. Richard Hughes rides the latter.

Speaking of the Classic generation, the Americans are traditionally a month ahead of the Europeans in their development as three-year-olds, with further proof of that theory provided by the Preakness Stakes, run at Pimlico on Saturday.

As the second leg of the coveted Triple Crown, eight runners go to post, with the first three home in the Kentucky Derby all lining up to have another crack at the prize. American Pharoah, Firing Line and Dortmund, the 1-2-3 at Churchill Downs, had the first Classic to themselves virtually throughout, as they filled the first three spots from the start.

Bob Baffert's American Pharoah carries hopes that he may become the first since Affirmed in 1978 to claim the Triple Crown. But the Simon Callaghan-trained Firing Line is again a worthy opponent. It should be another memorable battle.

The Classic scene in Britain is now dominated by debate on whether Golden Horn, the impressive winner of Thursday's Dante Stakes at York, should be supplemented for the Investec Derby at Epsom on June 6.

Anthony Oppenheimer, the colt's owner-breeder, remains firmly of the opinion that Golden Horn's family do not stay a mile and a half. But, frankly, there is no three-year-old currently as professional in his manner of racing, or as advanced in his development, and stamina may not count for as much as experience when they get to Epsom.

Jack Hobbs, the Dante runner-up, looked green, and third Elm Park is certain to come on for a promising first outing of the season. The first three were well clear of the fourth.

Finally, Hong Kong trainer John Moore takes Dan Excel south for the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji on Sunday. Moore has announced that his champion Able Friend will be stabled with Michael Bell in Newmarket in preparation for Royal Ascot in June.

Dan Excel, who like Able Friend, is a son of the Darley stallion Shamardal, is a previous winner of the Singapore feature. The Pascal Bary-trained Smoking Sun is back for another attempt at the race, as too is Caspar Fownes' Military Attack.