ANDREW Balding will keep top three-year-old prospect Kameko fresh for the 2000 Guineas.
The first Classic of the season was due to be staged on 2 May but has been postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The colt ended 2019 with an impressive victory in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy on the all-weather at Newcastle.
He is a leading fancy for both the Guineas and the Derby, which has also been delayed, and Balding is hopeful the horse will continue to progress this term.
Balding told his Betway blog: “We’ve got a very strong team this season and, in any other year, would have plenty on the go around now.
“However, we’ve got to wait for a resumption to racing before we can get them going properly, as we don’t want them to boil over before the season begins.
“Kameko is obviously the one who is carrying a lot of our hopes this season. It’s great to have a horse of his calibre to go to war with and the 2000 Guineas – whenever that may be – will be his first target.
“He was great last year, ending his season by winning the rearranged Vertem Futurity Stakes at Newcastle in November.
“He’s a big, strong horse who we’ve always hoped would make a better three-year-old, and he’s wintered well. We’ve just started to pick up his work and we’re excited to get him back out again.”
Balding also nominated King’s Lynn, owned by The Queen, as a horse to follow this summer.
The three-year-old ended his juvenile campaign with a ready win in a big sales race at Doncaster.
Balding said: “This is another smart horse to keep on the right side of.
“He’s a progressive colt and followed up a good second on debut with victory in the valuable sales race at Doncaster. That race looked very competitive on paper and it was good to see him win in the style that he did.
“It’s always nice to have horses for Her Majesty The Queen and it looks as though she’s got a couple of good ones with us at the moment.”
