Hello You and Cachet clash again as 1,000 Guineas claims are put on the line

Tuesday: 3.35 Newmarket
Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Group 3) | 7f | 3yo fillies | ITV4/RTV

The 1,000 Guineas ante-post market has remained largely dormant for the past five or six months but promises to erupt into life following the conclusion of the Nell Gwyn Stakes.

Somewhat surprisingly, the beaten runners in this recognised Classic trial have provided greater Guineas hints in recent times.

In two of the last three runnings, Saffron Beach and Billesdon Brook were defeated before finishing second and first respectively a few weeks later at Newmarket.

Cachet versus Hello You doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily as Shishkin versus Energumene, but two of last season’s standard-setting British juvenile fillies have a score to settle in a more than up-to-scratch Nell Gwyn.

Hello You landed the first two blows, finishing clear of Cachet in the Albany Stakes and Rockfel, before the last-named had three-quarters of a length in hand from her old foe when fourth in the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf at the Breeders’ Cup.

The pair take out a large chunk of the market and have averaged Racing Post Ratings of 106 on their last two starts, but official figures have Cachet as the superior filly by 1lb.

Barring hard-luck stories, the outcome of the fourth meeting will likely be determined by the filly who has developed most over the winter months. Pedigree analysis points to both having scope to progress with age but Cachet arguably more so.

Cachet: was a standard-bearer for George Boughey last seasonCredit: Pool

Cachet’s sire Aclaim achieved his finest hour at the end of his four-year-old season in the Prix de la Foret and she is her father’s highest-rated offspring from his first crop by 14lb. Her dam only made her debut at four too.

There is guesswork involved at this early stage of the campaign, but Cachet’s progressive profile during the concluding months of last season for a trainer who is destined for the top makes her the pick of the big two in the betting. There are certainly worse 50-1 shots for the 1,000 Guineas.

Of the nine fillies in the field, Perfect News is the only other with a three-figure rating and boasts the choicest genetics as a daughter of Frankel out of a Group 1-placed sprinter for the same connections.

Improvement is required but not ruled out and her supporters can be encouraged by William Haggas’s overall 25 per cent strike-rate improving to 31 per cent when applying a first-time tongue-tie.

Marco Botti’s decision to jeopardise Ribbon Rose’s appealing handicap mark of 81 is respected, but realistically she needs to have at least 20lb in hand to hit the frame.

At similar odds, Rishes Baar is more interesting for David O’Meara. Rishes Baar was hampered in the Oh So Sharp Stakes in October and has a length to find with the more experienced Perfect News. She can accomplish that with a clearer passage.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

'All roads lead to the Guineas for Hello You'

Two of the most promising young trainers in Britain have a clear ambition for 1,000 Guineas glory but while Cachet and Hello You clash for a fourth time, their approach to getting there is quite different.

George Boughey, fresh from a marvellous 2021, has made sure Cachet is ripe for her first run of the season. She has not won since a debut success here in May but is the best on ratings and is reportedly in great shape.

"She's in good form, she's done plenty of work and is ready to go," he said. "It looks a bit of a match between the two at the top of the market but she's in good shape and is ready to do herself proud."

Hello You: returns to Newmarket to set up 1,000 Guineas tiltCredit: Mark Cranham

Hello You is the shorter of the two in the 1,000 Guineas market at 20-1 and has two wins to Cachet's one in the head-to-head standings, but Dave Loughnane warns his filly is not at peak fitness quite yet.

He is taking a more cautious approach, with the Classic on May 1 the absolute priority.

Loughnane said: "All roads lead to the Guineas. This is a stepping-stone for that and to help blow the cobwebs away and just see how she has progressed from two to three.

"She's not 100 per cent fit yet but we're going there with the view that we'll get that first run into her. She could be good enough if she's ready."

What they say

Karl Burke, trainer of Almohandesah
She's wintered and strengthened and she had an away-day gallop and goes there fairly fit. We think she'll probably stay a mile but not much further than that.

William Haggas, trainer of Perfect News
She's fine and training well, she ran well at track last season too and we hope she can run a nice race here. We'll see how this goes, our first job is to try and make her a Group winner and then we'll worry about all the rest after.

Marco Botti, trainer of Ribbon Rose
She won't mind the ground and is in good order. The stiff seven is probably about right, we like her and now it's time to find out whether she's up to that level.

William Stone, trainer of Romantic Time
We don't know if she'll stay seven furlongs but what she's done so far has been pleasing. If you take the form behind Hello You and Cachet then she'd struggle, but she works like a good horse and you can see her class at home.
Reporting by James Stevens

Tuesday's race previews:

1.50 Newmarket: 'we hope there's a big handicap in him before stepping up to bigger things'

2.25 Newmarket: will New Science get powerful Classic generation off to perfect start?

3.00 Newmarket: this could be Godolphin's forgotten horse – and here's why you should take note

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