Alparslan Makes All in Greenham, Guineas Bid Now in Sight

Alparslan turned the Greenham into a proper Guineas statement, controlling Newbury’s straight 7f and making Karl Burke think seriously about Newmarket and The Curragh. The bay colt by Dandy Man dictated the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes from the front, never looked in real trouble once Clifford Lee had him settled, and powered home in 1m 24.92s on good ground, good to firm in places.

The margin told the story as much as the manner. Sporting Life’s result had Alparslan a length clear of Zavateri, with Albert Einstein another three-quarters of a length away in third in the eight-runner Group 3. The winning move came when Lee shook him up 2f out, then switched him to the near side rail over 1f out before he kept on well. That was not the profile of a colt scrambling to hang on. It was the performance of a horse who had found his rhythm and was able to boss a key Classic trial against rivals with serious reputations.

That matters because the Greenham has long been a Guineas pointer, and Alparslan now owns the sort of form line that changes ante-post shape. Before the race, the market had Albert Einstein and Zavateri in front, with Alparslan around 10/1 in the forecast. He overturned that order while also adding to a record that already showed three wins from four starts, with his lone defeat coming when sixth in the Dewhurst Stakes last season. Burke also has the luxury of options now, with entries for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on 2 May and the Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh on 23 May.

There is precedent for taking the Greenham seriously as a springboard. Frankel won the race before landing the 2011 2,000 Guineas, and Alparslan’s victory had a similar feel in the sense that it exposed him as more than just a neat early-season prospect. Zavateri arrived with major juvenile credentials, including Group 1 success in the National Stakes at the Curragh, while Albert Einstein had been highly regarded in the build-up. Beating that pair, and doing it by making all, gives Alparslan genuine Classic credentials and leaves Burke with a live decision for the first Saturday in May. Albert Einstein may still be better suited by a shorter trip, but Alparslan has now moved from promising colt to serious Guineas contender.