Native Khan

cant see it myself,but good luck

Native Khant, imo.

Being aimed at the French classic races (esp. Derby) as he will win a big breeding prize or something being a French bred.

^^^^ 'back of the net'

Trainer has said on twitter he goes for the craven next week if the ground is suitable

66's each way would look a decent bet then.

Native Khan, who has thrived during the winter, will go straight for the Guineas, but whether he turns up at Newmarket on April 30 or waits for the French equivalent at Longchamp has yet to be determined.

Ed Dunlop said "Native Khan has really strengthened up from two to three, and we are very pleased with him."

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I ought not to have run him in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last year. He is too good a mover and could never handle that soft ground, though we were probably also guilty of having him ridden from too far off the pace. Had he been handier, he would have finished closer than fourth."

"However, we saw how good he was when he won the Solario Stakes at Sandown, and we are keen to have a crack at one of the Guineas. He does not like the ground like a road, but, similarly, he won't want it soft, so we will wait until closer the time before declaring our hand."

"Being French-bred, Longchamp has obvious appeal, but we will be guided by the weather, and all I can say at the moment is that he won't go for any of the trials. It will be straight for the Guineas, but which one I am not yet sure."

Ed Dunlop on twitter yesterday

Busy work morning, all ok tonight and now we need rain so we can run them next week at Craven meeting,NKhan now a possible for the Craven

It's a poor Craven this year, just like last year other than the easy winner. Native Khan is a bit of an Elusive Pimpernel type and will have Fallon in the saddle if he goes to the Guineas so can see him going off about 10-1 if he wins on Thursday. Can they really resist the carrot of the French breeders' premiums (and potentially weak French Guineas) though?

I thought they wanted decent ground - will be 'like a road' at N'Mkt surely?

you have to love Ed Dunlop. An excellent trainer but very prone to doing a complete U-turn.

I guess if he wins well then he will take his chance in the 2,000 Guineas followed by a run in the French Derby - I think his father had planned the same route with Elusive Pimpernel last year before injury struck.

Despite what they say he must just be below Group 1 class which is why they're taking in the Craven.

Shame what happened to EP. There is still no update on him.

Running in the Earl Of Sefton on Thursday

Looks a shoe in

Decent enough performance by Native Khan in the Craven but hard to see it winning a Guineas (unless they go to Germany or Italy).

or a s ex change

This horse has won 3 of his 4 races all in decent times.
In the other race, The group 1 Racing Post Trophy,  he finished a comfortable 4th in unsuitable conditions
.. and that race was won in the fastest time in recent years despite the softish conditions.

The Craven route looks to have been taken in order to see how he handled Newmarket, to help decide which Guineas to go for.

If he goes for the Newmarket race he will certainly give Frankel a race ...

and I am not sure Frenkel will relish that - to my eye he has looked uncomfortable until able to dominate

At double figure odds Native Khan has infinitely more appeal than the odds on fav.

are you related?

... not unless he is called Native Ackroyd ?

I really thought he was special when Fallon rode him last season, then I saw Saamidd, Then I saw Frankel and that was that. Smashing horse is native Khan but born in the wrong year I'm afraid.