☆祝☆ディープ産駒”サクソンウォリアー”英クラシック制す!日本産馬初の快挙!【映像付】(英2000ギニー)英国ダービー最有力候補に!
☆5日、イギリスのニューマーケット競馬場でクラシック第1冠目の英2000ギニー(G1・芝1600m)が行われ、D.オブライエン騎手騎乗、ノーザンファーム生まれのディープインパクト産駒サクソンウォリアー(牡3、愛・A.オブライエン厩舎)が中団追走から鋭く抜け出し、後続の追撃も抑え1.1/2馬身差で勝利、無傷4連勝でG1・2勝目、日本産馬初の英国クラシック制覇の偉業を達成した。勝ちタイムは1:36.55(稍重)。 2着はD.プロバート騎手騎乗のティップトゥーウィン、3着はW.ビュイック騎手騎乗の1番人気マサー。人気の一角だったS.ヘファーナン騎手騎乗のグスタフクリムトは6着だった。 サクソンウォリアーは父ディープインパクト、母は欧州2歳牝馬チャンピオンのメイビー、その父Galileoという血統。2歳時に無敗の3連勝でG1・レーシングポストTを制し、このレースが今年初戦だった。今後はブックメーカー各社が同馬を1番人気としている、6月2日にエプソム競馬場で行われる英ダービー(G1・芝2400m)に向かう見通しで、大きな注目が集まる。☆2,000 Guineas: Saxon Warrior wins at Newmarket for Aidan O'Brien!Aidan O'Brien won a ninth 2,000 Guineas as his son Donnacha rode Saxon Warrior to victory in the first Flat racing Classic of the season at Newmarket.Unbeaten in his first three races, Saxon Warrior (3-1) returned after a gap of 189 days and cruised to the front from just over a furlong out.Roger Teal's 50-1 shot Tip Two Win was a length and a half back in second with 5-2 favourite Masar third.The previously unbeaten Elarqam, son of the legendary Frankel, finished fourth.Although enjoying a prolific start to his stud career, Frankel, who won the 2,000 Guineas in 2011 and a record nine consecutive Group One wins in an unbeaten career, is yet to father a Classic winner in Europe.In glorious cloudless skies at the Rowley Mile, Saxon Warrior took up the running heading into the dip and never looked like being caught."It's very special," Donnacha O'Brien said. "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 good horse, he's a proper horse."Meanwhile, later on Saturday Aidan O'Brien will bid for another victory in the first leg of US racing's Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs - a race never won by a European challenger.O'Brien, who won a world record 28 Group One races in 2017, sends recent Dubai winner Mendelssohn, with number one jockey Ryan Moore on board. And the O'Brien-trained fillies Happily and I Can Fly head the field for Newmarket's 1,000 Guineas at 15:35 BST on Sunday.