Pat Smullen rides Zebstar© Photo Healy Racing
Gay Kelleway hopes patience will be rewarded when Zebstar finally gets the chance to confirm the favourable impression of his debut win in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh today.
A rare first-time out winner for the Newmarket trainer, the Zebedee colt was an intended runner in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but Kelleway felt the ground was too firm.
That means 98 days will have passed since his debut success but apart from returning from his Newmarket success with sore shins, Kelleway insists there have been no other hold-ups.
She said: "Zebstar's in good form. Sunday will be a massive step up for him, obviously, but the race he won at Newmarket has really worked out well and a lot of winners have come out of it.
"He was really sore after he won at Newmarket so we eased off him.
"Then we got him ready for Ascot but with the ground very firm there I didn't want to risk him.
"You can ruin two-year-olds by asking them too many questions too soon, so I hope being patient pays off.
"He was still growing, so we backed off him again and sat on our hands a bit wondering where we were going to go.
"His work has been brilliant and whether he's up to Group One level or not we'll see, but the owners are very sporting and want to have a crack at it - they've turned down some massive offers for him.
"The only slight question mark I have in my mind is the six furlongs, but on his debut nothing was coming to get him - he was very tenacious.
"He's in the Morny and the Middle Park after this and we'll find out if it's worth running him in one of those.
"He's the best two-year-old I've had anything to do with."
The likely favourite is Mark Johnston's Buratino impressive winner of the Coventry Stakes, who will be having his seventh outing of a busy campaign.
Johnston also runs Sixth Sense winner of an Ascot Listed race last time out.
Charlie Johnston, assistant to his father, said: "Buratino is favourite for the 2000 Guineas and that is the long-term plan.
"He goes to Ireland for the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and we're very hopeful he will run a huge race.
"The Dewhurst is an option for the end of the season but at the moment we are keen to stick to six furlongs.
"We have no doubt that long term he will stay a mile and if we think he needs stepping up in trip in the autumn then the Dewhurst is definitely an option.
"Sixth Sense needs a strong pace and seven furlongs because he stays so well.
"He did it well at Ascot last time out and is a very talented horse and if he makes the necessary improvement he could be a contender in the Dewhurst."
Aidan O'Brien 's Air Force Blue a two-length second to Buratino in the Coventry, renews rivalry.
O'Brien has claimed seven of the last 10 runnings of the Group One and also saddles Railway Stakes scorer Painted Cliffs and Washington DC winner of the Windsor Castle at Ascot.
