Royal Ascot winning trainer Charlie Appleby has revealed the long-term plans for Native Trail, Coroebus and Modern Games.
Native Trail, unbeaten in four races last year, including the Superlative Stakes, National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes, will will take in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket before taking in the 2000 Guineas. If all goes to plan, Native Trail will follow the same progression plan as Pinatubo.
Bookmakers have instilled Native Trail as the 3/1 favourite for the 2000 Guineas while his stablemate, Coroebus is second favourite at 5/1.
Coroebus will take in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury before his shot at the Guineas. However, the race which Breeder’s Cup winner Modern Games will run in is yet to be decided with either the Irish or French Guineas being considered.
Appleby admitted that Modern games could skip the Newmarket Classic with trips to Ireland or France being considered for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, Appleby said: “First and foremost, they’ve all wintered well and they will all take in a trial as we stand at the moment,” “Native Trail will head to Newmarket for the Craven and Coroebus will head to Newbury for the Greenham.
“Potentially, that leaves Modern Games to go to Newcastle for the trial up there. We will take those trials onboard first but in pencil, it’s likely we’ll run Native Trail and Coroebus there [in the 2000 Guineas].
“Whether we decide with Modern Games to take him to France or maybe to Ireland we’ll see but most importantly they’ve wintered well and we’ll put them in trials and work away from there.”
Appleby revealed that William Buick is likely to be the jockey to race Native Trail in the Guineas, and also added that Coroebus could be the horse that progresses throughout the season.
“Native Trail as we saw last year going unbeaten was a man amongst boys, there’s no doubt about it,” he said.
“If you ran him tomorrow you couldn’t be any happier with him. He looks fantastic and he’s got that edge on the three-year-olds this year with the strength he has physically.
“With Coroebus, he’s got untapped potential – a typical Dubawi in that he’s just going to progress throughout the season.
“He’s got a lot of natural pace there and he shocked us all really when we ran him in the Royal Lodge.
“I turned around and thought job done but before we knew it we’d been nutted on the line so when we backed him up a few people raised eyebrows but I wanted to back him up on good ground.
“He couldn’t have been anymore impressive in the Autumn Stakes. William [Buick] had to sit and wait to press the button and still went too soon!
“So he’s a horse that we’ve seen his talent but we think he’ll progress throughout the season.
“As long as one of them wins the Guineas, I’ll be happy.”
