Harrington has ‘vague plan’ for Guineas contenders

Jessica Harrington has a schedule in mind for Classic contenders Green Impact and Hotazhell but insists all options will be kept open, depending on ground conditions.

Green Impact capped off his debut season by winning the Group Two KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and is on track for the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Hotazhell also impressed as a two-year-old with wins in the Tyros Stakes and the Beresford Stakes before landing the Group One Futurity Trophy at Doncaster and he looks set for the French equivalent.

Harrington said: “We’ve got through the winter with them, so now it is deciding (where to go). They’re both in the English Guineas, they’re both in the Irish Guineas and they’re both in the French Guineas.

“We’re still waiting to see but the vague plan is ground permitting, as they’ve had no rain in Newmarket for about six weeks.

“Ground permitting, Green Impact will go to the English Guineas and the plan is at the moment, the most likely (option) because the owners are coming over, is that Hotazhell will go to the French Guineas.

“If those plans don’t work or they get changed, they are both in the Irish Guineas. Green Impact is also in the Dante at York over a mile and a quarter. That’s what we’re thinking at the moment, but everything could change.

“The horses have got to get there. They’ve got to work to get there and the ground’s got to be right on the day. They both go on good ground. I think both of them will go on anything but extremes – too quick or too soft.”

Harrington, who has enjoyed 1,000 Guineas and Oaks success in Ireland, believes Green Impact will be suited by Newmarket at the beginning of May before plans for the rest of his season are finalised.

She added: “He looks like a Guineas type. He’s done well in all his races. He can quicken up off a good, fast pace. He can take the hustle and bustle. He’s a big, strong horse.

“He showed plenty of pace at Leopardstown to get to the front and stay there in spite of having a little bit of harassment. He’s a well-balanced horse and he’s very uncomplicated and he’ll take the proceedings very well. He’ll be very relaxed.

“I’d love to win the Guineas. I got very close with Lucky Vega (beaten half a length in third behind Poetic Flare in 2021). That was a great thrill but I’d just love to win the Guineas. I’d love to win any English Classic. That’d be great.

“The English Guineas looks wide open and whatever happens, I’ll go there without a wander. It’s a long season and it’s not all in the spring, there’s a lot of good races all the way through, if you go abroad, up to November.”

Both horses have already had their training programme enhanced by an away-day and another racecourse trip is planned in the next week.

Harrington added: “They’ve been to the Curragh. Both have been to the Curragh. We’re very ground dependent and we might be going to Navan. I doubt we’ll go to Leopardstown. We have to play it by ear, see where the ground’s nice.

“They kind of want to get away in the next week to 10 days somewhere just to fit into the training programme.”