City Leader uses Craven as Guineas prep; Winker Watson to gallop at Newmarket

City Leader uses Craven as Guineas prep; Winker Watson to

gallop at Newmarket

The Sangster Family's Royal Lodge S. (Eng-G2) winner CITY LEADER (Fasliyev)

will reappear in Thursday's Craven S. (Eng-G3), connections announced

on Friday. The Brian Meehan-trained gray, runner-up in the Racing Post

Trophy (Eng-G1) last season, was one of 19 left in the prep over the English Two

Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) track and trip at

Friday's five-day stage.

"We'll know a lot more after the race on Thursday,"

Ben Sangster told PA Sport. "We'll see what ability he's got and what distance

he wants -- it's a fact-finding mission. He seems in very good form. Jamie Spencer

was down at Manton on Thursday morning and partnered him in a nice bit of work

over a mile, and he worked well. We're hopeful he's going to give a bold

showing. Physically, he's done very well over the winter."

As expected, John Gosden has entered Stonerside Stable's RAVEN'S PASS (Elusive Quality), while Khalid Abdullah's promising pair of CONFRONT

(Nayef) and TWICE OVER (Observatory) feature from the yards of Sir Michael Stoute and Henry Cecil,

respectively. Aidan O'Brien has a trio of entries, including Susan Magnier's

unraced ZULU CHIEF (Fusaichi Pegasus), a half-brother to Hawk Wing, while Paul

Cole has entered Michael Spencer's Somerville Tattersall S. (Eng-G3) hero RIVER

PROUD (Proud Citizen).

In other Guineas news, Peter Chapple-Hyam will put leading Two Thousand Guineas contender WINKER

WATSON (Piccolo) through his paces in a mile racecourse gallop at Newmarket

next week as he prepares for the May 3 mile classic. Last year's Norfolk S.

(Eng-G2) and July S. (Eng-G2) winner has yet to race beyond six furlongs, but his trainer is

convinced he can stretch out and will be looking for vital clues next week.

"He's going straight to the Guineas, but he'll go to Newmarket this coming week

to gallop on Wednesday or Thursday," Chapple-Hyam stated. "He's been working well -- I

haven't put the gun to his head yet, but it's now time. In his races last year,

he wanted every yard of the six and we were going to step up to seven, but

circumstances didn't let us. When he works at Newmarket I suppose I'll have a

better idea, as I will work him over the full mile."

Chapple-Hyam also had news

of Five Horses Ltd's Newmarket maiden winner CAPE AMBER (Cape Cross

[Ire]), who is entered in the May 4 English One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1).

"She's a filly I like a

lot, but she went wrong last year," he said. "She's working really nicely, but

she works like a staying filly. She's in the Guineas and that probably is the

plan, although I think really she might be more of an (Epsom) Oaks (Eng-G1) filly."