Tom Marquand is optimistic that Iberian and Porta Fortuna will be successful in their respective attempts to win the Guineas this weekend at Newmarket.
After breaking his record in the Classic on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Galileo Chrome in a private St Leger at Doncaster four years ago, the top rider is thrilled to be able to "swing the bat" in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1000 Guineas the following day.
Last season, the Charlie Hills-trained Iberian won two of his three starts, most famously, he was the winner of the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September, behind Sunway and Rosallion, two subsequent Group One winners.
Rosallion is regarded as the greatest threat to the overwhelming favourite City of Troy in the colts' Classic, having recovered to win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Iberian is a 25-1 shot, having trailed the latter in the Dewhurst Stakes in October.
But after seeing the Lope De Vega colt delight connections in a racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting last month, Marquand is willing to overlook the colt's one unsuccessful performance and thinks he can overcome his odds.
“He showed up to a good level on a couple of occasions last season and was probably most impressive in the Champagne. He’s got a good turn of foot and I galloped him on the racecourse the other day and he felt great,” he said. “Without that last run, he probably wouldn’t be the price that he is. He’s a nice-sized horse so you’d like to think improvement will come from a winter under his belt and I’m looking forward to getting back on board him. To be perfectly honest I think he’s pretty versatile with the ground. I galloped him on faster ground and when I rode him in the Champagne it was quite hard work that day. I think his run in the Dewhurst was more down to the fact he’d danced a couple of big dances and it might have just caught up with him. I’d like to think he’ll run a big race, he’s put Rosallion, who is one of the big talking horses in the Guineas, behind him before. Obviously they thought Rosallion underperformed at Doncaster, but it still gives you a bit of confidence that the form has held up and the Champagne winner going into their three-year-old season is something to look forward to.”